The Washington times., 1936-02-26
A POLICEMAN
TAKES LOOK
AT CRIME


formed fellows, q local policeman
today excoriated the practices o
crooked lawyers" and "eye
winking" jurists, whom he accused
Of being responsible for a majol
share Of the criticism which ha'
been directed at the policemen
themselves. The policemen de
clared that oftentimes an Officer
of the law is hesitant to make the
arrest of a person he is certain
will be instrumental later in bring
ing about an official reprimand fol
him. He says:
with ali the hue and cry,
this day and age, about the lax
ity of the various law-enfOrCing
agencies and their seeming in
ability to cope with the wave Tor
should 1 say ''blanket") Of crime
which has settled over these
United States Of ours, 1t seems
about time for someone to take
''time out" and give the people
Of this country that really
want to knOw-SOme idea aS to
why this condition exists.
A PRETTY MIDDLE
Frankly. I believe, that about
80 per cent Of the people in this
country don't want any law en-
fOrcement unless they can ben
eft themselves from . dollar
and cents standpoint.
"PeOpIe who would like to sec
some real Old-faShiOned law en-
fOrcement are not in q position
to say anything, or, II they 90
cupy o position wherein they
could say something they are
afraid.
"On the other hand, those
who are shouting their heads
off about crime conditions and
the general indifference Of the
police departments, ETC., are
the very ones to step forward
and shield some criminal or
law breaker, under the guise OF
fhumanitarianiSm.'
"They place 50 many shackIeS
ON the police, by passing laws
with '1OOphOles," that the pO-
lice themselves are afraid to
act for fear some cheap crook
and his partner, some "shyster"
lawyer, will haul him up before
his superiOrs for "'mussing up"
the poor, defenseless victims
hair, when, as q matter Of fact,
the dirty rat would put q bullet
through the policeman IL given
half a chance.
TAKES THE BLAME
"AnOther reason the police
can't do anything il that they
have practically no cooperation
from any source, including
courts, judges, district attOr-
neys, corporation cOunseIs and
department heads.
"If, by the grace Of God, .
policeman does make q good
case, everyone who can possibly
do 50 comes in for his share Of
the credit. But, on the other
hand, If some cheap politician
or weakened judge causes the
same policeman to lose . case,
no one Is to blame but the poor
"copper", and he takes the rap
accordingly so It goes.
IF the public would spend
half as much time investigating
the courts as they do criticizing
the police department, they
would find q lot more that
would enlighten them.
"Just because a Judge sits on
. bench with . black robe on
doesn't mean he Is incapable Of
'winking' an eye at the law.
HOW IT'S DONE
Gas an illustration the writer
would like to quote one case in
particular, which happened q
few years ago:
"A certain automobile driver
was arrested for reckless driv.
ing. The case was postponed
two or three times, until . GER
tain Judge, who could be
reached" was on the bench.
The day Of the trial. the officer
gave his testimony in the usual
manner.
"The Judge called the officer
up behind the bench, talked to
him several minutes, and took
his fountain pen and delfb-
erateIy changed the charge
from RECKLESS driving" to
speeding" and fined the de-
fendant S..
This was q direct violation Of
court regulations, inaSmuch as
the Judge had no right to change
the wording Of the paper, but
should have sent it back to the
Corporation Counsel to be
changed.
"Six months later the same
defendant was convicted for en-
bezzIing over 100000 from o
local bank"