Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
j. S. WILL LAUNCH
STUDY Of CRIME
Department Of Justice to
Conduct Inquiry to Further
Government Crusade.

Uncle Sam. beginning September /,
is going to put his finger on the pulse
Of crime In America. with view tilti-
r1ately to diagnosing the affliction. as
certaining It's cause and formulating q
prescription for its control.
On the LIST of next month there will
be inaug,irated. In the Bureau Of In
vestigatiof Of the Department Of JUS
tice, an entirely new Federal activity
In f,irtherance Of the Governments
crusade against crime collection
and study Of Nationwide statistics on
the subject of law violation.
The bureau, through its division of
Identification and information, 10 TAX
ing over a stupendous task at first UNI
ieftAken by the International Associa-
ton of Chiefs of Police, with the aid
of the Rockefeller Foundation, but
gladly relinquished by that organization
at the request of Congress. A recent
act authorizes continuance OF the work
By the Department of Justice.
There are statistics and statistics.
According to J. Edgar Hoover, the very
eficient director of the Bureau Of In
vestigation, the crime figures to be re-
ceived regularly from every large city
in the country will be something more
than subject matter for new volumes
Of drab Federal tabluative data.
Reports to Tell story.
The contemplated reports on crime
are to tell poignant story Of UNDER
world conditions. Just how sordid, how
serious that story will be cannot now
be prophesied. Incredible as 1t may
seem, this will be the Government
first unhurried and comprehensive at
tempt to get all the details of that story
yet It Is story that strikes at the
visals Of good government. and that
affects the peace and welfare OF all the
people.
Public men have discoursed at length
upon ''the crime wave" Official and pri.
vate agencies have decried widespread
law1essf1ess examinations have adopted
resolutions deploring the serious coridi-
tions" and Congress, from time to time.
has viewed the problem with CUSTOM
cry alarm.
tined they may be, has been predicated
on complete knowledge Of the facts.
There has never existed O complete
knowledge Of the facts, because the facts
were meaeer, vague, incomplete and
conflicting. No one positively could say
exactly how much crime was rampant
during given period, where 1t was dis.
tributed or what measures we're taken
to combat IL.
Hit-and- Miss Proposition.
10 revert to the initial smile, no one
could say definitely how sick the pa
tent society--was because the efforts
to diagnose the patients condition had
been inefficient, sporadic and devoid OF
professional system. without q proper
1&r.arz
sariiy was q hit-and-miss proposition.
With the corporation of State and
municipal authorities, the Federal Gev4
eminent proposes to meet this exigency
through the establishment of the new
division of criminal statistics under
Director Hoover. The full cooperation
Of police ofiicials in the States already
has been secured. A uniform system OF
crime reporting has been adopted 90
From the information thus secured
the bureau win tabulate the findings
ana issue q monthly bulletin, similar "a
That publiShed during the first half OF
this year BY the COMMITTEES on Uniform
Crime Records Of the International AS
ISOLATION Of Chiefs OF Police. The he-
rres win be limited to aoffenses known
to police. and viii group the more seri-
der and non-negligent naanslauehter,
n1anslaugi1ter by negligence, rape, rob-
berry. aggravated assault, burglary, lar
cenY-fheft Of $50 or over: larceny
Nne1t Of less than $50, and automobile
theft.
Listed According 70 cities.
The crimes win be CLASSIFIED and
listed according TO cities, q recapituiA-
ton VIII be made for state GROUPINGS.
such as New England, the Middle At
lafitic States, etc, and q chart win be
published showing the relative increase
or decline in crin1inality each month.
More than half q hundred cities OF
IN estimated population of 100000 or
more viii be represented In the reports.
Each city win have opposite its name
the total number of offenses known 10
police" during the month, their classic
cation and comparison with totals re-
ported during the previous quarter.
The movement which has resulted ia
this far-reaching step by the Govern
n1ef1t was instituted under the direction
OF committee Of police stperinteud-
ents and an advisory group Of public
and private officials, including w. M.
Steuart. director Of the Census, and
Director Hoover Of the Bureau OF In
vestigation.
II regard the new crime statistics
program Of the bureau of great irnpor-
lance TO law enforcement" Hoover de-
clared; 1T should supply information
Of unlimited value In appraisifla and
combating lawlessness.s