Evening star., 1934-12-14
CRIME INSTITUTE
NEARER REALITY
Conference Backs Plan for
Center and to Continue
War on L LaWIeSSneSS.
BY REX COLLIER.

BY REX COLLIER.
Attorney General Cummings vision
Of a great national institute Of GRIM
inology," which would be general
HEADQUARTERS of a co-ordinated war
on crime by Federal, State and mu-
nicipal authorities, was nearer reali-
cation today as result Of determined
action planned by the National Crime
Conference.
The conference, voting at its closing
sessions last night to perpetuate itself,
gave its full support to the plan for
establishing in Washington a Gov
ernment- controlled crime research
and educational center, destined to be
the board of strategy in continu-
Gus campaign against lawlessness.
While the institute or university has
not progressed beyond the nebulous
stage, Cummings looks forward to an
establishment stated with a distin-
guished faculty of experts in the sci
enceS of crime detection and criminal
apprehension.
This faculty would conduct inten-
sive researches with a view to i'm
proving old and devising new methods
of investigation and would give full
benefit to their findings to the Ma
tion's authorized agencies of law en-
forcement.
Law Enforcement Courses.
As a further contribution toward
better detection and apprehension of
those who defy the law, the GRIM
inological institute would conduct
carefully planned courses in law en-
forcement for police of the Nation.
This instruction would be patterned
after that now being given special
agents of the Justice Department S
Division of Investigation.
The Federal course, as developed by
j. Edgar Hoover, division director, en-
braces two months of concentrated
stupdy" of Federal laws, rules of evi-
dence, scientific methods of detection,
identification systems and ballistics.
The last-named subject includes act
ual training on the firing line in the
use of machine guns, high-powered
rifles, automatics and gas equipment.
Attorney General Cummings, in a
final addres to the crime conference
last night, pledged the whole-hearted
leadership of the Department of JUS
tice in the concerted move for con-
Certed attack on the underworld.
1T is not the purpose of the Federal
Government" he explained, Ito usurp
the functions of the State and local
police units. 1t is not the desire to
extend activities in violation either
customs of our people. The motive
is to attempt to meet need which
long had existed, and to assist, COM
plement and serve the law enforcing
agencies of America
Cummings said the crime war must
be waged along four ma jor lines: First,
development of the machinery and
methods of law enforcement; second,
careful selection and training of per-
sonnel; third, crime prevention, with
special reference to juvenile offenders,
and fourth, enlistment of public sup
port. ~.
COuQmlLLC6 hGCOmuen0eQs
The conference, in indorsing the
Attorney Generals proposal for a ma
tional scientific and educational CEN
ter, recommended appointment of an
advisory committee to study ways and
means of bringing out establishment
Of the institution.
Other recommendations of the con-
ference we're:
l. Strengthening Of law-enforcement
organizations within the States, coun-
ties and cities on the theory that
major responsibility for eradicating
local crimes rests with State and local
authorities.
2. Coordination of agencies en-
gagged in preventing juvenile delin-
Quency.
3. Administration of "all phases of
public safety by legally constituted
law-enforcement agencies only" Gn-
directly aimed at lynching)
4. Tightening of parole and pardon
policies.
S. Revision of code of criminal pro-
cedure in the courts.
6. Cessation by certain newspapers
and periodicals of publication of stories
dramatizing crime and glorifying GRIM
1nals.
7. Overhauling and improvement of
unsafe, tnsanitary and insecure"
jails.
These major resolutions were adopt
ed out Of ITO formal recommendation
made to the conference during its
four-day meeting.
In preamble to the resolutions the
conference held that there has been
presented at this conference over
whelming evidence of an intolerable
breakdown of law and order through
out the country"
Time to Halt Crime.
"1t is inconceivable," the conference
announced, that this Nation can con-
tinue to permit murders, pillaging and
racketeering with impunity."
The conference urged effective CO.
operation by all departments and
agencies of Federal, State, county and
local authorities" Referring to "the
deplorable condition of disorganiza-
tion which exists in local law enforce
ment units" it was recommended that
the States consider co-ordinated con-
troll through State departments of
Justice or other means.
Modern conditions demand modern