The 'Scare' That Cleaned Up the Streets
Police Chief Duley claims a drop in serious crime following the successful dismantling of the Daggett gang.
The story, cleaned up
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Since the arrest and conviction of the members of the Daggett gang on Jefferson Avenue last December, there has not been a serious crime within the boundaries of Tacoma. It is the belief of those familiar with criminals and their ways that the Tacoma police force has thrown a scare into the remainder of the lower element of the city, and that those now in Tacoma are in hiding for fear of apprehension. Harvey Daggett, leader of the Daggett gang, and his brother, James P. Daggett, together with George Miller, have been sent to the state penitentiary. Chief of Police Duley said, 'The arrest of that gang was one of the best pieces of work done by the department. It threw a scare into the other thieves and hold-ups of Tacoma.'
“The arrest of that gang was one of the best pieces of work done by the department.”
The rhetoric of 'cleaning up' neighborhoods via police sweeps is a recurring theme in Tacoma’s political history, often prioritizing the perception of safety through the removal of specific 'elements.' The Daggett case served as a major benchmark for police performance in the early 1900s.
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