4ths Hon. John J. Kindred, Member of Congress from the State of New Hon. Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Member of Congress from the State of Mr. Richard F. Enright, police commissioner, New York City. Mr. William F. O'Neil, chief of police, Providence, R. I____ Mr. Charles B. Borland, director of 'public safety, Norfolk, Va------ Mr. William J. Quilty, chief of police, Springfield, Mass. Mr. John N. Tracey, chief of police, Paterson, N. J.- Mr. William P. Rutledge, superintendent of police, Detroit, Mich., representing the International Association of Chiefs of Police---- Maj. Richard Sylvester, honorary president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police__ Mr. W. B. Mills, superintendent of police, Philadelphia, Pa--- Mr. William J. Burns, Chief Bureau of Investigation, Department of W. P. Rutledge, superintendent of police, Detroit, Mich.. TO CREATE A NATIONAL POLICE BUREAU-TO CREATE A BUREAU OF CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, At 11 o'clock a. m. the committee proceeded to the consideration of H. R. 8585, Hon. George S. Graham (chairman), presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Our colleague, Mr. Kindred, introduced a bill providing for the creation of a national police bureau, and for other purposes. I understand it is not for the purpose of creating an actual police bureau, but rather a place in which finger prints and photographs and records of criminals may be kept, access to which may be had by all neighboring police departments of the country, and to furnish a sort of an exchange aid in the detection of crime. There were two bills submitted. One was introduced by Mr. La Guardia, covering substantially the same subject, and as both relate to the same matter I thought we would hear them together. The bills . are as follows: [II. R. $380, Sixty-eighth Congress, first session! A BILL To create a national police bureau, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby established an independent bureau, to be known as the national police bureau, to promote police efficiency by gathering and disseminating criminal intelligence and police infor mation. The director of such bureau shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. He shall receive a salary of $6,000 per annum, and shall devote his entire time to the business of such bureau. The office of such bureau shall be in the District of Columbia. SEC. 2. That it shall be the duty of the national police bureau (1) to receive from all chief officers of State and municipal police forces, chief officers of Federal police services, sheriffs, marshals, and prison authorities of the United States, the District of Columbia, the various States and Territories of the United States and the political subdivisions thereof, and all insular possessions of the United States, who may desire to avail themselves of its services, criminal information, duplicates of fingerprints and records of criminals whom they arrest or have in custody. Such records shall be classified and filed by the said bureau. The said bureau shall in return furnish to the said police or prison authorities all information, fingerprints, and criminal records of criminals which they may require and request and which may be in the possession of said bureau. Available information, fingerprints, and records of criminals shall also be furnished to the police officials of foreign countries in aiding them to apprehend fugitives from justice whom they may have reason to believe are within the confines of the United States, or of criminals from the United States who may be residing or operating in foreign countries; (2) the said bureau shall further investigate and study police methods of administration and procedure, methods of criminals, and conditions or causes which influence or tend to promote the commission of crime. The said bureau shall furnish to all police officials on their request such information and recommendations which may aid and facilitate the apprehension of criminals and which, in its opinion, may assist in the enforcement of the law and increase police efficiency. SEC. 3. That the director is authorized to appoint an assistant at a salary not to exceed $4,500 per annum, and to appoint and fix the compensation of such other officers, experts, and employees in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, and to make such expenditures for rent, furniture, office equipment, printing, binding, telegrams, telephones, law books, books of reference, stationery, for the purchase of reports, data, and material for publications, and for other contingent and miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary efficiently to execute the purposes of this act and as may be appropriated therefor from time to time. With the exception of such special experts as may be found necessary for the conduct of the work, all appointments shall be made subject to the civil-service laws, and, so far as practicable, preference shall be given to members of the military or naval forces during the World War discharged under honorable conditions. SEC. 4. That the director shall make a report to Congress on or before January 1 in each year as to the receipts and disbursements of the bureau during the preceding fiscal year and the purposes for which the expenditures have been made. SEC. 5. That a sum not to exceed $200,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purposes of this act. [H. R. 8409, Sixty-eighth Congress, first session] A BILL To create a bureau of criminal identification, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby established an independent bureau to be known as the national bureau of criminal identification, for the purpose of gathering and disseminating criminal intelligence and identity of criminals. The director of such bureau shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. He shall receive a salary of $6,000 per annum and shall devote his entire time to the business of such bureau, provided that such director shall be an expert in fingerprint identification. The principal office of such bureau shall be in the District of Columbia. SEC. 2. That it shall be the duty of the bureau of criminal identification to receive and collect, in the United States and from foreign countries, and collate, compile, publish, and make available without charge to proper United States, State, and municipal officials criminal intelligence, criminal identifications, and crime statistics. SEC. 3. That the director is authorized to appoint an assistant at a salary not to exceed $4,500 per annum and to appoint and fix the compensation of such other officers, fingerprint experts, and employees in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, and to make such expenditures for rent, furniture, office equipment, printing, binding, telegrams, telephones, law books, books of reference, and stationery for the purchase of reports, data, and material for publications, and for other contingent and miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary efficiently to execute the purposes of this act and as may be appropriated therefor from time to time. With the exception of such special experts as may be found necessary for the conduct of the work, all appointments shall be made subject to the civil service laws, and so far as practicable preference shall be given to members of the military or naval forces during the World War, discharged under honorable conditions. SEC. 4. That the sum of $75,000 is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purposes of this act for the first fiscal year. STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN J. KINDRED, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK Mr. KINDRED. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, first let me say that I think the bill introduced by Mr. LaGuardia differs from mine in that it only provides in a limited way, as I believe, for indentification. The chairman has stated very accurately the purposes of my bill, which goes somewhat further than that introduced by my friend and colleague, Mr. LaGuardia. My bill provides for a bureau or whatever entity it may be called, to exist in the District of Columbia, for the purpose of registering police and criminal information of all kinds particularly fingerprints, relative to criminals held in custody in this country, and outside of this country, in cooperation with the international police bureau, which is associated with the national police bureau which has been recently formed in this country and being now operated actively in cooperation with the international police bureau. Not only does it provide for the registration and keeping of all such official information, making more certain the detection of crime and the apprehension of criminals within and without this country, but, of course, it provides for the dissemination of such official information. As the chairman has clearly stated, it is not intended to create any bureau or any official entity of any kind that will in any way interfere with the function of the police departments or prison officials of any State, or any other officials. With that brief statement as to the main provisions of the bill, and emphasizing the fact that there is an alarming increase of crime in this country, regardless of its cause, it would seem to emphasize the importance of the enactment of some such measure as this. As to the details or provisions of the measure, I think we are fortunate in having here to-day to bring those out the distinguished and successful police commissioner of the city of New York, Colonel Enright, and also we are fortunate in having the presence of police. commissioners of other cities, representing the 700 cities who compose the National Police Association of this country. I introduce first, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, Commissioner Enright, police commissioner of the city of New York. |