Word: wave
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...simple matter to raise the cry of "crime wave!" A murder story on the front page of a morning paper becomes an especially desperate and cold-blooded affair. The private citizen, who knows little about the matter, is ready to swear that the country is suddenly engulfed in crime. As a matter of fact there has always been excessive crime in the United States; the wave in a thing of permanency. New York in 1915 had 838 robberies, enough to supply over two sensations a day under 1921 publicity. Chicago had twenty more murders in 1916, New York almost double...
...that condemns the police and all law-breakers in one breath. While the public is on the subject of crime, it should examine the police, of course. After that why not examine other things, including itself? This would go far in determining the blame for America's permanent crime wave...
There is a lesson in this tale of woe. It has been demonstrated that in this case, as elsewhere, the persons who wave the flag, make the "eagle scream," and are most volubly interested in the preservation of "personal liberty" are the gentlemen engaged in illicit liquor peddling and their idea of the "pursuit of happiness" which is guaranteed by the constitution goes very little farther than the privilege of profit...
...careful consideration of what figures are available would make it appear that the so called crime wave has been greatly exaggerated for advertising purposes. The District Attorney's "analysis book," in which is entered every crime for which an indictment or complaint has been made, falls to show an increase, but rather shows a decrease, in the number of criminal acts committed in New York. Certainly there is no noticeable growth in the youthful delinquent class to be seen from an inspection of the records at the Children's Court. The fact remains, however, that the real source of evidence...
...safest thing for New York to do is to forget the crime wave idea, now that it has successfully aroused the slow-witted public. Its existence is not nearly so important as the fact that the police cannot handle what crime there is, which is plenty enough. Commissioner Enright has not denied the many charges of incompetence. If there has been favoritism or dishonesty in any form, this ought far more to be in the public mind than the "to be, or not to be" of a crime wave which may serve well as a means to reform...