Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1924-11-13
National Police Bureau I
Would Reduce Crime
Head of New York Police Depart
ment Says Notice Is Not Given
en- Citizens Protectors When Des-
perate Criminals are Discharged
from State and National Peniten-
tiaries.

BY K1C6AND L. Elm NULL
In my opinion, the greatest step
toward the elimination of crime in this
country which can be taken is in the
establishing of a National Police Blu
reau at Washington, D. c. 1t is OBJ
vious that under existing conditions
criminals of the most desperate sort
are able, under clever aliases to go
from one state to another and to get
if caught, only prison terms meant tor
first offenders.
Not only is there this danger but
foreign criminals of every descrlp--
ton can migrate to this. country and
operate for months, sometimes years
without being caught. The best pre-
tentative l know for this is in an In
ternational Police Bureau Such an
institution should, and l hope, event
ually will be established
1t may surprise you to learn that
the prison authorities in this and
other states give the police no notlce
of the discharge of prisoners. The
most desperate of criminals, some
times men with murder laid at their
door, are set free without the men
who are charged with the protection
of the lives of citizens having any OPP
portunity to check up on them or
watch where they settle down. Until
we come upon them in some new law
less outbreak we usually do not know
whether they have resumed their OLD
criminal associations or not.
There is cure for this lack OF CO.
operation among the police forces ana
it lies in the adoption of a bill now be-
fore Congress for the establishment
of National Police Bureau, a central
office in Washington where finger
prints for the whole nation would De
compared and such receptions as
Dracticed would be impossible.
Every European country has one
Canada has one, only the United Stat,
es lags. And today, with MOTORIZED
criminals leaping at will from state 70
state, it is an absolute necessity II
we of the police are to FULLY protect
you, the citizen.
Criminal History
T recite this bit of criminal history
to illustrate a condition that needs cor
"The Wallabout Kid was one OF
our most promising young gangsters
and pickpockets when he made the
mistake of trying to slit a policeWo-
mans handbag in Subway crush.
The resultant sentence to Sing olng
amazed him. Always before ne haa
heen able to buy off the complainant,
"beat the charge" or get suspendeu
sentence. or, at most, a thrty-ddy
term in the Tombs. He felt fairly at
horne in that prison in the city, out 10
he sent "up the river" because TINS
complainant could neither be briDeo
nor cajoled-that was something eise
again. g., I'D not
been in Sing Sing six hours pelo1e ~
began to learn and to apply, Wnat lae
Learned. First he set himself TO WI,
the very shortest term possible py
means of the parole system; n ela
he set out to gain the favor OF tne
officials as a well-behaved prisoner.
His success was great. Came gay
two wears later when prison tru Isl,
was being discharged on parole. nc
Warden. in whose service he had Deeh
took enough special interest IN the
man to speak final word.
Warden Gives Advice
"Kid you've seen what you get III
IN by being crooked. Don't ever come
back here-you know what you're apt
to get as second offender-a lone
The kid" took the advice in part
He went to a new place, but the rea-
son in the back of his head was tnat
he didn't mean to be convicted as
second offender. He crossed the Huo-
SON to Nyack, journeyed to trenton
New Jersey, in security, used up the
money the warden had handed him.
tried Intellectually to get work to MS
law liking, and then found himself pen
niless. He tried to Gift leather. -
pick mans pocket-got into flght
and was caught.
Jersey Justice is reputed stern but
"The Wallabout Kid" had long ago
found ways to beguile judges. lie tolo
the court he was from Lakewood and
that he had never done anything wrong
in his life beforehand he won a sus~
pended sentence Imagine-at the
moment he stood guilty of violation
of parole-in leaving New York with
out permission-and was doubly a sec
ond offender.
Gets Ten Years Term
1.-THE Kid" next stole a motor car
and iourneyed across the Delaware
River into Pennsylvania. Turning
north, he went to Easton, tried twice
- f:,d ;ohe 4bo4 xyara eocu enough TO