Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-07

Harassed by a steadily increasing
number OF false reports Of crimes,
officials of the District Of Columbia
Police Department are prepared to
urge the passage at this session Of
Congress of bill which viii make 1t
unlawful to submit knowingly flcti.'
tious report to the police department.
The bill will carry penalty of
fine or imprisonment. or both.
Examination of police records for
the past IL months. Inspector OF De.
tective Henry q. Pratt revealed. dis.
closed that more than 30 reports Of
administrations crimes such as house.
breakings and hOldups--have been ad.
mitted by those who submitted them
as being wholly fictitious. while detec-
tives are convinced that as many
other felony reports are false although
lacking the technical evidence to dis
prove them.
Cause Much Useless Work.
Submission of false report. police
officials pointed out, means that head
quarters detectives, precinct detec.
tives and the police force generally,
are required to exert efforts and take
up time which represents q CORE
spending neglect Of genuine reports,
representing bona fide crimes which
press for immediate solution.
So many false reports have been
given to police during the past six
months. including the period that the
resources Of the department were
strained to solve the problem Of the
mysterious midnight prowler who
exercised a reign of terror over Cleve.
land Park for several weeks. that In.
spector Pratt stated that heavy per.
centage of the entire list Of reports
were fictitious and that the police
were hampered seriously In solving
genuine cases by the number Of false
reports which require as much or
more time and effort as do the bona
fide ones.
Reasons for submitting false reports
run the gamut Of human emotions.
police declare. the fear OF facing con-
Tossing a shortage Of money. whether
to the little wife" or to ''the firm,"
being the predominating motive.
Many Of the hold-up cases which
have been reported and later con.
fessed as having been false. deal with
collectors who gamble away their
money and then invent a hold.up.
sometimes with lurid details. to &C.
count to their firms for their shortage.
Some Husbands Involved.
Others represent a certain type of
husband. accustomed to handing over
MS pay to his wife. who spends or
loses his money and then invents a
robbery to account for its disappear.
ance. Most of those who submit false
robbery reports are guided by the cir.
cumstances that their funds are bond.
ed and insured and that only the bond.
ing companies will suffer any loss.
only a few weeks ago. detectives
stated. a man. wishing to save some
or his receipts for himself. dashed
excitediy into detective headquarters
and reported that he had been held I'D
at the point OF pistol and robbed OF
large sum of money. His report
would have been accepted at it's face
value and much useless investigation
would have ensued had not a police
chauneur reported that the individual
VINO ran so excitedly into headauar.
ters had quite calmly locked and park.
"a his car on the outside. not seeming
TO be In any hurry or alarm.
Investigation proved that the money
which he reported had been taken
from nun was slowed away under.
neatil the seat OF his car and he con.
tessed subsequently that he made a
false report in order to conceal his
financial situation from his wife.
IN some cases Il certain type OF
merchant. threatened with bank.
ruptcy. viii endeavor to conceal his
cash assets by submitting false re-
ports. polide investigation disclosed
while the number OF fictitious reports
dealing with minor crimes are liter.
ally legion.
Reports Gambling Game.
Within the past week a woman
telephoned police headquarters and
gave the information that a gambling
game was in progress at a certain
hotel. BY the time detectives reached
the room where the game had been
reported the gamblers had departed.
fleeing. Investigation showed. after a
woman had called them up and In
formed them that police were on their
trait. Inquiries proved that the WON.
an who informed the police and the
woman who tipped Off the gamblers
was the same person--hent on get.
ting her husband, member OF the
party. out of the game.
Besides the reports of crimes which