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 CRIME AMONG THE NEGROES OF CHICAGO 20Q

approximately true indicator of the criminal tendencies of the times ; for almost all the inmates of prisons have passed through the hands of the police. On the records of the police depart- ment are placed data relating to the individual arrested and the nature of his crime. Because of the data thus obtainable the writer has made a special study of the police records of the city. The period covered by this study is the past twenty-six years, i. e., from 1872 to 1898. The police records of arrests in the city were not obtainable for an earlier period than 1872. The yearly reports back to this time were obtainable with the excep- tion of the year 1873 and a part of the report for 1874.

RATIO OF NEGRO ARRESTS TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ARRESTS. Year Ratio Year Ratio Year Ratio Year Ratio

1872 i to 33 1882 i to 22 1892 i to 8 1897 i to 1 1

By this comparison it is seen that during the past twenty-six years there has been a very large increase in the number of negro arrests in proportion to the whole number of arrests.

RATIO OF NEGRO POPULATION TO TOTAL POPULATION, COMPARED WITH THE

RATIO OF NEGRO ARRESTS TO TOTAL ARRESTS. Year

1872 Ratio of negro population to total population - - i to 81

Ratio of negro arrests to total arrests - I to 33

1880 Ratio of negro population to total population - - I to 77

Ratio of negro arrests to total arrests - I to 1 7

1890 Ratio of negro population to total population - - I to 77

Ratio of negro arrests to total arrests - i to 1 1

1892 Ratio of negro population to total population - - i to 72

Ratio of negro arrests to total arrests - I to 8

1894 Ratio of negro population to total population - - i to 63

Ratio of negro arrests to total arrests - I to 1 1

1896 Ratio of negro population to total population - - I to 71

Ratio of negro arrests to total arrests - I to 10

By this comparison we see that in 1872 the ratio of negro arrests to total arrests was two and a half times as great as the ratio of the negro population to the total population; in 1880 the ratio of arrests was four and a half times as great; in 1890 the ratio of arrests was seven times as great; in 1892 the ratio of arrests was nine times as great; in 1894 the ratio of arrests was five and three-fourths times as great; and in 1896 the ratio