STATE ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL No provisions having been made in the Louisiana prohibition law for establishment of machinery for enforcement thereof, such responsibility devolves upon sheriffs of parishes and other law officers throughout the State. Sixty-four sheriffs, elected for terms of four years, now function in Louisiana. Such officers, in addition to general law-enforcement duties, also act, except in the parish of Orleans, as ex officio collectors of State, parish, and all other taxes except municipal, which, however, under legislative authority, they may also collect. (Art. VII, sec. 65.) Many sheriffs throughout the State attribute enforcement inactivity, especially with respect to prohibition, to insufficient resources in both men and money for satisfactory performance of their dual responsibility. The general run of such organizations is small, with a dearth of sufficient officers for court work, collection of taxes, service of process, and active enforcement business. Sheriffs in the western district, however, though in many cases without adequate forces, manage to keep their parishes clear of outstanding prohibition violators. Many of such officers not only engage in State prohibition-enforcement activities but furnish assistance to Federal authorities whenever possible. Constables. The constitution provides that there shall be one constable for the court of each justice of the peace of each parish of the State, elected for the term of four years. There are at present 462 such officers functioning throughout the State. (Art. VII, sec. 47.) State police.-There are 89 men assigned to duty as State highway police. These officers are responsible for enforcement of traffic laws and patrol State highways. They do not assist in any manner in prohibition-enforcement work. A sergeant of the State highway police made the following statement to the writer in response to an inquiry concerning prohibition efforts of that body: "We could clean up if we had orders to stop booze cars." Municipal police.-There are 790 men assigned to police the city of New Orleans, and 195 of this total are utilized for traffic work. The superintendent of police, a man of many years' experience as a police officer and of unquestioned integrity, is politically handcuffed. His men make a few arrests for prohibition violations (339 for year 1928) and furnish assistance to Federal authorities whenever requested. Such assistance, however, is seldom solicited, owing to the fact that many of the local police in New Orleans are not in sympathy with the law and might be inclined to give out advance information to violators. There are 35 men assigned to police duty at Baton Rouge, which is the capital of Louisiana. Of this total two officers are assigned to special duty in connection with enforcement of the State liquor law. The chief there, a young man of some experience in police work, stated that greater activity in connection with prohibition work would not be possible without more men and funds. ALEXANDRIA There are 26 men assigned to police duty in the city of Alexandria. This force is a small one, and not only engages actively in prohibition-enforcement work but also renders assistance to Federal authorities. MONROE The police force at Monroe consists of 31 men. This organization not only cooperates with Federal authorities but also engages actively in prohibition-enforcement work. SHREVEPORT The police force at Shreveport now comprises 74 men. The chief there, however, has requested that he be allotted an additional 35 patrolmen. The Shreveport police are active in connection with prohibition-enforcement work and cooperate with Federal authorities. The chief there stated that the greatest need-not only for his organization but for all police agencies throughout the State-was a strong civil-service law. He invited attention to the fact that the ebb flow of political tides generally resulted in a complete demolition of existing police organizations in most cities throughout the State; that no sooner had such establishments been brought to the point of efficiency when change of administration resulted in their being eliminated and the process of rebuilding begun anew; and that such a situation militated against the training of police officers who would perform their duties conscious of the fact that a career was open to them, and not be confronted with the constant specter of loss of a livelihood as the result of incurring animosity of political factors. In delivering himself of the above statement the Shreveport police chief voiced the sentiment of other police executives with whom the writer came in contact during his stay in Louisiana. State dock board. The following personnel is available for the police work about the harbor and docks of New Orleans: 1 captain, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 67 police, 2 motor-boat patrolmen, 3 harbor patrolmen clerks. FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL As above stated, the Federal prohibition area of operations in the State of Louisiana is divided into two districts, eastern and western, with headquarters for the former at New Orleans and for the latter at Alexandria. Both districts are in charge of a deputy administrator. Fourteen prohibition agents and five investigators are now assigned to duty for the eastern district, while at the present writing only two agents now function in the western district. Enforcement problems in the Louisiana district range from smuggling along the Gulf areas to illicit distilling throughout both districts generally, and to unlawful transportation from States of Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Some 280 miles of Louisiana coast line fronting on the Gulf of Mexico, and honeycombed with bayous, small creeks, and marsh lands lends itself readily to the work of clandestine importing. The parishes of Vermilion, Lafayette, Iberia, St. Mary, Terrebonne, La Fourche, Jefferson, Plaquemins, St. Bernard, and Orleans, all contain the smuggling element, the new Iberia section, Vermilion Bay, East and West Cote Blanche, and Barataria Bay all making ideal places for smugglers. Many denizens of the Barataria Bay section are descendants of Jean Lafitte, famed pirate, who commanded a battery in the Battle of New Orleans. Many of these individuals are in the smuggling game. Illicit distilling is general throughout the State. Most of the stills seized are of the alcohol variety, the latter product bringing from $5 to $12 per gallon. Moonshine whisky commands prices ranging from only $2 to $3 for the same quantity. Consequently most of the illicit distillers in Louisiana prefer to manufacture alcohol. The writer met and had an opportunity to observe practically every man connected with the prohibition organization in Louisiana. Reactions experienced as a result of such contacts were exceedingly favorable. The following statement concerning the Federal prohibi tion office in Louisiana made by Charles Cantrell, a newspaper man of many years' experience with law-enforcement conditions in that city, is worthy of note: I have been in close contact with law-enforcement conditions in New Orleans for many years. I have followed for my paper the work of prohibition organization in great detail. I can say now that for the past four years bootleggers and booze syndicates in New Orleans can not approach the present organization in any manner. From contact which I have in the underworld in New Orleans I am in a position where I hear of all pay-offs to law-enforcement officers. In many instances some of these stories are, of course, without foundation, but sources in the underworld upon which some degree of credence may be placed, and in making the above statement I refer to the same. Federal prohibition activities for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929 Industrial alcohol.-Twenty-five per cent of all the alcohol produced in the United States is manufactured in Louisiana. Ten industrial-alcohol plants, 10 bonded warehouses, 10 denaturing plants, and 10 special denaturing-alcohol establishments now function in that State. The prohibition authorities there experience no difficulty with any of the large plants now operating in the district. These organizations, important factors in the alcohol field, are members of the industrial-alcohol institution and work under a code of ethics formulated by the latter body. Denatured alcohol produced in the Louisiana district during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929, is as follows: Completely denatured_ Specially denatured___ Quantity of some products produced during period July 1 to Completely denatured Quantity of same product used by manufacturers during fiscal year ended June 30, 1929__ Quantity of same product used by manufacturers during period from July 1 to Oct. 30, 1929__ Wine gallons 17, 810, 903. 06 3, 452, 942. 84 10, 148, 545. 33 2,689, 142. 805 297, 849. 946 146, 194. 33 Personnel available for inspection and other phases of the permissive end of the prohibition organization in the tenth district, which covers not only Louisiana but the States of Mississippi, Alabama, and northern Florda, is as follows: 1 chief inspector, 8 inspectors, and 34 storekeeper-gaugers. Narcotics.-Three narcotic agents are assigned to enforcement work in connection with that Federal law, at New Orleans. In a conference with the head of this group, the following information was developed: Police and other authorities are generally sympathetic with efforts to apprehend dispensers of narcotics. Customs authorities cooperate fully. Very little dope is brought to New Orleans by vessels touching at that port. Present information points to New York City as the chief source of narcotics coming to New Orleans and other points in the State. Such narcotics are transported by automobile or sent through railway express. Morphine is the most popular form of drug used in the city and now sells for $85 per ounce, top price; but bought from big wholesalers in lots from 10 ounces upwards, is purchasable at $55 per ounce. Informers are indispensable to successful narcotic investigations. Big dealers work through lieutenants, and the only manner in which such big shots. can be reached is by purchase of large amounts, which transactions eliminate the peddler or middleman. Sums of money ranging from $500 to $1,000 should be available to make such purchases. Users of narcotics in New Orleans are mostly Americans; dispensers mostly Sicilian Italians. The following is a list of narcotic cases disposed of during the year 1929: 100 arrests, 85 convictions, 2 acquittals, and 2 fugitives. In an interview with the writer, Charles C. Cantrell, mentioned above, was vehement in his denunciation of narcotic conditions and narcotic personnel in Louisiana. At the request of the writer Mr. Cantrell furnished a signed statement with respect to the above and which is attached hereto, marked "Exhibit A." UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE The customs service at the port of New Orleans is responsible for collection of duties along a municipal river front of 12 miles. The following personnel is available for such duty, which includes, of course, the suppression of smuggling: Inspectors: Searching, 6; railroad terminals, 3; vessels, 54; special duty, 2. Guards: 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 2 roundsmen, 6 searching squad, 50 guards for dock vessels. Investigators: 1 special agent in charge, 4 assistants. Boats: U. S. C. No. 59, 40-footer used for enforcement of river laws and admeasuring boats in out-of-way places; 1 engineer; 1 boatman; U. S. C. G. Davey, 92 by 19 feet available for boarding and seizing vessels. This boat is unfit for patrol work. The following figures indicate the volume of shipping that passed through the port of New Orleans for the fiscal year ended July 1, 1929: Number of foreign vessels entered- Total tonnage cleared____ 3, 201 3,267 3,463, 248 8, 076,098 COAST GUARD The Coast Guard organization base at Biloxi, Miss., patrols 280 miles of Louisiana coast with the following equipment: Ten 75footers, 1 picket boat, 1 speed boat, 1 boarding boat. |