Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
W|CKERSHAM BODY
HITS POLICE GRAFT
BIames Crooked Politics for
Aiding Criminals in
Large Cities.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The police forces of the country were
denounced by the Wickersham Com
mission yesterday as generally incompe-
tent, riddled with graft, in connivance
with criminals and crooked politicians,
and too often failing to stop sensa-
tional crime.
Pointing out, in an eight report, made
public by President Hoover. that there
was no authority for it to make recon-
mendations to city officials, the COM
mission said 1t could but state the
facts"
Many Gases Studied.
The report asserted numerous in
stances had been found where police
chiefs. to retain their jobs, were forced
to follow orders to go easy on this or
that criminal or criminal gang"
It stated unequivocally that major
criminals in almost every large city
were well known to the police, but that
they were allowed to continue their
criminal careers by reason Of the sin
lister influence exerted by corrupt poll
ticians"
The commission listed six major de
fects in police administration" briefly
as follows:
Insecure. short terms of service Of
police chiefs.
Lack of competent, efficient and
honest patrolmen and subordinates."
Lack of efficient communication sys-
TENS and modern equipment.
Alliances between criminals and cor
rupt politicians" and their control over
the police force of large cities.
Failure to provide properly for polio
ing immigrant and Negro sections, prin-
cipally in the Northern cities, and
Duties Too Heavy.
The casting of too many duties upon
each officer.
Attached to the commissions report,
which went unsigned by Monte Lemann,
New Orleans lawyer. was a 127-page
study by three experts. They were Au-
gust Vollmer, professor of police adj
ministration at the University of Chi
cago; David G.. Monroe and Earle w.
Garrett. research assistants at the same
university.
While refraining from making recon-
mendations itself, the commission new
ertheless commended those reached by
its assistants.
Among them were suggestions that
"the corrupting influence of politics be
removed; that police chiefs be remov-
able from Office only upon preferment
of charges and a public hearing; that
parchment be required 20 be "intellec-
tually f1t"; that radio end teletype syS-
TENS be extended and crime prevention
units. State police forces and bureaus of
investigation be extended.
The commission directed most of its
complaint at the control exercised over
police chiefs, the efforts OF criminals to
have them removed and the demoraliz-
ing effect upon the force of each
Shake-up.
Hits Usual ShamS.
1.-THE public" it asserted, have long
been sickened by the usual formula pc
riodically issued from the mayors Of
fee whenever there is change in that
office. that the new chief has received
orders to heed no one in the discharge
of his duties, but to protect the public
against the criminal.
They know from experience that it is
not trus. and If the chief were to follow
such reputed directions his term would
be much shorter than 2.41 years (estt-
mated tenure of chiefs in big cities.
Milwaukee was the only city to re-
ceive unqualified praise. The commits
sion asserted, mo other city has such a
record"
In the experts reports specific crit
icism was made of present or past con-
ditions in New York, Chicago, Los An
geles, Kansas City. Cleveland, Minneap-
Oils, Denver and other cities.
Vollmer asserted. however, that there
was mo chemically pure city" adding
True, an honest enforcement OF the
law is possible, but even with honest
enforcement of the law the truth must
be recognized that the absolute elimina-
ton of vice in its multiplicity of forms
is beyond the power of law enforcement
oficials."