The Washington herald., 1910-06-07
A ReprOach to the CAPITAL.

Why should Washington, the best be-
haved city in the country exceed all
other cities of its size in the number OF
police arrests made annually?
It is an unenviable record
There is no logical or acceptable expla-
nation of this state Of affairs.
one-third Of the arrests are unwarrant-
ed Think of 1t! OF $500 arrests in
year. 10000. approximately-an average Of
over twenty per day-should not have
been made,
This is an astounding fact-lO,OOO people
subjected TO the humiliation of arrest
kaled into court upon trivial unsupport-
ed charges. and. in course Of time, set
free. Men. women and children are in
cluded in this number-IOOOo. mind you,-
OF unjustifabIe arrests. Think of the
time and expense involved In properly
adjudicating these cases. apart from the
shame and annoyance suffered By the
Victimsl
twenty unnecessary arrests a day.
Is it not high time to call a haltg
Washington has a good police force.
Everybody knows that II has a capabIe
superintendent Of police-so capable that
he has long stood. by formal recognition.
at the head Of his profession. Surely he
cannot look with pride upon the record OF
his department as touching the number
OF arrests.
The plain, cold truth is that Washing
tons efficient police force is not utilized
10 doing legitimate police duty. It's time
IS taken up-in one-third part. at least,
as shown by the statistics-in a futile.
senseless effort to enforce. not the law.
bue lot OF foolish police regulations
that. In the main. have absolutely no ex-
cuse for being.
In petty way, Washington is all hut
regulated 10 death. II a citizen would
build house or business block he en-
counters regulations that hsrass him be-
yond endurance. If he would paint his
residence or improve his lawn, he must
comply with rules unknown in any ra-
tiOnal philosophy or risk arrest If he
purchases an automobile, ne is soon led
TO wonder why he did it, because Of the
countless official requirements he must
observe or be taken before a police
judge. And, to make the situation more
aggrayating. the tendency is toward addi-
tional regulations. or changed regula-
iiOns. all the time.
There has been an insistent demand for
an increased police force. Washington is
growing and the need exists. The terri
tory patrolled here is relatively larger
than in other cities. considering the size |
Of the force. But If under the present
system. with an inadequate number OF
patrolmen. Ie0O0 unnecessary and unwar- 1
ranted arrests are made in the course OF
a year. what would be the result with an /
enlarged force? The strongest argument
against an increase. indeed, is furnished |
by the police record itself. in spite of the |
known fact that the force. as now con-
stituted aud utilized. is too small prop
eriy to patrol the District
Gen. Johnston. Commissioner in charge
Of the police, has been quoted as favor
ing the reduction to the minimum Of the
number Of arrests here. He is in SYM
patty with that idea as the best test of
good police service. It is the twentieth /
century idea, Realizing that Washington
is orderly and respectable by choice. he
would like TO see the time come when no
arrests would be necessary.
1t IS the system of petty regulations
that now inperatIvely calls for attention.
1t needs thorough overhauling and radi-
cal simphhcation. Nine-tenths Of the
system. in the opinion of nine-tenths Of
the law-lovsng and law-respecting citi-
zens OF Washington. needs to be abro
gated altogether
A system that subjects TO arrest one
tenth OF the population Of the National