The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-31
ESCAPE-PROOF
PRISONS URGED
BY U. S. CHIEF
]. Edgar Hoover Attacks
Incompetent Guards
Before Lawyers.
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part Of the blame for the break
down of the penal system in some
cases squarcly on the shoulders Of
q certain type Of lawyer.
7 am quite certain" he stated.
shat some members Of the legal
profession have been instrumental
in securing favorable action IN the
matter Of executive Clemency for
confirmed criminals whose proper
place % abode never should have
been elsewhere than behind escape
proof bars.
Anything bearing upon the mat
ter q a pardon or parole should
be pub!icized widely, particularly
the identity OF those representing
the criminals seeking extension Of
clemency."
Lauds Police Training
He said that in the first half Of
1884. more than $500 persons were
arrested who were on parole or had
been hardened with the majority
Of these sentenced for major
crimes. OF l73768 cases examined
BY his department IN the same
period. 1920 had previous criminal
records.
OF adequately trained police
forces, Mr.. Hoover said:
Too much emphasis can not be
placed upon the development OF
modern investigative methods and
conditions in the lesser populated
communities.
The larger municipalities ade-
ouatelv are equipped TO take care
Of themselves. but 10 permit rural
communities to be inadequately
equipped is the Surest way TO render
feasible the continued operation Of
dangerous criminals. You can not
keep modern cities comparatively
free from crime when the surround
ing rural communities are protected
inadequately.
Crime no longer is a local
problem. Criminals travel too rapid
" and extensively. Modern methods
Of law enforcement and scientific
crime detection must be made as
effective in the rural areas as IN the
cities. with radio cars, teletypeS'
training schools and the better type
OF intelligent men.
These are not local or county
problems. They are state problems,
in which the entire nation should
be interested.
School Is Planned
The federal government is
planning to establish A school TO
train investigators. I do not sub
scribe to the theory. sometimes
prevalent among certain legislators,
that education is a handicap to
good investigator.
Nor do 1 believe that a good in
vestigatOr necessarily must be
physical giant in order to possess
the innate courage necessary to be
an effective law enforcement official
or to become an expert in the use
OF firearms"
Mr.. Hoover said his department
got 1881 convictions in the fiscal
year 1884, 1881 per cent effective
ness. It located 928 federal fugitlves
and identified A total of 1856 fugi-
tives. 1t obtained eleven life SEN
fences and other sentences totalng
sob years. and saw fines of S772,S39
imposed. 1t recovered S1,116,6l9 of
stolen goods.
While Mr.. Hoover did not COM
pare these figures with those of law
enforcement units in governmental
subdivisions. such comparisons I'M
doubtedly would result unfavorably
to the subdivisions and would seem
10 justify the arguments OF those
seeking statewide organization Of
peace officers under command
such as Mr.. Hoover now holds for
the federal government.