Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-03
Say Capital Should Take
Lead in Effecting 0bedi-
ence of Statutes.
BROADER AUTHORITY
is ASKED FOR POLICE
Practice of Using Paid Informers
in Liquor Cases Brings
Condemnation.

Following the suggestion of President
Hoover In his address to the Associated
Press in New York recently that the
newspapers and public take the initi-
ative to stamp out crime and disrespect
for law, the District grand jury in a
special report today to Chief Justice
Mccoy declared that the Nations Capt.
tai should be in the forefront for
obedience Of the law, and called upon
residents Of the District to weigh care
fully their responsibility as law abiding
citizens.
"As part of the machinery of our
courts We meet daily to consider offenses
against the law" the report said, land
while the District has probably no
more than its proportionate per capita
Of offenders, yet we cannot let pass
this opportunity to say regretfully that
the increase in the number of such
offenses Is deplorable."
The grand jury recommended that ad-
ditional laws be secured which would
give to all members Of the Metropol-
ital Police Department authority to en-
force the prohibition law.
The report commended the local po-
lice assigned as prohibition enforce
ment officers for their efforts. but de-
plored the handicaps under which they
operate.
Condemn Use Of InfOrmers.
Condemning the practice of using
persons outside the regular service as
informers, the foreman said, This prac-
tice is not sound and We recommen6
that it be discontinued and that all eV
dence in cases of reported or suspect
LIQUOR violations should be obtained by
persons in the regular service of the
commissioner of prohibition or the Met
ropolitan police"
The report follows:
THE grand jury for the April term
of court appears before you in public
appeal to the citizens of the District Of
Columbia to harken to the strong and
forceful address of President Hovoer,
as delivered before the publishers of our
principal dailies in New York last week,
On the subject of law observance.
In his speech the President reminded
our Nation of our first duty as citizens,
respect the Law. In speaking directly to
the publishers and through them to our
whole population, the President laid
strong emphasis on the fact that the
press could play a dominant part in
resolving the basic question of the un-
derstanding, the ideals and the rela-
tionShip of the individual citizens to
the law itself.
Duty Rests With Citizens.
"The President well said that the
press is almost final in its potency to
arouse the interest and conscience of
our people and great majority of the
important journals day by day give
support to these high ideals. No in
dividual has the right to determine
what law shall be obeyed and what
laws shall be enforced. On the con-
trary, the duty to enforce the law rests
not only upon every public official, but
upon every citizen.
The grand jury feels that it would
be neglectful of its duty if it did not
commend to the people of the District
of Columbia a careful reading of the
Presidents address and an appeal to
the press and people to come forward
in leadership to stamp out crime and
diSreSpect for law. The Nations Capital
should be in the forefront of respect,
obedience and enforcement of the law,
and the grand jury. as representing the
people in presenting persons for trial
for criminal offenSes, calls upon the
people of the District Of Columbia to
"CA6AI S1AC41 4CoRO1Ao4DAAALy do
law-abiding law-reSpecting and law
enforcing citizens. Let US say that our
respect for the law, as law, shall not
fade from the sensibiDties of our people.
LAS a part of the machinery of our
courts we meet daily to consider Of
fenses against the law, and while the
District of Columbia has probably no
more than its proportionate per capita
Of offenders, yet we cannot let pass
this opportunity to say, regretfully, that
the increase in the number Of such Of
fenSes is deplorable. It would seem that
most all crime is on the increase, and
the cause of this increase, from our OBJ
servation, has, in a considerable degree,
been due to the prohibition act. That
much improvement in the enforcing of
the prohibition law Is possible, we be-
lieve to be true.
Force Held Inadequate.
Section 2 of the eighteenth amend
ment provides that the Congress and
the several States shall have the con-
current power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation Under this au
thorization the Congress has passed the
national prohibition act, conferring upon
the commissioner of internal revenue,
his assistants. agents and inspectors,
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