Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-04
W|CKERSHAM AID
FOR POLICE seen.
Permanent Value Of Report
on Source Of Graft
Stressed.
BY Dawn LAWRENCE

The wickershan Commission Is now
issuing series Of reports which may
seem like an anti-climax because the
merits of prohibition are not discussed.
but they constitute, nevertheless, per-
haps the most searching investigation
that has ever been made of the police
system of the United States
Considering that Its Job is TO study
methods Of enforcement OF all laws,
the Wickersham Commission puts its
finger on politics as the principal fault
in the administration Of justice. The
commission does not charge that the
courts are lenient with offenders be-
cause of their political influence, but
that criminals and gangs are not de-
tected because the political leaders and
the police, chiefs and their subordinateS
work hand In hand.
Centers on Municipalities
Municipal politics, Of course, is the
center Of the whole police system
which the commission analyses. It
had the services of persons expert In
police organization, and the result Of
the study will be of permanent value
to those municipalities that are really
seeking to stem the crime wave.
4tLC IEldttQI1sIilp VI tk1G pO4ACC CIltCI
to the mayor is surveyed, with the rec
ommendation that the two individuals
be Independent Of each other The
turnover In police chiefs Is remarked
upon as being one Of the causes of In
efficiency, but 1t Is evident that the in
vestigatOys found the real police chief
In most instances is the mayor. who,
because OF political obligations, tells the
police chief to go easy" on certain
criminals and gangs.
What the Wickersham Commission
has revealed is nothing new to offlcials
Of the Federal Government, who have
been struggling with law enforcement
for many years, except that 1t would
ado Federal as well as State politics as
responsible for the failure Of enforce
ment.
The truth is that prohibition Is an
immense police problem for which
neither the Federal Government nor
the States nor the cities ever were
completely prepared. But when to all
this is added the complications Of po-
litical favor and influence, the wonder
is that any progress has been made ct
all toward the prosecution Of criminals.
Corrupting influence hit.
Recommendations of the wicker
sham Commission are that the cor
rupting influence Of politics should be
removed, that man of police experi-
ence be chosen as police chief, ref1ov-
able from ONCE only after public
hearing, and that better systems Of
keeping o record of crime be developed
The commission suggests also that
the whole scale Of salaries for police
men and their working conditions and
pensions should be improved and that
the State governments should take
hand In organizing police forces where
rural protection is needed. The pro-
posal is also made that State bureaus
Of criminal investigation and informa-
ton should be established in every
State.
But while most Of these recommen-
dations have been heard Of before, q
public opinion strong enough to in
sist upon their adoption Is not likely
TO arise. until. the ganesters and the
crime wave have thoroughly aroused
the people to the emergency. When
that time comes. the Wickershan1
Commissions report on how TO 81
garize an efncient police system proba
bly, viii be taken to heart.
Copyright. 1891, By Consolidated Press)