Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-07
BY EDWARD NJ. THIERRY

BY EDWARD M. THlEKRY
NEW YORK.-Richard e. En-
right, police commissioner of New
York, looms up as the leader
in the solution of one world prob
lem which politics seems unlikely to
hinder-''to make the world unsafe
for crimiuality.
ct don't expect to see crime ut-
terly banished," he says, "but do
see way to cut it down so per
cent in five years"
Commissioner Enright, just back
from Europe, where he converted
the police authorities of six nations
to his ideas, told in an interview
the program he will lay before a
meeting of the national police con-
ference-which will really be inter
national IN scope-on September IL.
This is the program:
/. National and international po-
lice cooperation on a systematic
basis-an entente cordiale in police
affairs"
2. A central bureau under federal
auspices as q clearing house for the
Identification of criminals, and for
the automatic gathering and ex-
change of records, fingerprints and
photographs.
8. Broadcasting of complete in
formation-up-to-dGte records, finger
prints, photographs-of habitual
criminals about. to be released from
prison.
4. An agency to combat criminal
anarchy, to keep tab on movements
Of reds"
ton, to prevent by international
cooperation, entrance Of criminals
and anarchists.
"Crime is receding all over the
country" says Enright. Indeed,
major crime in New York alone is 20
per cent less than in 1915 before
abnormal war conditions came. But
we can cut it more.
"Too many in America think the
law is joke. I found England has
less crime because there is a well.
SLOolAoO0 1O0PCCI AOI I1AO AbW. LUZ
/ think some parts of continental
Europe have more crime than Amer.
lea.
Sting Taken From Prisons
Criminals here no longer fear
punishment in prison; they consider
it sort of a holiday. Prison life is
too easy and comfortable. The prison
reform faddists have broken down
respect for law.
"That is why I advocate keeping
closer tab on released prisoners-not
to prosecute them, but to help those
who are entitled to help and to pre-.
vent the confirmed criminal from
committing. further crimes.
Nobody has more sympathy than
have for the first offender. Many
are rescued even after the second
offense. But after the third offense
man usually is a crook for life.
"As for the reformed ones, the
police of New York have done more
for x-crooks-provided them with
jobs and helped more of them to go
straight-than all the reform and
welfare leagues put together"
In explaining his program for a
central records bureau, Enright said
it would be entirely independent Of
any federal secret service agency
and was not in any respect step
toward, or advocacy of a federal
police force.
Senator William L. Calder, of New
York, said he had drawn a bill en-
bodying it, which probably will be
introduced in congress following the
national police conference session.
Its initial cost will be $250,OO a
year with a gradual reduction each
year." Enright says, until it should
eventually pay for itself in the help
given federal agents alone. In five
years crime could be reduced per-
haps so per cent, millions saved in
property loss, and deaths due to
criminality-which are said to have
been $4,000 last year-would be re-
duced tremendously"
High police authorities from Lon
don and Paris will attend the Sep
TENDER conference here, Enright
says, and probably also representa-.
tives from Berlin, Vienna, Rome,
Naples and Brussels.
Bureau Is Clearing House
'The proposed central bureau" he
said, would be strictly a clearing
house, with no field force, no control,
no jurisdiction. With foreign COOP
Grafton, assurances of which I re-
ceived while over there, it will be-
come an international clearing
house.
Checking criminal anarchy,
through immigration control, is one
| of the most important phases; for
most of the crime of this sort during
the last 10 years, including the Wall
street bombing in which 80 were
killed, two years ago, has gone I'M
punished"
Commissioner Enright, a man of
great bulk, with a shaggy head of
| curly gray hair, was promoted five
years ago out of the ranks to the
| command of New York's 1900 po-
| licemen.
Eyes, there is less crime, general.
ly," he said, 'but bad liquor Is the
| cause of many major crimes. can't
| hazard guess what prohibitions
effect will be on acknowledgements
| real prohibition has not arrived.
How can it, when-as, the poll of a
popular magazine says, half of the
people are against it?''