Evening star., 1921-08-12
WOULD HAVE FILE
Of SPEED CASES
Record Bureau for Police Use
Suggested as Aid in Levy
ing Proper Fine.

Creation of a central bureau for the
sole purpose of fling the records of
fragrant violators of the speed laws
was advocated today by Assistant
Corporation Counsel Madigan as one
of the methods of breaking up fast
driving in the District With such
a record bureau, he pointed out, po-
1icemen. when making arrests, could
ascertain whether the speeder had
been, arrested before on the same
charge, and thereby. enable the court
to impose more severe penalty on
the offender.
Mr.. Madigan said that at the pres
ent time neither the corporation
counsers once nor the policeman
has records available to learn
whether a speed violator had ever
before been arrested on a similar
charge. and. consequently. many fla
grant violators are released upon the
forfeiture of the minimum collateral
He indicated that the court has the
records of all cases it handles. but
they do not, in some instances. in
dicate the specific charge against the
traffic violator.
With the record bureau in opera
tion. he said. a policeman could OBJ
tain any information relative to the
fast drivers traffic violations and in
form the corporation counsefs Office
when he-appeared in court to make
out an information against the Of
fender.
Then. he said. the corporation coun-
sci could recommend a higher fine
for the speeder than the court officers
now do when unable to find if the
defendant has ever been arrested be-
fore on a speeding charge.
Mr.. Madigan's plan is to have the
central record bureau located. If pos
sible. in the District building A force
of one or two men. he believes, would
be sufficient to ojerate it.
Jailed for Speeding.
For the first time since the inception
the District. the Police Court yes
terday committed a fast driver to
Jail. He is Charles B. Bell, who was
ordered to serve fifty days in Jail in
default of payment of a $50 fine.
George Weinberg, another speed law
violator. was ordered to serve fifty
days in jail or pay a fine of $50. The
latter paid the fine. y
:. The campaign against the fast
drivers yesterday resulted in the
roundup OF thirty-one speeders. a
slight decrease under Wednesday, )
tCSOIu. uS S0utH pFcClHCC Ii CTeQ1IcQ
with. the largest number of arrests
for speeding. The policemen in this
precinct caught eleven. The eighth
precinct came next with six and the
sixth followed with four. The sec
ond precinct took credit for three of
the arrests. and the first and third,
two each: and the fourth. one. Only
few of the speeders appeared in
Police Court today to stand trial, the
majority of them forfeiting the heavy
collateral required.
Police Court officials expressed the
opinion today that the movement to
break up speeding is showing better
results daily. Sixteenth street
famed as Washington's Speedway
now presents the appearance of a
long funeral procession" remarked
one official.
Motor Corps Reports.
Strict enforcement of the regula-
tion requiring automobiles to slow
down to twelve miles an hour at
street intersections is only essential
in the congested sections of the city.
the motor corps of the Home Defense
CONTINUED on Page 2. Column l.