Evening star., 1925-05-10

pointed out that there In large num-
ber of separate collections Of finger.
prints in this country, and that by far
the most OF these are in the hands OF
police departments. However, 1t is as.
serted that these collections can never
be really effective. nor can any or.
ga nization now collecting finger-prints
be effective until some well designed
agency is created. financed and
operated by the Federal Government.
to collect, file and make available TO
all proper authorities all records of
criminal Identification throughout the
country.
Fine for the Criminals.
Under this vicious lack of police
system, continues the commissioner
a professional criminal may operate
in many States and cities with the
same freedom enjoyed by the amateur
IN crime. A professional criminal may
become SO notorious and SO well
known to the police of New York. for
example, that he does not dare set q
foot in that city. but he may go to
Chicago. or any other city, large OF
small, and operate with a great degree
OF fmpunity. He changes his name
and, even should he be arrested for
the commission of crime of the sort
for which he has record in another
city. the chances are that he will not
be recognized as professional, and
may either escape punishment entire.
ly, or. in any event, he may not be
punisned IN manner warranted by
his criminal record and true char
acter. -
This applies to all criminals-euual.
ly to the burglar, the incendtary who
starts fires for the purpose Of reAlix.
ing insurance, the mercantile swindler
who stocks a store with goods on
credit and then conveniently fails, the
pickpocket, the bank sneak thief and
the rogues of high and low degree.
Functions Of the Bureau.
The functions OF the proposed Ma.
tional Police Bureau, as set forth in
the measure urged upon Congress-. in.
clude the following:
To gather, receive, compile, coll.ts.
study, investigate and file for .ef.
erence. and properly distribute and
make available to interested or an.
propriate police authorities, police in.
formation and criminal intelIieence
throughout the country; to act as a
national clearing house of crime rec.
ords, criminal identifications, crime
statistics and information respecting
rcrimeS OF lnterState, national or inter.
national concern; to investigate. con.
duct studies Of and make recommends.
tions as to the sta nda rdization OF no.
lice methods and procedure through.
out the country: to maintain contact
between the police authorities OF this
country and the police departments 3
Of foreign countries. and to conduct
a criminal laboratory.
In the judgment of the police pro.
fession National Police Bureau must
not be an agency through which, ar.
rests are made, nor must its func.
tions be merged with those D. an
organisation engaged in making ar.
rests and criminal investigations of
divers character. 1t must not exer.
else control over, nor interfere In, the
autonomous administration and con.
troll OF police departments or other
police agencies, whether municipal.
State or Federal +.
One of the striking comments Of
Commissioners Enright is to the effect
that In the United States every State
lire IL a barrier to the police, although,
obviOusly. no State line is a barrier
to the criminal
And, again, he says: "The way to
stop crime ts- to organize the police
nationally. Criminals use all modern
scientific appliances. Americas DO
lice a. 4 whole do not. They must,
or should be. ~ enterprising as the
lAwbfeakers." so