Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-01
Praise Is Advocated
For Police Officers
To the Editor of The Star:

htnOIy grant me a lew moments OF
your valuable time in which to ex.
press my views of what you term
police Brutality"
The late DIR. Stafford, while lectur.
| ing on Shakespeare king Richard
Ill.," said in part: Richard, deformed,
unloved, hearing only taunts and jeers,
| brooded, plotted, murdered, in brutal
retaliation, the only pleasure he
knew"
An irritable, grouchy, fault. finding
public instills the desire to lock 'em
up, treat 'em rough, into the breast of
an honest officer.
| A policemans salary is not enough
to attract a peer. The following is to
show that they try to enforce the
law.
A party of refined young folks, re-
turning from a party, driving on Wis
consin avenue, were stopped and es'
corted to the station by an officer
for showing no rear light, fact un'
known to them.
| A young couple was in a movie at
Eighteenth and Columbia road. During
| the show the young man came out to
be sure he had lighted his parking
light. Four cars were ahead of him
and a line behind. His light was off
and a policeman was waiting for him.
| At Sixteenth and Lamont streets
are four vacant corners. A man in
| a hurry passed on a red light. There
were no pedestrians or cars In sight.
An officer got him.
A young woman was fined twice In
one week for overtime parking while
shopping in q department store.
| A woman was fined for overtime
parking while in a movie. She wait
ed for the rain to stop before she
moved her machine.
| A boy discharged passenger be-
| fore a bakery on Columbia road. Be-
fore turning he glanced back and saw
approaching an auto containing uni
formed man whom he thought was
fire chief. He waited. The car pulled
up and a police captain jumped out,
saying, II placed three men here to-
day to keep this place clear, and ride
| by to find you parked here. Come to
| my precinct tomorrow morning.
| Hearing of these cited cases and
! others, I called at police headquarters
and asked why arrests were made for
such trivial misdemeanors. was
told that the duty of a policeman was
to enforce the law, and that they were
|
| / called at the Police Court and was
told that honorable citizens were
brought into court for the slightest
| offenses and the court was crowded
every day.
| At the United States Capitol I was
told that the public was clamoring
| for laws for this and laws for that
and they were trying to make laws to
cover eyery offense
We, the public, are being harassed
| by laws which we have caused to be
made.
| We must learn to love one another,
| to smile and not to imagine that all
| drivers, ourselves excepted, are raw.
| ing maniacs.
| The drivers of fire apparatus, am
| balances and others who have the
right of way must not close their
eyes and steam ahead, but ever be on
the alert
The duty of policeman is to patrol
| his beat and be a guardian of our
peace. If your boy runs with a bad
gang or my boy breaks the speed laws
word from a policeman should be
appreciated, and in case of fire or dan
ger we look to him for protection.
While In New York City / witnessed
| a large car jam an ant1quated touring
car. The driver of the touring car
ran for the traffic officer. He looked
the situation over and said, You are
not hurt, and neither Is your car;
drive on or / will lock you UP for
blocking the traffic." Keep them NOV
ing is the idea, not cause a jam, look
ing at their permits and jamming the
court for nothing.
Reckless driving should be reported
by every witness by mailing in card
and after several complaints have been
been received and investigated the
license should be withdrawn.
There have always been crimes and
accidents and will continue to be,
even though every citizen were a uni
| formed officer of the law. So let s
smile and praise our policemen and we
will have less of the king Richard
| III" Police Brutality.
MARY E. SLATTERY.