"Worse Than Judas"

Twenty-five hundred citizens of New York City last week attended a testimonial dinner, to Grover Aloysius Whalen for his work as the city's Police Commissioner. The morning before the banquet Mr. Whalen went to Police Headquarters as usual to attend the daily "lineup" of suspected criminals before the detective force. Two police detectives, Frederick Opperman, 25, and John Foran, 34, reluctantly mounted the little stage. The charge against them was that they had tried to extort $25 from the proprietor of a small speakeasy on Staten Island.

Instantly the Commissioner leaped into angry action. He jumped up on the platform beside the two culprits and, his voice shrilling with indignation and reproach, exclaimed: ". . . this morning you have two traitors [indicating Opperman and Foran] before you, two contemptible and disloyal men, men I can't find words strong enough to denounce! Judas betrayed for 30 pieces of silver! They are worse than Judas! They not only betrayed their trust but tried to put the blame on another member of the department! . . ."

Thus for departmental morale. The scene was but prelude to his annual report made later in the week. Of 424 pages he devoted a tithe (42) to "some of the many letters of commendation received by the police commissioner."

With pride he underscored New York's crime record under his regime (1929):

1928 1929 Murder 339 357

Assault and Robbery 1,232 1,172

Burglary 3,708 2,990

Felonious Assault 2,599 2,490

Total 7,878 7,009 and New York's comparison with other cities:

Cities Pop. Crimes of Violence Rates per 100,000

New York 6,064,484 4,319 74.1

Chicago 3,102,800 9,509 306.7

Philadelphia 2,035,900 2,210 110.5

Detroit 1,334,500 3,671 282.4

Los Angeles 1,300,000 6,963 535.6

Cleveland 984,500 4,675 467.5

St. Louis 859,200 5,646 705.7

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