Evening star., 1925-06-24

! the public can he the only effect of
/ the act of Representative Thomas l..
| Blanton of Texas in making certain
remarks To members of the force re
| Gently. Lieut.. Col. Clarence O. Sher
rill. director of public buildings and
Ipublic parks of the National Capital.
| told the Texas Representative in Il
! letter made public today.
! Col. Sheriff. forwards the informa-
| ton requested by Representative
| Rlantou in d previous letter, upholds
the issuance of the orders referred to
and offers To give him any other in
/ formation he needs.
| Mr.. Blanton said he had not vet
! received "A copy of Col. Sherrill's let
! ter. but he fully intended to make a
| reply to il when he receives ii and has
| an opportunity to study II.
Text of Col. Sherrill's Letter.
| Col Sherrills letter follows:
Dear Mr.. Blanton:
| Receipt is acknowledged Of your
letter Of June 20th, relating to your
address made TO the park police force.
The quotations to which you refer
| in paragrap phs l and of your letter
! are incorrect and unauthorized.
Taking up your inquiries contain
ed in Your letter Seriatum, | beg TO
advise as follows:
q There Is inclosed herewith copy
of the letter addressed to Officer
( Gaincy on May 20. 1925, concerning
/ his participation in a raid against per
/ sons charged with violation of the
prohibition law.
Officer Rainey's reply to this letter
was considered as satisfactory. and
| he was not reprimanded and no
/ further action was taken.
10 "a
! intendent Of the park police force,
dated March 27th, was entirely proper
| and gave correctly the duty of the
| park police in reference to the pro-
lection Of Government property and
outlined clearly their responsibility
with reference to various activities
operated by this office.
"The concessions operated in the
parks are operated under the direc-
tion of this office by COncesSiOnnaireS,
who. in this respect. act as agents
| Of the United States. The buildings
| in which they operate are Govern
ment property. and it was these build
! ingS and necessarily their contents
which the park police were directed
! 10 carefully protect.
There was nothing in this order that
was calculated TO impress upon the
| police that they are not TO be active
! laws and regulations governing the
| park police.
Discusses General Order.
"2 The general order issued by the
superintendent of the park police
force on MAY 16. was not calculated
in any way to decrease the efficiency
Of the park police force as law en-
forcers. and il was not intended to in
,lmidate them and make them worth
| less except as guards of property. The
Importance OF this order is so great
that it is quoted as follows:
THE attention of all concerned is
again directed to the fact that the
mission of this organization is the pre-
VentiOn Of injury 10 Government prop
| erty and the prevention Of the com
mission Of crime and misdemeanOrS in
! the parks. 1t is much more desirable
! to prevent the commission of an Of
| fense by letting the public see that
| there are uniformed police covering
| the park areas, rather than lying in
wait for some poptential offender to
| commit an unlawful act.
This can best be accomplished by
! officers alertly patrolling their beats
and when such instances are observed
which causes the officer 10 suspect the
commission of an offense for said of
| ficer to Immediately Investigate same
land take such action as the facts may
| warrant.
1.-Two recent cases have occurred
on this force in which the officers
| failed 10 make Investigations, but, in
| stead. lay in wait" or as one officer
pointed out, tried to get d line on
! them" In one case q car was parked
with it's lights out in an unlighted
section of the park area. The officer,
! instead of Immediately walking up
! to the car and ascertaining why 1t
was in there. called a Metropolitan
| officer into the park and approached
! the vehicle under cover of nearby
! Shrubbery.
Another Case Explained.
"In the other case a taxicab with
three men in it. who had been drink
| ing, was parked, and the officer was
discovered resting in the shadow Of a
! tree some distance away when he
! should have Immediately gone up TO
! the car, ascertained why it was there
and taken necessary action, if any
! was required
Repetition of similar cases as
these pointed out will result in charges
! being preferred against the officer for
! improper performance of duty
|
order gives the conception of this
| Office as to the principal functions of
! tho park police. namely, to prevent in
| jury to Government property and to
/ prevent the commission of crimes and
! miSdenea nOrS in the parks. The more
| that these results can be secured with
| out making any arrests the more
| SatiSfa ctory is the service of the park
| police to this office and to the public.
| II. The questionnaire which the su-
perintendent of the park police force
! submitted to the members of the force
! was designed to secure all pertinent
information relating to the living costs
and living expenses which each mem
! her desired to submit. 1t was not
! issued with the idea of requiring com
pliance with all of its paragraphs, and,
in fact, q number the men did not fill
in the item relating to fraternal or
ganizatiOnS.
LAS soon as this QUESTIONABLE was
! submitted to me. a day or two follow
! ing it's issue. | at once gave direc-
tions that the item relating to fra.
ternaI organizations should not be car.
ried out and destroyed all answers
made to that particular inquiry, al
though the intention of the superin
| tendent of the park police force in
! issuing this queStionnaire was entire
" proper and had no intention what
ever of CoerCing the men in their fra,
ternal or religious affiliations.
Procedure in Traffic Offenses.
"5. In view of the fact that offenders
against the traffic regulations in the
parks are offenders against the United
States, it is necessary, under the law
for these offenders to be prosecuted
l understand. by a United States as