Evening star., 1945-12-16
Crime Increase Causing Concern
Washington Among Few Cities Showing Decrease Unrest Brings
Upturn in Felonies Generally Throughout Country
By Bill Gloper

| grand Administration Note.)@
Juvenile delinquency is another story
It has gone down in some places where
| general crime is up, and is increasing
in other spots where most misdemeanors
are either down or continuing at previ-
Gus rates
Growth of the problem is indicated in
St. Paul and Milwaukee (car stealing),
Baltimore, Miami Beach (runaways),
Syracuse, Buffalo, Nashville, Knoxville
go per cent of all crimes attributed to
youths between Is and 2D; Denver;
Texas, and North Carolina, where 80
per cent of the car thefts are by young
sters under 81. Richmond had 318
juvenile cases, mostly for minor offenses,
reported in October, compared with
l945 monthly average of 200. Much of
Louisvilles increased criminal activity
involves teen-agers Philadelphia has
had only a per cent increase in arrests
of boys from 10 to II but there's been a
10 per cent jump in arrests of girls.
Juvenile Crime Drops Here Also
Decreases are reported in Washing
ton, South Carolina, Kansas City. In
dianapolis, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
Detroit announces 30 per cent drop in
crime by youths under II, but corre-
spending increase by those between II
and 10.
Conditions have not altered recently
in Atlanta. Charlotte. Columbus. Ohio:
st. Louis and Los Angeles.
nn,t~,o. ,no1o ,or;n,,~
guises are identified by police as pre-
dominating reasons for the general crime
increase officials in many cities also
echo the view of New York City Police
Commissioner Arthur Wallender that
reductions in police manpower during
the war have encouraged the criminal
element to get busy.
General postwar unrest is cited by
Nashville Police Chief John Griffin, who
says, "It just looks like these folks have
gone crazy" North Carolina Investi-
cation Director Thomas Creekmore sums
up with, war has left a hangover
mental and physical arrangement"
Specific types of maladjustment that
have been cited by officials include:
Reduced Income a Cause.
Youngsters losing big-pay war jobs,
parents reducing spending money and
families moving back home because of
reduced income-causes variously as
signed in Syracuse, Buffalo. New Jersey,
South Carolina, Idaho, Pennsylvania,
Columbus, Des Moines and Milwaukee.
st. Paul Police Chief Charles Tierney
finds many youths commit crimes in
order to show veterans that they, too,
can be daring. ....
In Detroit, juvenile activity has been
traced to the fact that celebrating vet
Grams have given youngsters the idea
that the "lid is off"
Commissioner Wallender of New York
blames parental laxity for the city's
restless adolescents.
Then, too, the housing shortage Is
seen as contributing to teen-age mis-
chief in Buffalo. and the following are
some other cited crime factors The
prevalence of souvenir weapons in New
Jersey and New York, lack of recrea-
tional facilities in San Francisco. Mil
waukee Police Chief John w. Polcyn
holds crime movies largely responsible
| for juvenile delinquency.
A different type Of opinion is ex-
pressed by Boston Police Supt. Edward
| w. Fallon, who says that any talk of
the importance of youngsters and vet
Grams in increasing crime is "a lot Of
nonsense" and by Chattanooga Police
Chief Homer D. Edmonson who de-
clares juvenile delinquency is actually
adult delinquency.
In efforts to avert any outbreak or
further increase of criminal activity
most police departments are relying
on increased vigilance and the restora-
ton of manpower to prewar levels.
Some, like Memphis. are planning larger
forces in the near future.
Special preventives are being tried,
too. Newark, N. j., has prepared spe-
cial reserve unit of sharpshooters to
be called into swift action upon any
outbreak of gangsterism. Miami and
Miami Beach watch the activities Of
well-known criminals in other cities
so that the resorts will be ready If
the miscreants join the influx of vaca-
tionists.
Nashville police admittedly went be-