Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-15
Chicago's Crime Records.

| One OF the QlIIlCuiIleS encountered Dy
| investigators into the subject of crime
in the United States is the fact that the
statistics of law breaking and punish
ment in this country are deficient. In
practically no State is there full rec
| ord, covering period Of decades, OF the
transgresSions against the statutes and
of the administration of justice. In most
States the records are fragmentary and
incomplete and in some instances mis-
leading as to general conditions.
A report has just been made by the
Chicago Crime Commission which bears
upon one phase of this matter, showing
how police incompetence and corrup-
ZION completely nullify the value of
such records as are kept covering up a
degree of crime prevalence that, be-
coming known by acts reported by the
press, has made that city notorious for
its lawlessness. This report states first
of all that more than $4,000 criminal
complaints made to the Chicago police
in the past two years have been sup
pressed Major crimes have been re-
corded as minor offenses. Trifiing
charges have been entered on the blot
tiers in lieu of outrageous felonies
Bombings, 1t is stated, have been
written down as malicious mischief"
and assaults upon women as "acci-
dents" Complaints Of pocket picking
have been in great many cases
ignored. During 1926 only one out Of
twenty complaints of assault was re-
ported from the police stations to the
ofiice of the secretary Of the department.
According to the records kept in that
office, upon which the criminal statistics
Of the city must be based, in the alb
sence of painstaking research into the
blotters of the station houses-and even
they are far from correct or complete
there were in 1927 no safe blowings,
no pocket-pickings, no purse-snatchings,
no larcenies by bailees In 1927 no bogus
checks were passed, no forgeries were
uttered, no extortions by threats were
committed
The absurdity Of such records is
laughable, and yet painfully evident of
connivance by the police organization
with the criminal classes. Chicago's
civic pride has been stung by the
criticisms of the country-criticism
coming in some cases from communities
where conditions were better only by
eontrast--and perhaps these coverings
Of the facts by Misrepresentation are
due to this feeling OF shame and a de-
sire TO appear better than the facts
justify. But the hiding of a dirty spot
will not eradicate 1t. Sweeping the
! germ laden dust beneath the furniture
is not sanitary housekeeping. Conceal
ment is no correction for crime And
| the implication is unacceptable that
where there is concealment there is a
| corrupt reason, that there is criminal
conniyance with crime.
| Chicago is conspicuous in this respect
because Of the openneEs with which the
| gangs have waged war upon society and
upon one another. The outragcs that
have occurred in that city are the con-
/ sequence, IN part, OF either police
leniency or actual betrayal Of the lawful
portion Of the community, assuredly the
far greater portion. Repeated demon
STATIONS OF this condition have not
seemingly effected reform. Political con-
siderations have not only complicated
and delayed, but thus far have pre-
vented reformation. How long will this
condition be tolerated by the people Of
Chicago?