Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17
Greatest Criminality in US.
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battle. Consequently, if there is much
ballyhoo it will drag along, take an
endless amount of time, getting more
and more space in the newspapers and
drawing larger and larger crowds to the
court room.
I cannot forget seeing recently in a
newsreel a closeup picture of woman
already convicted and sentenced, yet
allowed to speak in her own behalf to
the thousands of people who comprise
movie" audience, reciting with gulp-
ing sobs the unfairness of her sentence,
although admitting her guilt. Such an
exhibition would not be tolerated in any
other country.
Police Changes Harmful.
The third reason is politics as it
affects our police forces. If one politi-
cal party is in power a police commits
sioner is appointed who may be an
intelligent man of excellent character,
but who has had no police experience
whatever. The work he undertakes re-
quires years of study and training and
by the time this commissioner is begin
ming to grasp it another party comes
into power and he goes out. Then a
new commissioner is appointed, who
must begin all over again.
Civil service. which is an illegitimate
child Of politics, is a great curse to
police, for it makes local politicians the
arbiters of the force. If police work
were a profession, as it is in England.
and commissioner of police had to
work his way up through years of
service; If he were allowed to decide
what men should constitute his force,
then our police organizations would be
more effective If the head of a city
force were not the right type he could
be removed, and if the right man were
in power he could hold his position,
whatever his policies, and the men I'M
der him would have confidence and
would know they were getting a square
deal.
Force Termed Too Small.
The police are the first line of de-
Tense against the criminal and the crux
of the entire criminal situation lies in
having enough police well trained and
able to do their work in an honest way.
In comparison with other countries we
are one-third underpoliced, and, with
the tremendous traffic problem and
other duties that our policemen are
necessarily expected to assume, they
have little time to look after the pre-
vention of crime, which should be their
biggest job.
Our policemen today are not we'll
paid. A little more salary would put
them above the temptation of bribery.
They are not properly educated and
too much work is piled upon them.
How they function as they do and how
they accomplish so much is more than
can understand, for / am convinced
that they are the most heroic and
poorest paid body of men in the United
States today. Our public does not half
appreciate them.
1t is costing our country approx
mately Sill ,000,000,000 year for crime.
This amount includes the money spent
for prisons, reformatories, jails, courts
stenographers, police, as well as loss in
stolen goods. A prodigious sum-more
than half as much as the bonded In
debtedness of the United States.
Better Education for Police.
Would 1t not be better, if this amount
OF money must be spent, to spend more
of 1t on police and less on courts and
prisons? More policemen and better
educated ones would diminish crime in
this country and make it more pleas
ant place to live and the total amount
expended would be reduced.
Our civilization depends upon the po-
liceman. This fact was perfectly ex-
emplif1ed by what happened In Boston
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