Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28
BY REX COLLIER.

Acting for the first time in his new
role Of crime diagnostician. Uncle Sam
has just issued a bulletin showing that
crime is on the increase in America.
The bulletin. compiled and published
under the supervision of j. Edgar
Hoover, director of the United States
Bureau of Investigation, contains the
initial returns in the Governments first
organized comprehensive survey of the
crime situation
Without attempting to draw any con-
clusions so early in the undertaking
or to recommend remedial measures, the
bulletin presents an uncolored statistical
picture of the volume, geographic dis
tribution and periodic fluctuation" of
all "offenses known to police" based
on reports from 772 cities in A States
Shows Upward Climb.
In order graphically to illustrate the
general trend of crime from January
through August of this year, chart
is appended, showing that the total Of
all reported odenses. ranging from
murder to petty theft, is climbing
upward
During the month of August it is
shown there was an increase in every
type of criminal activity. with the single
exception Of rape. The incidence was
particularly apparent with regard to
murder. manslaughter and robbery.
A comparison with figures for July
previously tabulated by the Interna-
tional Association of Chiefs of Police
indicates net increase for August of
slightly less than 10 per cent" Director
Hoover announced in the bulletin The
increase over July was chiefly in the
reports Of robbery and aggravated
assault, it was pointed out.
Analysing the totals of respective
offcnses by percentages, the bulletin
disclcSes that petty larceny is by far
the most frequent offense, with auto
mobile theft second and burglary third
Larceny involving $50 or less accounted
for GAS per cent CT all crimes reported
for August Automobile theft had
percentage of 25 burglary was 1919 per
cent OF the total, larceny of sums of
, $50 or over, 81 per cent; robbery, SO
per cent; aggravated assault. as per
cent; murder and non-negligent man
slaughter, 06 per cent; rape, 0.5 per
cent, and granddaughter by negligence,
0.4 per cent
The Bureau of Investigation has been
engaged in the collection of the uni
form crime reports only since the LIST
OF September, acting under authority
of a recent act of Congress For that
reason cooperation of all municipal
and State authorities has not been OBJ
tanned. The August report, for ex-
ample. gives no returns for New York
City and only partial returns for Chi
/ cago. Director Hoover is endeavoring
to complete the gaps before issuance OF
/ the September bulletin.
nf
has just started, as is obvious. there Is
no comparison with former years.
784 Offcnses in District.
With Chicago and New YorE elm
/ mated the August crime totals show
Detroit in the lead with 1880 reported
/ offenses, Los Angeles next with 2,183,
Cleveland third with / ,e45, San Fran
cisco fourth with 1903, st. Louis fifth
! with 1923. Philadelphia sixth with
/ 1.243 and Newark seventh with LII.
j All other cities have totals under the
! thousand mark
! The District of Columbia reported a
/ total of 784 otfeuses for the month, dis
] tributed as follows: Automobile theft,
/ 277; larceny under $50. 100; burglary
| 1877; larceny over $50, o.. robbery, 20;
aggravated assault, 10; murder S, and
| manslaughter, A.
Z 1IHluO6u IN IDe bulletin Is table
giving the strength of police forces in
I the various cities. with the number Of
policemen per 1000 of population. The
average appears to be about two police
men for every thousand citizens, al
though the averages vary greatly
Palm Beach, Fla. seems to be the best
policed city in the United States, with
an average of 10 policemen to every
1000 citizens. The little city of Ki1is-
ley, Kans., whose 4,546 residents are
provided with one policeman, trails In
the list. with an average of q OF a
policeman for every thousand citizens
Boston has more policemen per thou
Sand population than any other city in
the 100000 or up class. Her average
is 3.3 Washington and Newark are
tied for second place with an average
of % per thousand. Philadelphia, st
Louis and Jersey City are tied for thirc
place with an average of 90. Detroit
! is next with $50, Providence next with
"a, Baltimore and Buffalo each have
an average of %, Los Angeles has %
J and Milwaukee has exactly O. All otI1cl
. cities Of over 100000 population hav.
less than tive policemen per theusan