Findings and Recommendations of the Chicago Council Committee on Crime

Abstract

In the Spring of 1914 there was a crime wave in Chicago that stirred the citizens and aroused the City Council to action. An ordinance was introduced and passed providing for drastic regulation of what is commonly known as gun toting. At the time this ordinance was passed, however, the belief was expressed by many persons that the proposed remedy was by no means thorough going enough to reach the source of the evil. Accordingly the following resolution was introduced by the writer and passed by the City Council on May 18, 1914: Ordered that the Mayor be and he is hereby authorized and directed to appoint a Committee of five aldermen for the purpose of investigating and reporting to this Council upon the frequency of murder, assault, burglary, robbery, theft and like crimes in Chicago; upon the official disposition of such cases; upon the causes of the prevalence of such crimes; and upon the best practical methods of preventing these crimes. In accordance with the resolution the following committee was appointed: Alderman Merriam, Chairman. Alderman Nash, Alderman Long, Alderman Walkowiak, Alderman Kerner. Alderman Merriam was Chairman of the Committee, and Alderman Kerner acted as Secretary. Chief Counsel for the Committee was Morgan L. Davies, who was assisted by Mr. James McKeag. Mr. Fletcher Dobyns acted as associate counsel and was in direct charge of the inquiry regarding pickpockets, fences, gambling and police effi-