Evening star., 1920-04-04
BY THEODORE p. MOVES.

| motor vehicles it would more than
double it's efficiency, the Washington
Automotive Trade Association and
| other organizations are urging Con-
gress to transfer a certain number
| of Army MOTOR cars to the police
force here.
Many of the Army cars are report
| ed to be in disuse and deteriorating
at the various camps, says the Auto
| motive Association. If these cars
were utilized for the admittedly I'M
| portant purpose of supplying the po-
| lice department. it is contended. it
| would supply long-felt want at
| small. If any, expense.
1t would seem that the suggestion
| Of the Automotive Trade Association
to transfer Army cars would go
long way to solve the problem of just
| how these cars are to be gotten.
For long time washington has has
| crimes which have been committed
| in the outlying sections could either
have been avoided, or the CRIMINALS
caught, If the police had had ade-
quate equipment.
Raynor Before Committee.
I w. Pierce Raynor.. chairman OF the
| traffic committee. of the ASSOCIATION
and secretary of the subcommittee
! of the Board of Trade. recently tes-
titled along these lines before the
House of Representatives subcomm1t-
tee on the new traffic laws for WASH
| ington.
Mr.. Raynor urged that speedy
action be taken on the project. be-
| fore the surplus stock Of the Army
| is disposed of or assigned to the
various states. He pointed out that
these cars could be secured Wlthout out
government. and that the proposed
| transfer would serve public interest
only and would not be a transfer
| Of property in the private interest
| of any one person.
| show that the city Of Detroit had
| only 1.10O police officers 20 900 here
| in Washington, but that Detroit had
| total of 175 motor vehicles to take
care of it's needs. He said that IN in
! equipped with a proper amount of
| automobiles would have the efficiency
| Of a force of 1900 men.
I'VE have made repeated tests IN
| hauling headquarters detectives on
| their rounds" said Mr.. Raynor. land
have frequently done in three hours
| in an automobile what they stated
would have required an entire days
| work.
"The present valuable lot of men
serving as headquarters detectives
l
of duty assignments which now over
| whelm them if they were furnished
with suitable automobiles to cover
| the territory in the city,
Comparison With Other Places.
A comparison of the police force of
this city with others would show the
weakness here in respect to the motor
equipment, in the opinion of many.
The situation at the time of the
race riots and of the attack in one
night of three women in the north-
west section of the city are cited as
showing the urgent need for motor
vehicles.
On those occasions. it is pointed
out the streets were patrolled night
after night by the Police. but In au-
tomobiles donated by private citizens.
Board of Trade Recommendations.
Taking action along the same lines.
the Washington Board of Trades
recommendations are as follows:
"The District Commissioners are
| hereby requested to ask for the pas
sage Of necessary legislation to equip
the metropolitan police department
with an amply sufficient number OF
high-powered automobiles 10 run
down raiders. murder cars, bank rop-
hers. automobile bandits and other
Criminals and to transport reserves
quickly to scenes of trouble:
.That the bicycle men all be rur-
nished with high-powered motor
cvcIea owned and operated by the
Di istrict government. as man on
hicycle is helpless to overtake an au-
tomobile.
.That every precinct be furnished
with one or more patrol wagons Some
precincts have to divide the use OF
one patrol wagon between tnei.l' CIV
dangerous situations when one pa
troll wagon is on call or prokeh
down and a call for reserves Is re-
ceived.
'That inspectors. captains; 1ieuten-
ants. detective sergeants and precinct
detectives would have their efflclency
increased threefoId If furnished with
automobiles of suitable kind and size
for their respective duties one OF the
larger precinct covers tWelve SQUARE
miles and includes population OF
900 900 people. The duties OF head
quarters officials and detective ser
aeants require them to cover the en-
| tire District of Columbia. comprising
sixty-nine square miles.
Would Douole Value.
Modern motor equipment would
double the value of every policeHan II
and give increased protec'loh 70 inc
city. s.ars tn
buy and own their own motor Veni-
cies. used officially for the ponce de-
ma rtment business, Is ooSoiS@S.
though a fixed sum is furnished them
| for maintenance:
Tn this connection it is estimated that
where a-traffic officer owns his own
Eord car, and operates 1t Tor the
met ropolftan police department! on tne
aIIowance which iss furnished by Con
oress. for such transportation. that
ali mileage done in excess OF twenty
niles per mady is done at the personal
evnense of the officer.
| The Board of Trade recommendation
.rrgests that Congress be petitioned
to pass a law assigning to the District
of Columbia the above necessary equip
ment Of automobiles, ambulances. pa
troll wagons, motor cycles. from the
! surplus stock in good condition OF the
Army, which is reported to be de-
teriorating in the weather at Camp
Hola bird and other places.
| With a completely motorized police
ldenartment, the morale Of the men on
| the force would undoubtedly be In
! creased to a large extent. 1t should
also go a long way to lessen crime
because criminal would hardly care
to take many chances with the knowl-
| edge that feet of high-powered cars
| were at the instant disposal OF the
police department..
! A. the time of the recent diamond
! robbery in Baltimore the police from
| lIt iii