Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
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~ VERY once in a while, we hear
- of the successful use of
radio in catching criminals.
IL Broadcasting is making it hard
er for bandits or hold-up men,
once identified and their descriptions
recorded, to escape the police A num-
Der of stations throughout the United
States have worked closely with the
police, and this practice undoubtedly
will increase
This is entirely to be commended, but
have been thinking recently that radio
may go still farther and do still more
effective work against criminals by
helping to prevent crime, rather than
in catching criminals. have just been
reading book by reformed burglar
written, is one of the most ovec-
whelming arguments against engaging
in a criminal career ever written. Now
my idea is that a man like the author
Of this book, who, I understand has
been living an exemplary life for many
years, could. by short talks over the
radio, do splendid educational work in
the prevention of crime. I have never
met this man, and do not even know
whether he signed his real name or not,
but cite him as an example of men
whose word would be convincing to any
young man, balancing on the edge Of d
criminal career ready to be sent one
way or the other by some slight i'm
pulse.
If you will stop to think about this,
I think you will agree with me that
radio is potentially tremendous force
for moral stimulation. Somehow, I
think a boy is more apt to listen to a
man who has been through the mill
than he is to clergyman-not in the
least deprecating the splendid efforts of
clergymen everywhere to combat crime.
Furthermore, the radio has an almost
uncanny way of personalizing its mes
sage, something which the printed word
does not do. Let us take a suggestions
case.
Draws Potential Case.
Here is boy Of 18, not congentially
bad, but reared in a congested section
of a large city and deprived of the
healthful influences of good home.
Speakeasies or gangsters' clubs are
about the only social organizations in
his neighborhood. He takes up with
a gang of youths just on the borderland
of crime. He is paying court to a girl
in the next block, and he needs money
badly. Several of the boys in his gang
have automobiles, and they take their
girls to the night clubs. He wants
clothes, money for recreation, an auto
mobile-innumerable things. Even in
such social strata all amusements are
expensive, and this boy tries to scheme
some way to make a killing.
One of his friends and intimates sug-
gests a "set-up" by which they can
get away with some big dough-" The
boy is shocked at first, but begins to toy
with the l:ea. Finally. he agrees to
keep an appointment which will start
him on criminal career. He stops
at the corner cigar store to buy some
cigarettes. The loud-speaker is going.
He listens for a moment:
Listen, boyl have been all through
this racket. It's sucker game After
adding up all my takings for 90 years
and taking out lawyers fees and all the
rest of it I would have made more If
had been working for So day. AND
the minute you pull your first job you're
In misery from then on, even If you
do manage to stall off the bulls for a
few years. I know this racket from the
inside out, and I'm telling you any guy
is come-on who ever breaks into it."
For the purposes of my little dream