Evening star., 1926-04-17
ENFORCEMENT Is HIT.
Traffic Council Says Police Drive Is
Aimed at Petty Offenders.

Members of the Traffic Council of
the District of Columbia hope to ap-
pear before the District Commission
ers in advance of the board meeting
next Tuesday when the suggestion
of the Commissioners for Curtaii-
ment Of the traffic regulations will
be taken up.
Charging that the alleged drive
for enforcement of traffic regulations
made by the Washington Police De-
partment was aimed almost entirely
ut the petty offender" the council
last night asked a hearing by the
Commissioners and pointed out that
the traffic code of the District is
much more brief than that Of many
other cities. Last Tuesday Commits
sioner Fenning asked Traffic Director
Eldridge to comb the regulations
with a view to eliminating some Of
those not considered essential. Ihe
council, meeting last night at head
quarters of the American Automo-
bile Association in the Mills Build
ing, held that the regulations III the
District code might be condensed and
simplifed in some cases, but that
essentially they are right If prop
erly enforced.
"The peculiar method of enforce
ment used by the Washington police.
Charles L. Clark, d member of the
council. said. was shown by making
use of the figures made public by the
Police Department for March, 1926. 1t
was shown that of the 6,911 arrests
made in the District in March, so per
cent were for the three violations of
overtime parking, light regulations
and miscellaneous parking regula-
tions." Mr.. Clark pointed out that the
District code covers only 80 pages and
IS much shorter than the regulations
of other cities and States.
Says Drive Is OH Petty Offenses.
"The figures show that so per cent
of the total arrests were made for one
of these three minor offenses. Exami-
nation of the report for March, 1925.
shows, however, that the total num-
ber OF arrests for these same three
minor offenSeS was 453 or IS per cent
of the total number of arrests during
March, 1925. To further substantiate
this argument let me state that the
increase in the number of ma jor ar
rests as classified by the Police De
partment for March, 1926, was 43 per
cent, while the corresponding increase
of miscellaneous arrests was 262 per
cent"
w. IcdTCc ray IleE VI TIE w dStllIS-
ton Board of Trade also charged that
the campaign for enforcement of traf
fic regulations made by the Police De
partment was aimed almost entirely
at the petty offender.
The council indorsed seven recon-
mendations made by it several weeks
ago which have been returned from
it's constituent organizations with
their approval. They are:
List Of Recommendations.
That traffic enforcement, including
training and assignment of policemen,
be vested in the inspector in charge
Of the Traffic Bureau, who shall con-
suit with the traffic director.
That special training in traffic en-
forcement be given to all police in this
line Of work under the direction and
supervision Of the inspector in charge
of the Traffic Bureau.
That the courts, by impartial ad-
ministration of punishment to law
violators, inStill in the public a proper
respect for the law.
That the bill giving the traffic di-
rector broader powers, already passed
by the House, be enacted into law.
That the present traffic light con-
troll system be extended.
That trucks shall not be prohibited
from using certain streets unless par
allel routes are provided.
That the regulation governing truck
loads be so changed as to take from
the truck manufacturer the right to
determine what loads trucks shall
carry in tho District of Columbia.