Evening star., 1932-03-06
Z. S. Closely Studies Crime
Buauo of fInveig OF

of police statistics In his Wickershan
report: The best index Of the number
and nature of offenSeS committed i
police statistics showing offenseS known
to the police"
While there is some question as tc
whether police statistics, as compared
with judicial or penal statistics, are
worthy of serious consideration in 6
crime survey, Mr.. Hoover declares that
the consensus of acknowledged ex.
perts in the field Of criminology anc
criminal statistics" is that police sta
tisticS hold the greatest promise"
In its statistical bulletins the Bureau
of Investigation defines "offenses known
to the police" as all crimes occurring
in the jurisdiction Of the police
whether they become known to the
police through reports Of police officers
of citizens, of prosecuting or court
officials or otherwise" These crimes
under the uniform code, are grouped
in seven classes, namely, 'feloniou'
homicide, including murder, non-neg'
ligent manslaughter and manslaughtei
by negligence; rape, robbery, burglary
larceny, aggravated assault and auto
mobile theft.
"It must be borne in mind" Mr..
Hoover points out, that figures COM
piled by the police are subject to the
police Interpretation as to whether
particular set of circumstances reported
to a. police department constitutes one
type Of crime or another.
with such conflicting factors II
may be appropriate to consider Wnethel
the data compiled on such basis car
possibly be accurate. Naturally, sta-
tistics on a national scale can never
reach an absolute degree OF accuracy
The Interpretation based upon then
is commensurate with the knowledge
and experience of those interpreting
them.
anticipating unwarranted and mis-
leading interpretations Of the figures
presented In its monthly bulletin, the
Bureau of Investigation qualities the
figures published with the sentence:
In publishing the reports sent In by
chiefs of police in different cities, the
Department Of Justice does not vouch
for their accuracy. They are given out
as current information which possibly
may throw some light on problems OF
crime and criminal law enforcement
DR.. Lent D. Upson. director Of the
Detroit Bureau of Governmental Re
search, Is quoted in connection WIFI
the question Of accuracy OF police f1g-
ureS: 'COnSlQermg the Idplu tu4ACECi
of police officials it Is herculean JoE
to keen each new chief educated II
the intricacies of accurate reporting OF
even to bring about the introduction OF
a reporting system Of any kind"
Taking cognizance of charges that
the Government is putting the stamp
of authority on unreliable statistics
DR.. L. C. Marshall, of the Johns Hop
kins University Institute Of Law, has
replied that it would be "the height OF
folly for the United States to scrap the
nucleus of a great system of national
crime reporting simply because at the
outset some of the police departments
did not submit reports which were sta
tistically accurate"
"It appears that those who have
made a thorough study of the subject
concur in the belief that the develop
ment of statistics based on the number
of offenses known to police should be
carried forward" Mr.. Hoover recently
informed a committee of Congress.
Guided by this expert opinion and
counsel, the Bureau of Investigation, not
| withstanding the obstacles that may be