The Washington times., 1915-12-21
WORK Of POLICE.
IS DEFENDED BY.
MAJOR PULLMAN
Chief Tells Monday Evening Club
BIuecoats Paying More At
tention to Quality Of Arrests.

not in accordance with the NUMBER DCt
with the nature of the arrest.
Immediate efforts are to be made to
remove from the streets of Washington
tho crippled begHars who are seen on
busy corners. A police survey shows
there are thirteen such mcndicants here.
These announcements of n!ans of the
Police Department were made bv Major
Raymond w. Pullman, Superintendent
Of Police. last evening before the Mon
dav Evening Club. Commissioner
Brownlow and Major Pullman were in
Nitcd to sneak on the toric Police AS
Social Agents"
Commissioner Brownlow explained the
decision of the Board of Commissioners
not to sign permits for children less
than fourteen years old to apDea" in
theatrical performances after January l.
Major Pullman defended the Police
Department against the charge that ar
rCsts were made to swell the police
pension fund. He pointed to the fact
that $4,000 arrests could have been made
of persons who had not numbered their
back and side gates, but that this had
not been done. and policemen are CIV
ing repeated warnings to persons on
their beats to do SO.
General Discussion.
Ing and then presented William
knowles Cooper, who introduced the
speakers. The assembly hall of the Y.
NJ G. A. was crowded and after the
speeches DR.. George kober, Royal &.
Meeller. chief of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics: Charles Nesbit. Insurance
superintendent, and Evan II. Tucker.
president of the Northeast Citizens AS
sociation. took part in the discussion.
-Four new persons were admitted 10
membership, Miss +. !. Mcintosh, Miss
Bertha Orr, Miss Roberta Nichols, and
Mary H. Wise.
Within two months, Major Pullman
said. the department hopes to nave l.s
catalogue of arrests IN working order,
so that no more clerical work Will be
required than at present.
administrative heads of police de-
partments now are more Interested IN
the kinds OF arrests than IN the num-
lie pointed to an Improvement IN
Washington in this direction IN the
past fiscal year. There was a decrease
in the aggregate number of arrests. ne
said from 1924 for the fiscal year OF
1915. to 1919 for the fiscal year OF 1914.
But in that time there had been an IN
crease of 40 per cent in the arrests
made for felonies and other serious OF
lenses.
"Another frequent comment is that
many arrests are made without cause.
said Major Pullman. "Of last year $
Even in the other 10 per cent there
often was assurance of guilt, but not
the evidence to make out an adequate
case"
Scope Broadered.
The scope of police work has been
broadened. Major Pullman stated, with
in the past decade. One of the princi-
pal problems of police department at
present. TO which little attention was
paid as recently as 1909, is that of traffic
regulation.
IF a police department accepted all
The suggested activities made for 1t, y
Major Pullman said, "the Associated
Charities and the Health Office, and
other departments would have nothing
to do. But it is the aim of the Police
Department to cooperate with all
other departments. Heretofore the ten
dency has been tnat the police refused
to do only that for which they would
get credit"
A few years Ego, Major Pullman con-
tinued, police departments gave too
little time to the prevention of crime.
That policy now Is regarded as a fac
tor as important as the detection OF
crime.
1T is necessary for both the police
man and the citizen to strike the right
attitude toward each other the super
intendent said.
A recent survey of the crippled beg
gars on the street showed that there
chief stated. He said he and Mr.. Uf-
ford of the Associated Charities are
going to work out together plan for
removing these beggars from the
streets. The blind are not allowed to
beg on the streets because there is an
institution to care for them. 1t is hoped
to get some similar provision for
CrippleS.
Police AS Social Agency.
Commissioner Brownlow said he hoped
to see the day when the Police Depart
ment would BECOME the greatest social
agency in the city. He paid a high
tribute to the Washington police force
II firmly believe the Washington force
to be the finest of any American city,
ne declared. There are fewer graftcrs
fewer loafers. lever drunkards. and
fewer undesirable persons here than in
any other city"
commissioner 3rownluw then eulo-
giz"d Major Pullman, saving that "tho
best thing with which l nave had any
thing to do since ] became Commission
cp Was my share in selecting the pres
ent Superintt ndent of Police"
The Commssioner said he and his
colleagues had cast about for a man
who not only was good discirlinarian
but had ''sCCial Visicn.' Laughter
greeted his statement that he peliev ed
that in Major Pullman had been found
not only the man with such "socia
vision but good boss cop"
LANGUAGE of the force abourded. an(
third degree. second story meE.
"insida men" and "stalling.' were
some Of the terms used by the speakers
In describing the work of the force.
I'VE must rot forGrt,' said Commits
sioner Brow rlow, that TO a great many
people the cop on the corner is the in
CarnatiOn Of government. They see II
the policeman all that Trey know abCu
government and they have beer
brought un to look upon the COP a!
represent qtivc Of authority, repression
and possible punishment.
Want To Broaden Respect.
"It is our desire not to break dow
the respect that such people have 70
the policeman as the symbol of gov
ernment, but rather so to order til
daily doings of the policeman the
these people may come to recogniZ
in him other and different functions o
the government Where they now Sc
in the cop on the corner blue Coate,
incarnation Of authority. we woul'
like them to see also :. symbol of pro
lection. Where they now see in hin
only the threat of repression and pos
sible punishment. we hope by broad
ening the field OF his activities T.