Evening star., 1947-05-09

.der files of the FBPs identification
q naoDed from the District National
ed during the aDar, to Federal Office
cts S.W.
cases had to go to jury and be tried,
to the fact that the cases when pre-
sented for trial are SO prepared that the
subjects have no wish to stand trial,
but instead, enter pleas Of guilty.
The number Of hngerprints on hand
at the seat of Government today totals
1o3, ,165, ,465. The percentage Of identifi-
cations made during the past year of
the prints received indicate previous
records in 686 per cent OF the cases. We
effected 683, Ssh criminal identiflcations
during the year. That means we were
able to establish previous police records
of nearly 100000 persons through iden-
tidcations that we made. We were able
to identify 6,223 fugitives who might
never have been located If their finger
prints had not been sent In and checked
against our files in Washington. The
daily receipt of flngerprints. averaged
about $1,000 during the first six months
Of the present fiscal year.
There are various kinds of prints that
we have to handle. There are the non
criminal prints which represent the
f1ngerprint files received from the Army,
the Navy, the Marine Corps, other Gov
ernment employees, Civil Service appli-
cants and miscellaneous prints.
Civil Service Prints.
With reference to the Civil Service
fingerprints, the committee might be
interested to know that out of every
"A persons applying for positions in
the Civil Service has a police record.
The reason that figure is so low Is that
1t Is well known that fngerprints are
being taken of Civil Service applicants
We have urged that that program be
intensified rather than minimized, and
have urged the desirability of the
taking of. fingerprints by one agency
rather than by several other Govern
ment agencies.
We receive all OF the alien registration
prints. We maintain foreign exchange
of fingerprint records with other
countries.
We also maintain what is known a.
the single fingerprint file. This file is
to check against the so-called frag-
mentary prints found at scenes Of
crimes. The usual fngerprint file, which
] have described to you in past years,
Is a file of 10-fnger classifications, but
frequently we find at the scene OF
crime one print that has been left on
a glass or on gun. We have compiled
a collection Of fingerprints Of known
kidnapers, bank robbers, rapists, per-
sons guilty of the most felonious types
of crime and those prints are put in
the single flngerprint file; that is. each
of the 10 has been broken down and
filed separately, SO that we can identify
an individual print. II there Is print
found at the scene Of a crime. we can
check that print in this particular file.
In 1916 we identified 5,688 individuals
from that file alone, from fragmentary
prints found at the scenes of crimes by
Federal as well as local authorities. AS
for so-called crime trends, major crimes
have increased 7.6 per cent in 1916 as
against 1915. In other words, the state
ment that crime Is on the increase Is
proved by the statistics.
Increases were noted in offenses as
follows: Robberies increased 17.3 per
cent: murder increased 1873 per cent;
burglary has increased 11.3 per cent;
aggravated assault has increased 1912
per cent; larceny has increased per
cent; manslaughter. by negligence, has
increased 6 per cent, and rape has in
creased 5.3 per cent.
Youthful Criminals.
In regard to the matter of the arrests
Of persons under rs years of age, the
committee might be interested in this
particular aspect OF our operations. Ger
tain of our activities involve youthful
offenders. The arrest Of males under
18 decreased % per cent. Above 18 there
was general increase. In males Of the
age of Is through 20, arrests increased
24.6 per cent in the last year. Arrests
of girls under. Is decreased 29.8 per cent.
Arrests of girls under q years Of age
decreased 33.1 per cent. In other words,
the arrests Of girls decreased while the
arrests of boys increased.
OF all males arrested under Is years
of age, the predominant age was 81.
Comparing 1916 to 1941, arrests Of
persons under 81 years of age, there was
a 40 per cent increase In girls. The
reason take the year 1941 is that 1941
was. the last prewar year and am
comparing the last prewar year with
the last calendar year. The comparison
shows an increase Of 40 per cent in
crime on the part of girls. 1t shows
decrease of So per cent on the part Of
boys. The reason for that is that so
many of the boys of that age were
going into the armed services. Sixteen
and nine-tenths per cent Of all arrests
during 1946 involved youngsters under
21 years Of age; 315 per cent Of all per-
sons arrested for robbery, burglary,
larceny, auto theft, embezzlement, fraud,
forgery and counterfeiting, stolen prop
erty and arson, were under 81 years of
age.
Diving 1916, youths under 81 years Of
age were responsible for sos per cent
Of all auto theft, In this country; 41.2
per cent Of all burglaries; 28.3 per cent
of all robberies; 27.3 per cent Of all lar
cenies, and 26 per cent OF all rape.
That is staggering record OF juvenile
delinquency.
talk US into another, war. The very
word should be 20 abl1orrent to US that
we viii start today to help undo the
hysterical state into which we have
plunged bit BY bit, but not yet hope
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