New-York tribune., 1922-04-08
Enright Comedies Crime
Tribune Barred Year AgO
Police Head Denied Lawless Wave as Late as Dec 8.
1920; Made Many Changes That Weakened
Force, Closing IL Stations, Although
He Was Warned of Danger

-
/ issued the order restoring the old nine
platoon system until conditions war
rant return to the ten platoon plan,
I under which the Police Department
| formerly operated, he admitted that
an emergency existed.
More than year ago The Tribune
in series of articles reviewed the
lawless conditions which were then
present. as they are now. and stated
plainly the shortcomings of the Police
/ Department as administered by MI
( Enright, which are responsible for the
/ increase in crime in New York City.
The Commissioner met these charge
with the fiat denial that there was
more than a normal amount Of crime
In statement issued on December 8
1920, Mr. Enright said: "Thcre has
been no increase in crime; in fact
ther has been substantial decrease
over conditions existing during the
previous FIVE years"
This denial has since been repeated
by the Police Commissioner on various
Within the last few days Commissions r
Enright. warned by Governor Miller
that New York City must be made a
safe place in which to live. has taken
certain steps which are intended to
strengthen the protection offered the
public ythe Police Department.; but
in the year which had passed from
the time The Tribune first made its
case against Mr.. Enrght's administra-
tion of the Police Department. no steps
were taken to increase the efficiency
of the department.
None of the fundamental frailties
,,.b b.t& ,~A4 D~1r
ment at the time when The Trbune's
survey was made has been eliminated,
None of the many changes which
Mr.. Enright has made in the routine
of the department during the last year
has increased it's efficiency.
Many Of the changes, in the opinion
Of veteran police officials, have had
the effect of weakening still more an
already inefficient department.
Tribune Charged Broken System
In the series OF articles concerning
the Police Department published by
The Tribune in December. 1920, and in
January, 1921 these we're the principal
charges made against the Police De-
partment:
That the city was underpoliced.
That the efficient organization built
up by Woods, Bingham and other com
missioners since the days of McAdoo
had been broken apart
That the system of promotion by
merit which prevailed under Woods
had been discarded and a system of
promotion for reasons of personal
friendship or politics had taken it's
place.
That the personal friendship system
had led to the creation of innumerable
soft berths for favored individuals,
which greatly weakened the general
morale of the rank and file
That men who had won to the top by
sheer merit under Woods and his pred
ecessors had been either denoted or
sidetracked by Enright in his effort to
take care Of his friends. In this con-
nection especial points were made of
che cases of Faurot, Cray, Costigan,
Tunney, Cassasa, McKenna, Mugge and
others. These men were acknowledged
experts in specialized lines. Since En-
right took hold all of them either have
been elevated to comparatively inactive
positions or taken away from duty
where they could use their special
training for the benefit of the depart
.nent. Some of them have resigned
since from the department.
That the Detect tive Department had
become demoralized because of the
Enright system of promotion by spe-
cial favor.
Records Are Concealed
That the practice Of official secrecy
under the Enrignt administration con-
ceals from the public the records Of
the Police Department and makes it
possible for any statement of crime
conditions officially issued to be so
prepared rs to favor any argument the
department may wish to present.
It was also charged that Chief In
spector William J. Lahey had been
| particularly favored by Enright. and
had been given complete control of
departm This position gives Lahey
| more power than any man in similar
position ever has held
These charges were made more than
year ago in letter written by The
Tribune and delivered to Commission
| CT Enright. At the time the Commits
! sioper attempted to explain certain
| points and ignored others. Since that
time he has taken no steps to remedy
| any of the abuses pointed outu to him
| by The Tribune. Neither has there
| been any decrease in the crime record,
but rather an increase, particularly in
SIilhco VI NioituCc WHICH iuui-
cate certain contempt on the part of
the criminals for the police A par
ticuluarly impudent example is the
robbery of the Shattuck house, in
Washington Square, last Sunday
More than year ago The Tribune
pointed out that the city was under
poiiced. Yesterday Commissioner En-
right asked for funds to add 1892 men
to his force.
No effort has been made to restore
the efficient system which prevailed
under previous commissioners, notably
Arthur Woods.
Promotions for political reasons or
for reasons of personal preferment
have become even more pronounced
New soft snaps have been created
for favored individuals. A recent in
stance of this policy is the creation a
month ago of u number OF deputy in
spectors. This is new position in
the Police Department. Captains Of
precincts are made deputy inspectors"
only by the Commissioned. No exam
nation is necessary.
The plan to denote or sidetrack men
who held high office in previous ad-
ministrations remains in force I7aurot
and Cray. famous detective chiefs are
still deputy commissioners supervising
clerical and license matters. They
were sidetracked. Costigan, vice SQUAD