The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-08-22
NJ.

URINE, Warden c. Lawes of Sing Sing
~ points out, is national problem. 1t has
nothing to do with local self-government or
state rights. There is practical agreement
througout this country regarding murder, theft
kidnapping, arson and other felonies.
No good reason exists why each state should
have a different law with regard to the same
crime, or should be obliged to ask for extradition
when the criminal is caught in some ether state
BY the same token, no reason exists why
such an important function as police power
should be subordinated to village councils, city
commissions, or even state sovereignty.
We have developed a system which gives the
criminal every advantage. He always can stall
and sometimes escape punishment merely by
crossing state lire. The pursuing officer is
obliged to stop and turn over the Job of catch
ing him to some one else.
When he is caught, the Governor of one state
is obliged to ask extradtion from the Governor
of another state and the latter can refuse if he
feels like it.
.nUR law enforcement machine is shot
~ through and through with discordant and
often conflicting authorities. 1t frequently
occurs that the sheriff Of county and the police
chief of city are more inclined to balk than to
help each other
Sometimes We have as many as four sets of
ofncers chasing the same offender and some
times they get in one anothers way. You hardly
can conceive of more inefficient set-up
We have built up tradition that the penalty
provided for murder or theft has something TO
do with state rights. We also have built up a
tradition that if traffic officers were not selected
by the town board or city council, we soon would
lose our civil liberty.
These traditions have served no purpose so
well as 70 put stumbling blocks in the path of
law enforcement. to provide loophoes albis, and
hideouts for every kind of law breaker
Every so often we get excited about some
particular crime and adopt the futile method of
making its punishment so severe that juries fail
to convict or governors abuse the pardoning
power.
JUST now, we are all het up over KIDNAPPING
~ demanding the death penalty for the few
Offenders who are caught, Just as though that
would accomplish much to Offset the far greater
number of offenders who are not caught.
Recognizing the obvious futility of such a
course, we soon shall be sobbing for mercy TO
some unfortunate kdnaper, while venting our
impotent rage on another type of criminal
We not only need something like Scotland
Yard in this country and something like we'll
organized police force in every state but we need
uniform laws with regard TO major crimes
1t would be better if the law regulating
felonies OF every character were turned over to
the federal government and If we had one
statute book instead of forty-nine
Police power with regard to such intimate
and personal matters as freedom of speech
freedom of the press. and freedom of conscience
well might be left to local authority under con-
stitutional guarantee, but police power to stop
killing, stealing, burning, and embezzling needs
only one code from Maine to California Until
we reduce our statutory hodge podge to one
code. we shall make little progress in diminishing
crime