Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-22

One thousand one hundred and seven
persons spent a portion of their time
during the fiscal year 1925-27 behind
the bars OF the Douglas city jail OF
this number not more than one or two
were there because they wanted to be
there and not more than half q dozen
were released without having paid trib-
ute to the majesty Of the law either IN
time spent behind the bars or in money
paid over the desk of the police judge
or other courts.
Between June l, 1925 end May 81,
1927, a total of $4254.30 in fines was
collected in police court and turned
ever to the treasurer Of the city OF
Douglas. Of this total, the records show
that the largest number of fines for any
one specific charge was collected on
charges of intoxication
The largest amount of money collect
ed on any one charge, however, Was not
on the .intoxication charge for the av-
erage fine on that charge is about five
dollars whereas traffic violations are
ordinarily assessed as much as $40 Or
SIS, so that while there were fewer
traffic violation cases the money taken
in from them was greater in amount.
No t0tals of the various classes OF
cases are made in the books except by
months but a check of these shows that
a large amount hss been assessed in
fines for violation of the city ordinance
against pxoStitut ion This ordinance is
known as ordinance number TT and
the customary fine for everyone found
guilty of this charge is $25. AS two
persons are ordinarily prosecuted IN
connection with each raid of this ma
ture each of these cases nets the city
$50.
January Returns Largest
One would believe upon studying the
record books of the police judge that
the records kept there might Indicate
something of the time of year when the
public is inclined to be most lax in its
conduct Some might be of the opirl-
ion that the book would more likely
show what months in the year the
court is in bad humor.
At any rate the month of January
brought in to the city treasury the
greatest amount in fines during the
past fiscal year December was almost
as good or as bad according to what
angle the matter is viewed from. Oc-
There are epidenics in crime but the
police court does not deal so much in
crime as it does in misdemeanors. |
Crime, as theft, assault, murder and
such things, is handled by the justice
court and the higher courts of the
county. The city court, or police court
as it is called is concerned with viola
tibnS of called is concerned with viola
violations grow severe they are ldentl-
fled under state laws and Immediately
lose their municipal quality and are
tried in Justice court
This means that the fines, if any are
collected, GO into the county treasury
eventually instead of into the city
treasury What is the cause of the
fluctuation of the amount in fines is a
hard problem One cause of changes
in the amount collected from month to
month is that the police in cooperation
with the court, at times, make organ
lied efforts to put stop to certain
abuses and during these periods every
one arrested on charges connected with
the certain reform being attempted IS
fined more heavily than usual and
there are more arrests in that particu-
lar field Until the situation within the
city shows Improvement. This system
of clean up campaigns probably ex-
plains quite a bit of the variation IN
amounts collected.
Summer Lightens Business
Another thing noted by observance is
that during the summer months there
is less of certain forms of delinquency
than at other periods of the year.
There is more intoxication during the
colder months and more petty thievery.
There are practically no vagrants in
the summer while there are just as
many during the winter as the jail will
hold or the police. have time to arrest
and investigate.
Migrants add nothing to the finances
Of the city, however. They are a bur-
den on the police, the jailorS and the,
treasury for they must be fed while
they are in Jail and cannot be made to
work to earn their keep. In times past
regular chain gangs were organized
during the winter months in many Ar
iona cities and the vagrant was ar