Evening star., 1926-11-22
Juvenile Criminals.

Last Friday afternoon in Brooklyn,
! N. Y, gang of four young bandits"
| engaged in a fight with two police.
men who stopped their motor car in
| which they had been suspiciously
cruising about. One Of the policemen
| was killed instantly and another was
desperately wounded. One of the gang
was caught, and now others are
| being rounded up. One of them, taken
yesterday, proves to be Of type
| that is sadly prevalent nowadays. a
youth Of hardened nature who, though
only eighteen, has, according to con-
fession reported by the police after
his examination, participated in nu-
merous hold-ups and possibly at least
one other murder This lad, short Of
stature and with the appearance of a
schoolboy, much less in age than
eighteen. is known in the gang as
king" because of his staggering,
domineering manner. He is not
acknowledged as a leader, but aspires
to such a role. He tells, without
blenching, of having part in at least
half a dozen desperate raids on stores,
the use of guns, carefully planned
operations, with watches all set to the
minute to insure effective team work.
and altogether campaign of highly
skilled banditry. AS a result Of this
confession other crimes thus far un-
solved may be explained.
This youth is type of the period.
Nothing Is said in the news reports
about his family, save that he has
sister who is the sweetheart of an
other member of the gang. He lives
alone in a furnished room, evidently
an idler, abiding by his wits, a stray
lad who has attached himself to
gang. There are many such in the
large cities, boys who have left home,
adopted vicious associations, started
in a small way in criminal activities
and finally become professional crooks
and gunmen.
1t has often been suggested that
there should be more complete and
searching police registry of persons In
this country. to ascertain their ways
of living and their occupations. with
a view to the surveillance Of those
who are potential if not actual Grim
.nals. In other lands such registra-
tions enable the police at all times to
=
in proper and legitimate occupations
and. when crime is committed, to
round up the suspects and by elimina-
ton to narrow the accusation down
20 the real malefactor. 1t is no crime,
of course. for lad to be unoccupied,
20 be a loiterer on the streets. to be
associated with other idlers. But such
youth should be known to the police
and should be warned to find job
and go to work or become subject to
suspicion. perhaps to arrest for va.
grancy.
This flotsam of humanity in the
large centers of population contributes
the heaviest part of present day crime.
Tdleness and bad associations make
the boy into a gangster. There should
be some place where he can be trained
TO a useful occupation, some means
whereby he can be redeemed from his
evil associations and tendencies and
made into q useful citizen. Prison will
not do that. Correctional institutions
are in some cases merely criminal
makers. The problem is one of the
most difficult that are faced today by
law makers and law enforcers. but a
solution must be sought. and if pos.
slble found, unless a large percentage
of the younger generation drifts into
crime and takes toll of society.
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