The Washington times., 1921-04-10

This change in the criminal has
been rapid. due in a great measure
to the late war. whereby human life
had been cheapened, and pro-
change has taken place In
some citizens, condoning minor in
fractions OF distasteful laws. Boot
logging had reached such proper
tions that practically nine-tenths Of
the police court cases are related or
had their inception in this class OF
crime. And with this new angle Of
police work 1t has been necessary
for many of the police organizations
to make changes to cope with this
type OF law violator.
ID. G. POLICE MERIT PRAISE.
The Washington police force COM
oares favorably with such cities as
San Francisco. Denver. Salt Lake
City. San Antonio. and Kansas City.
where the situation is practically
analogous. In fact, with the present
equipment the Washington police are
of praise and not censure.
Work in the precincts and at the
detective headquarters has been up to
very high standard and those In
charge of the operations OF the de-
partment are following the right
trend in endeavoring to prevent crime
before its inception.
1 am convinced that the proper
sphere of police work is to center a
sufficient amount of time and energy
on crime prevention. by dihgent
pat rolling and the raiding OF the dives
in the city where most Of the GRIM
inal element have their hesdouarters.
Major Gessford's policy OF the last
few weeks against the guntoting ele-
ment has had excellent results. AT
the start Of these raids a great many
pistols were found on persons fire.
auenting these resorts. dance halls.
etc. but after the appearance several
times OF the raiding squad fror head
quarters, terror was put into the
hearts OF this element and now a
conhscated pistol is rarity.
From experience. ] am convinced
this is the only policy toward this
element, and 1t Ss much more effective
than any anti-gun toting law that
could be put on the statute books. 1t
is incumbent upon the citizens OF
Washington to back this policy to the
limit, to rid the city of this element
who are in the habit of carrying
pistols and only awaiting an op-
portunity to use them. either in
futherance OF hold-ups or In resistin
arrest Z
MORE LATITUDE IN DEFENSE
Also, the police should be given lat
itude in using their pistols in ce.
fense of themselves or Of property.
1t should no. be necessary for q po-
liceman to be made a target by some
maniac before he can
draw his pistol. This Is n subject
Il x.-Il a.
say that at present the police arS at
a material disadvaptage when aprr"-
hending a desperate character. Tho
great majority OF the deaths IN the
department probably would have bceE
prevented IL the men had been al
realizes II is the hardest subject IN
DO not desire this to be criticism. as
any one familiar with police WORK
realizes 1t Is the hardest subject n
police annals to say definitely when
a policeman is justified in shooting.
have examined every make AMI
caliber of pistol used in the po, &C
department and have no hesitancy liz
saying that the pistol equipment is
entirely too light, comprising .32 and
.3S-caliber revolvers. This is one or
the greatest mistakes in the police
and is beyond contradic-
ton or argument The writer during
the race riots here saw one man, sho:
six times with a police revolver End
he was not knocked down by any or
all of the six shots. Not long aSc
this man was seen walking around
on the streets As we'll as ever. The
greatest reluctance Of the averaS''
police force to adopt heavier revoiv-
er is due to the added weight man
must carry. but this 10 rectiEed, as
hU n ia
carding the blackjack from a police
mans equipment.
BLACKJACK Is USELESS.
The blackjack is a useless piece of
equipment. and, like the sword OF
the Europetn gendarme. must even
tually go, as its use does no good
and is liable to result in injury to the
user rather than to the criminal BY
discarding this weapon and adopting
either a .3S Special Army or "A Spe-
cial revolver with AZ Inch barrel
and carrying flve extra rounds of cor
tridges on the person, and = police
baton, the patrolman is ideally equip
ped. Not only Is the heavier gun a
protection to the policeman when he
is compelled to face the nre Of a
criminal. by stopping the fire Of the
criminal with one shot. but II Is more
humane. There have been times hero
in Washington when the police have
nred time and again into a man to
stop him shooting, the police as well
as the criminal endangering the by
standers with wild bullets, whereby
one bullet from the heavier gun, nc
matter where placed, would stop him,
not making a sieve Of the man or
allowing him to imperil a score OF
persons before he Is laid low.
The police of Washington face to-
day practically the same situation
with regard to the stamina of the
criminal that the West faced some
years ago. In the West II was due
to the determination of the man TO
sc down when cornered. fighting To
the last. killing as long as he was
able, knowing that he would be
killed. With a wider use OF drugs
this same killing mania has seized
the criminb of the East. and the
light revolver Is entirely inadequate
With automotive equipment sucn
as the Washington police force has
consisting of two antiquated cars OF
an ancient vintage, / am surprised
they have been able to make the