Hi folks,
I apologize, but I don’t have anything for you today. My September 1944 post is not ready for prime time, nor are any of my other planned Grandpa’s Letters posts. I’m also writing a few posts on the history of policing, but I’m sticking mostly with what I discuss in my upcoming book, Never Caught Twice: Horse Stealing in Western Nebraska.

Policing is a prominent subject in that book – not by itself, naturally, but as one of the many institutions that simply could not keep up with the demands of the citizenry with respect to finding and apprehending Horse Thieves. Yet it was in part due to disappointments over policing’s failure to protect Private Property that made private property protection a major area of emphasis when law enforcement institutions began to professionalize in the early twentieth-century.

Also, at some point we will address the question I am mostly commonly asked, which is whether or not Horse thieves were hanged. There is a lot to unpack there, but needless to say there are parallels between that and other facets of American crime and punishment as well.

Beyond that, it’s the first week of teaching three six-week online courses while also taking another on the side, so I’ll get myself together this weekend and have some fresh material for you on Monday.

Now my kid is crying . . . it’s been that kind of week. Got to run!