Evening star., 1935-01-15
us. CRIME BUREAU.
IN STATES URGED
Cummings Calls for United
Forces in Address in
Radio Forum.
(Continued From Tenth Page.)

In the Union there are thousands OF
persons engaged in some phase OF law
enforcement, most of whom are Work
ing independently Of each other or
of any central CO. -ordinating head. Be-
einning at the bottom Of the structure,
we have a great number of inferior
criminal magistrates Of the type Of
the Justice of the peace or the police
Judge, many of whom are part-time
officers whose major interests are in
other occupations, and who are with
out serious responsibility to any CEN
tral authority, except as they are re-
quired to keep a docket or make an
annual report of fees and generally
conform to standardized rules Of GRIM
inal procedure. In some places ap-
pointments of these magistrates are
made by legislatures quite without re-
gard to qualifications and to satisfy
political obligations or to extend p0-
litical favors. Connected with each
of these courts are the inferior police
officials, frequently working on a part
time basis and equally relieved Of any
responsibility to any higher control.
Parallel with this local structure. and
usually quite independent OF 1t, Is
found the county sheriff. the county
prosecutor and the agents of the
County Court. While these officials
are a more experienced type Of per-
son, ofttimes they have no particular
aptitude for their work. Usually they
are elected upon the basis of personal
popularity or Speechmaking ability,
and the quality of their performances
Is far from uniformly good. The in
ferior magistrate, in addition to being
q trial Judge of minor offenSes, Is also
usually committing magistrate in
serious cases, and his officer Is fire.
Quently the first official on the scene,
following the commission of felony.
This precious moment is the most i'm
portant one Of all. An unframed or
incompetent police official can make
effective prosecution impossible with
out intending to do so, and with the
most honest and sincere motives i'm
aglnable.
Different in Large City.
II the county contains large city
there is in addition third law en-
forcement agency consisting of the
city police force, a city prosecuting
agency, and frequently municipal
courts of criminal jurisdiction. Thus
It is not unusual to find in single
county three separate. unco-ordinated
agencies for criminal justice. includ-
ing in each group magistrate, a
police officer and the prosecutor. This
situation frequently produces re-
grettable conflicts of authority and
an overlapping jurisdiction with con-
sequent confusion and loss of effort.
It is amazing, when We consider the
lack of coordination between these
officials. that the administration of
criminal justice is as successful as
1t is. 1t is idle to pretend that crimi-
nal law administration of this kind
can be effective. Even under a care
fully organized, well co-ordinated
system of police administration, there
are bound to be difficulties, misunder-
standings, jealousies. and where, in
addition to these defects, there Is an
absence Of responsibility to COM
mon head, as well as the lack Of clear
cut Jurisdiction and a failure to Sc
cure intelligent. trained oficials, the
result is bound to be, as it has been
in many cases of local enforcement,
one of frightful confusion and pa
thetic ineffectiveness.
AS between counties, even in the
same State, there is complete in
dependence; and If there be partial
cooperation it is on a treaty basis
which exists or not, according to the
personal acquaintances and friend
ships Of the different officials. II
they wish to cooperate they do; if
they do not wish to do so they do
not; and if they happen to be jealous
or fearful of each other there may
be, not only failure to cooperate.
but the actual placing Of obstacles in