The Washington times., 1924-10-31

TWenty-one Gave System
Trial and Dropped It, Says
A. A. A.. Report

: 4 X =
In employing plain clothes traf-
fic officers. to patrol it's streets,
the District is following the ex-
ample Of only eight of sixty-one
other leading cities in the United
States, it was pointed out in a
statement issued today by Ernest
H. Smith, general manager of the
American Automobile Association.
Among the fifty-three cities who
demand that their traffic officers
be Uniformed are New York, Chi
cage, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Bos-
ton, Baltimore, Pittsburgh. st.
Louis, San Francisco, Los Angeles
and Detroit.
Abandoned Plan
The minority cities who permit
non.uniforrned officers are Cincin.
natl. Jackson. Mich. Lexington,
KY, Altoona. Pa, Houston. Tex.
ST. Cloud, Mimi, Waterbury, Conn.
and Wilmington, Del
OF the cities which are employ
ing only the uniformed pfftcsrs.
twenty-one at one time tried out
the plain clothes plan and then
abandoned it.
The principal reasons advanced
By police chiefs against the prac-
tice, according to the statement of
Mr.. Smith. were that the uniforr
had a better moral and psychology
cal effect upon the motorist; that
the uniform is a protection to the
the officer, as well as the motor
list; that the uniform receives more
attention and that better discipline
is maintained; that the uniform pre-.
vents speeding and eliminates dis
putss and suspicion, and that plain
clothes officers tend to encourage
speeding as motorists are often
In doubt as to whittier they are
dts, especially at night.
~ AG AAAdJOL Aty "a SAAC kO4ANG aNAA<sAs1
favored the use of motorcycle Of.
favored revocation of licenses, while
speed violations more severe and
would include a Jail sentence.
Object to Prevent Speeding.
The police chiefs generally. nc.
cording to the statement, favored
the theory that the purpose of the
police is to prevent speeding and
possible accidents and not to trap
the motorist in law violation, by
using plain clothes men.
The statement also quoted from
letters written by, several OF, the
police chiefs of the larger cities.
I've believe that the presence Of
our men In uniform, riding over the
streets has the proper deterrent ef.
feet" wrote the chief Of police at
Columbus, Ohio. IF we can thus
suppress speeding by the presence
Of officers on the streets, It is far
more efficacious than sporadic at
tempts at law enforcement. We be.
Meve that crime prevention is equal.
ly as important as law enforcement.
All our motorcycle officers are In
full uniform. We abandoned civil.
ian dress for motorcycle officers.
both as matter of protection to our
men, as well as protective measure
for motorists. We have thus nre.
vented motorists being made the
victims Of shake down men in out.
lying sections of the city"
Unfair to, Motorists.
New. York's commissioner wrote.
1--WE consider 1t dangerous to police.
men and, unfair to motorists to al.
low men to patrol In plain clothes.
we believe that the moral effect of
q uniformed policeman produces a
more general effect"
we abandoned the practice OF
( putting officers in plain clothes"
wrote the Salt Lake City chief, "as
the UNIFORM has a very deterrent
e1Iect, ana also such Officers car
trouble.
1T is dangerous/for the cops to
Dc mistaken for stick.up men =
wrote Youngstown, Ohio. while d.
Louis insists on the uniform because
THE present police administration
( believes In an ounce of prevention
rather than a pound OF cure
Chicago police are uniformed ''as
there is then no question as to
their identity or the purpose for
which they are on the road" and
bridgeport, Connecticut, wrote;
Putting men in plain clothes a
SIMPLY setting q trap, and while II
might swell the court records, I do
not think the policy Of detecting ls
nearly as good as trying To urevanf