Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-17
ADDITIONAL POLICE
PR0TECT|0NFORD.C.
BASIS OF REPORT
Maj. Gessford Cites Figures
Showing Inadequacy
of Force. a..

OF FORCE. o.
With but AIS policemen available for
patrol duty at the end of the fiscal
year. June so. 1919. and with SO miles
of streets and thoroughfares to be
looked after, Maj. Harry L. Gessford,
superintendent of police. explains the
need for larger force in his report
to the District commissioners. made pub
lie last night.
The report cites that on June 80. 1919,
the total authorized number OF prlFateS
was 500 OF this number however. 424
We're incapacitated for patrol duty by
reason of sickness. leave. SUSPENSION,
detail duty or withdrawal from the ser
vice.
Mai. Gessford explained that the de
rictsd condition of the force the last
day of the last fiscal year meant that
there were about $50 patroimen aVali-
abe for street duty during the DAY,
and approximately twice that nuihper
at night 1t frequently happens. now
ever. that policemen are detained IN
court as witnesses. further reducing the
number of men on street duty.
Itis explained in the report that the
police jurisdiction covers an area OF %.
square miles, 374 miles of improved
thoroughfares and Jas miles of ma
cadam, gravel and unimproved road
WAYS. making a total of 80 miles to
be cared for by the department
Many Villages i'm Area.
'In this area is included over seventy
villages and towns Maj Gessford
stated in his report. each of which, II
located in Il state, would nave us own
police administration
The report gives the names and pop
ulations of the towns and villages the
figures being taken from the federal
census report of November 3, 1919.
Members of the harbor precinct
have approximately twenty-five miles
of water front to patrol In the pre-
cincts il is necessary to make some
of the beats so large that they COM
prise as many as eighty-four squares.
Mai. GeSSford says it is quite evil
dent that the rapidly extending i'm
provenents in the outlying portions
of the District are in need OF a more
liberal police patrol. and the increase
will be made as soon as the depart
ments quota is filled. There are
seventy-five vacancies to be filled.
Seventy-seven patrolmen are on
short patrol and post duty. Included
in this number are fifteen men at
several foreign embassies. There are
six detailed for duty at the British
embassy and three each at the French,
Russian and Japanese embassies.
Hopes "Somethins Will Happen"
thing will happen which will induce
q greater number of able-bodied
young men to apply for positions on
the police force. realizing that obtain
ing the full quota allowed by law will
mean much in the matter OF better
policing. He said:
1T was hoped that with the de-
mobilizing of the troops who served
in the war that the recruiting OF the
ranks of the department to the au-
81 hA i'm
ulated, but such was not the case.
with the high wages paid in COM
mercial life greatly exceeding those
paid in police service it was soon seen
that the Industrial lines were claim
ing most of the boys released from the
military service.
LAS result the police department
was greatly handicapped in its eff
forts to- recruit the force, and at the
close of the fiscal year the depart
thorized and provided for by law.
I'm addition to the already existing
difficulty which arose out of the in
ability of the department to compete
with industrial salaries, further OBJ
stacle was imposed upon the depart
ment when Congress decreased by $3.50
the bonus allowed members of the
force.
This action made it even more diff
cult to secure men, and many OF
those who had been persuaded to
join the force six or eight months
previous in anticipation of the in
creased salaries either resigned their
positions or deserted without advance
notice
Urges Trahac Court.
Creation Of traffic court is one of
the recommendations contained in
the annual report of Maj. Harry L.
Gessford. superintendent of police,
hYYat m n a
Thursday morning last.
The creation of such court for
the trial of traffic cases only" said
the superintendent. "is considered one
view of the constantly increasing
volume of traffic in Washington.
THE long wait for the call of cases
in the Police Court. where violations
of all municipal laws and regula-
lions are heard. is a hardship upon
citizens who desire to defend their
cases as well as upon the police of
ficers making the arrests. Viola
tons of the traffic regulations are
generally the last tried during the
court day, and this not only requires
the police, but citizens as well. to
remain at the court building for sew
eral hours. thereby greatly incon-
veniencing them and often interfer-
ing with the efficiency of the force
by retaining men at court when they
should be at rest after having per-
formed their regular trick of duty
The creation of court where
traffic cases exclusively may be heard
would mean a further advantage, in
that, the presiding judge would be
enabled to give his entire time and
attention to the investigation of such
cases, which is not now possible by
reason of the pressure of work
which does not permit of that palms.
taking analysis which is essential in
order to reach an equitable decision.
Decrease in Accidents.
Notwithstanding the great increase
in motor vehicles during the fiscal
year" Maj. Gessford reported, there
was marked decrease shown in the
number of traffic accidents and an in
crease of only twenty-five in the
number of arrests, compared with the
preceding fiscal year.
Reports of the number of arrests
and fines imposed in cases made by
members of the mounted squad
charged with the enforcement of
traffic laws the past six years, is
given as follows:
Fines I'm
~ Arrests posed
19l3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1915 $35 6l5
1910 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. IL .048 $4S 1875
!Sia ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 11,156 $54247
io!o ..-.s.............. lS,5IS $S4 ,3S3
i1Ao lHSD6 Sl26 000
-fsD ...--............-.. 1928 $4,000
Maj. Gessford believes the decreased