The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-01
CaIIaCop
By Charles Francis Coe
Eminent Cr;minologist and Author of
Mr.. s*Gangster. Swzg. ""Votes"
and other starting crime stories
THE REMEDY FOR 1T ALL
ARTICLE No. )


Il arate Investigations OF the same
crime Three prosecutors were seek
ing solution of the crime and convic
ton of the same criminal Three state
governments were trying to find what
they ought to do about il
During this time the criminal was
living q riotous life on the proceeds
or his endeavors That is nor unusual
bur In is ridiculous. The cost is be
yond all sense and reason. Ii is as
criminal as the crime under inyesti-
CATION
A man shot a man in New York He
dragged the body TO New Jersey and
dumped il there. Then he dashed 60
Delaware &C hide out They found
MIN there Three Investigations were
begnn 10 determine what TO do with
hin and where TO do il Two extra
ditions were necessary TO bring the
killer 10 trial Mounting taxes and in.
Unite delay for offended society,"
That is a simple case. Take any
three states and counties and the
same would be true. All this abets
the criminal He runs 20 another
state solely 70 accomplish the very
delay thar accrues
While Iuries mediate whaf TO do
shysrer lawyers produce a habeas
corpus and the criminal has flown the
coop before there is any legal instru-
ment TO hold him. This was all TOO
frequently true when the killing was
a gang one and the habeas financed
by millions in bootleg money II is
equally all too true that the prosperity
and safety of the criminal have been
predicared upon his money and its
corruptive power Legal technicalities
have served TO Iiberate many a killer.
ana those technicalities have been
discovered and allowed only because
of influence
The connection between the police
and the criminal Is the most disas-
trous faced by society. Perfect il and
society is utterly defenseless. II has
come to its greatest fruition under
prohibition because OF lack OF sym
patty for the law and the ease with
which millions have trickied into IN
worthy palms. The criminal always
has il on the police who have taken
bribes. They have II on prosecutors
seeking reelection and judges de
pendent upon the same thing. II has
made a vicious circle
possible 70 detect and convict This
is due 10 the planning and the appar-
emf lack of motive IN people who had
opportunity 10 kill We may know
the cause and the source of murder
but we cannot prove them in court. So
murder becomes easy. II was easy be
cause Of this connection between the
law and the law-breaker. Such con-
nections are inevitable in great cities
with laws like prohibition battering
at the foundations of honest enforce
ment.
Now how break up that connection?
With bootleggers turned racketeers
and kidnapers. how handle them? The
kidnapping viii die away because no
one can protect il long. The rack
cheering viii continue because bust
ness finds il cheaper to pay tribute
than TO risk life and property fight
ing. Yet we must break I'D the rack
cts.
II is my judgment that federal &C
ton is the only solution Uncle Sam
with his long arm can reach over
extraditions He can batter down al
lance between law and crime He
can step into a city and demand the
facts He can do that because be win
not long remain in any one city. Not
long enough for his officers TO get
tangled in the web Of dirty money that
flows in the urban streets of America
The federal officer may not be more
honest inherently than the local one
But he has an esprit de corps which
only passing contact with local con-
dftions never can sharter
| favor a national police force for
criminal Investigation and prosecu-
ton | feel that the people Of the
country soon viii be forced TO demand
IL Americas great cities have dou-
bled police forces in the last 80 years.
and the crime rates have increased
twice as much as the police!
| see no need Of county govern
ments They are an expense. a cum
bersome method of maintaining po-
iitical patronage and generally a
hindrance 70 direct and economical
should arrest man for crime, only
to have him tried by the county and
imprisoned by the state. ! shall never
understand If | rely upon political
surveys by purveyors of political
patronage. of course | might see q
good reason for such roundabout
methods Bur do not rely upon
those Thai is political chicanery
which long since has persisted in the
minds of q tax-burdened. crime-rid-
den people
Il every city in the United States
did away with its criminal tnvesriga-
don police and turned that function
over TO the federal government. | be
Heve crime would be reduced to its
minimum in very brief time IL cities
handled traffic. protected life and
property and pOliced as the uniformed
force generally does. there would be
no important corruption II when
major criminal offenSes were recorded
in any city. the federal government
gave that city three days TO appre
bend the criminal then. thai failing.
roOk over the Investigation itself
there could De no corruption that
would revert 70 destruction OF honest
Investigation and expeditions solution
Of crime What Is more. believe
thar day will come
The detectives OF the United States
VIII be ike ITS soldiers They viii
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