Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-29
A Failure Of Government.

A Failure Of Government.
A report just submitted to the Ma
t;oral Crime Commission by subcom-
r1'ttcc constitutes a severe indictment
c! police. prosecution and court meth
OBS N this country. This subcommit-
tee. headed by former Gov. Frank O.
LovGsn. has been investigating the sub
.ects Of pardons, paroles. probation.
penal laws and institutional correction
and n IS findings, now set forth, 1t
stresses the conclusion that the fault
IN the enforcement Of the laws as a
preventive and corrective measure lies
not so much in the sottening Of the
treatment OF prisoners, after convic-
ton. as IN the laXity and inefhciency
OF the measures Of detection and tria:.
The most startling thing" says the
subcommittee report, lis the small
number Of criminals who are caught
By the police" While the statistics
presented are not comprehensive. owing
70 the fact that the records Of crime
ara pun!shmerts IN this country are
aStonishingly incomplete, they indicate
that compared with England, Wales
ard Canada the American averages Of
arrests 10 crimes are very low indeed.
In New York, for instance, only four
teen per cent of burglaries are followed
by arrests, in St. Louis only eight per
cert. as compared with twenty-five per
cent in England and Wales. These fig
ures are characteristic of other Ameri-
can cities and OF other crimes. The
percentages. says the report, are so low
that one no longer wonders why SC
many individuals turn to crime" The
subcommittee proceeds:
II would appear to be about the
safest business IN which one could en-
gage Robbery in Buffalo, for example.
must be a particularly lucrative call
ing. As arrests are made IN only three
per cent Of the cases, the number who
are finally convicted is necessarily 50
small that the luckless individual who
IS occasionally caught and convicted
must attribute his misfortune TO an act
Of God, as he would in case Of dis
astrous storm, shlpwreck or earthquake.
The ratio OF convictions to crimes
known to the police is likewise exceed
ingly small in this country as COM
pared with England and Wales and
with Canada. On this subject the SUBJ
committee quotes as follows from the
report Of the Minnesota Crime Com
mission:
To present the picture in different
hight, what must the criminal think OF
soc.e:y's efforts TO deal with him? II
he be familiar with the actual opera
ton q the criminal law. he must know
that ne may escape arrest altogether:
that 4 arrested he may not be held
by the police Or sheriff; If held, he may
no. oe indicted or have information
f!Iec toc his prosecution: If prosecution
be commenced. he may not be brough,
70 trial because the county attorney
n.ay y.ol.e or dismiss, Or he may be al
loved 20 plead guilty 70 lesser ofense
ran that which he has committed: !.
tried. the trial may result in failure to
ccEy.ct. 4 convicted, he may have SEN
tence suspended. Or II committed, IL
Clav be for maximum lower than
tl7at provided by statute: ard II finally
he should reacn State penal institu-
TIN re may be released by the board
Of parole; and Il that fails. he may still
Apply FOX a pardon.
There are .or.y-eight STATE !urisdic-
tons N this country and one Federal
jurisdiction which covers the District
OF Columbia. In these forty-nine dit-
3e,ert areas o- fields Of law enforce
men: there are widely different codes
arc procedures and conditions. Efforts
20 un.fy Lave met with little SUCCESS
Po.,.caI Influences have prevented the
EucceE< ri al movements " reform the
pli-ce a..1 court practices IN the inter
est - pubic safety. Thus the solution
c. a natlof.a! problem which affects the
Ives ard Bec0!!ty and property 81 mil
lions Q. cl,lzefs is delayed ]! not alto
Re,.eE pYeYentec.
IL. ne &oae..ce II comprehensive, de-
pCEGab.e statistics IL crime and poi.cc
To!E n i..s country u Is c.tlcult u
pTGzrI. q true picture ri the state u
goc.ety IN tne United states, but i t.
Cr'c13fzH2 pa.kfI!y EVIDENT a. d result
u: }te researches u We National Crime
Comnslss,oa ard various State commits
E4osss tsat have IN recent years been
oyg&13ueG 1!4&t IN this matter u main
tanning law &nc order. The most vital
44rctlen u Government, The great
Anef.can commonwealth has lanen-
tspy .a.>ec.