The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-09-03
CAUSE OF CRIME
Philadelphia Detective Chief
Discusses Subject

l
The thirteenth annual convention
of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police
Association was held in Erie last
week. Colonel Samuel o. Wynne,
former u. S. postal inspector, and
present chief of the Philadelphia
County detectives, gave a splendid
address at one of the sessions as to
the cause of so much crime of the
present day.
Instead of waiting for man to
commit a crime and then going to
great expense-and it is a great ex-
pense-of approaching him." declar-
ed Colonel Wynne, trying him, con-
victing him and maintaining him in
prison for a number of years, we
SHOULD approach the subject from the
other angle and endeavor to prevent
the crime being committed at all.
eff the same amount of money ex-
pended in the prosecution of Grim
inals were used in real preventive
measures, it would be spent much
better, and, to my mind, in a more
effective manner.
''In the past few years, the age of
the lawbreakers has come down to
twenty-five years or under. In fact
most of the crimes of violence to-day
are committed by mere boys OF from
sixteen to twenty-five years of age.
Therefore, if we are going to make a
serious effort to prevent crime, it
must be directed to the moral i'm
provement of the boys.
''The average boy who stops school
at the age of fourteen of fifteen, i'll
most instances because it is necessary
for him to go to work to help sup
port the family, is left to shift for
himself. Very little effort is made
to ascertain what the boy does when
he is not working. Consequently, he
is thrown on his own resources, fire.
quently getting into employment that
is not the proper kind, and his spare
moments are spent on street cor
ners, cheap pool rooms, or worse
places. 1t is only one step further
to the first criminal offense.
''In large cities, and in every COM
munity, we have great public school
buildings. costing millions of dollars,
that are practically idle sixteen
hours out of every twenty-four My
suggestion is to make these school
buildings into neighborhood clubs,
which will become the recreation
center for every community. We.
he -
come into these centers, but go opt
and not only. invite them in bet
encourage them to come in. linden
proper supervision, they should beA
taught the great value of education,
occupation and recreation. They
should be encouraged to continue
the trades that suit them best, and,
above all, they should be taught
to play.
1.-The plan outlined here could be
put into effect without great ex-
pense, if one considers the benefits
that are bound to result therefrom
We have school buildings. every
where. The new modern buildings
could be used practically as they
stand, for a purpose of this kind.
The older buildings could be i'm
proved to take care of the needs OF
their community.
with the proper force of super
visors, I am confident that this plan
would result in great advantage to
the boys. In time the school build
ings would become the real COM
munity centers, and benefit to
every person residing in the district.
This is not religious question
but great moral issue. and unless
we take the matter seriously and
solve it by building the boys int
clean, right-living, right-thinking.
crime will continue to in
crease, and the problems will only
become greater as time goes on"
r.