Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-27
Inspector Shelby Would De-
tail so More Men to Gen.
trail Organization.
CRIME SITUATION HERE
REVIEWED BY REPORT
District Is Found Unusually Free
Of 0ffense Of Major
Importance.

4
Of detectives, In his annual report made
public today by Maj. Henry G. Pratt,
! superintendent Of police. This bears
out previous announcement that such
recommendation would be Forthcoming
While a dispassionate survey shows
that Washington has been singurlarly
free Of major crimes, Inspector Shelby
pointed out that the work of the de-
| tective bureau is steadily increasing,
and that larger personnel, coupled
| with plan of organization providing
for the GENERALIZATION of responsibility
Is urgent in the interest Of greater eff
ficiency.
A major portion Of the report is de-
voted to a review of the crime situation
and Inspector Shelby places particular
stress on the fact that of the 81 homi-
cides during the year. only in one case
did the Detective Bureau fail to estab-
lish the identity Of the person respon-
sible.
Unsolved Mystery.
That was the case Of Joseph Wood
son, colored, who was found dead In
an ante-room on the second floor of
514 Tenth street, December 20 last. AL
though a number of persons were ar
rested and a thorough investigation
conducted, Shelby said the bureau has
been unable to establish any motive for
this crime or to AK the responsibility.
Two gaming charges were filed as the
result of the probe Of the establishment,
he recorded.
Referring to the Chinese tong war of
last october in which two Chinese were
killed and two others wounded, Inspec-
tor Shelby directed shaft Of criticism
at the grand jury for ignoring the case
despite the positive character" of the
evidence submitted by the Police De-
partment.
tionary detectives to the detective bureau,
Inspector Shelby recommended that all
| members of the force. assigned exclu-
sively to duty as precinct detectives
and especially assigned to the duty Of
enforcing the liquor laws, be given an
increase In compensation OF $24O a
year, and that all officers assigned to
plain clothes duty, either as detective
Sergeants or precinct detectives, be
under the immediate supervision and
command Of the chief OF detectives.
Advantages Apparent.
at must be apparent" he said, "that
such Capitalization Of responsibility and
fixity Of direction and control, with
the consequent Capitalization OF I'M
portant records. will tend greatly to In.
crease the efficiency OF this branch OF
the service"
Inspector Shelby proposes that the SO
additional detectives recommended lor
his bureau serve as UNDERSTANDS for the
detective sergeants, and when vacancies
occur in the ranks of the detective ser
geants they may be filled by the promo
ton of the probationary detectives. Ad-
ditional compensation Of $500 year is
urged for these probationary detectives.
The additional detective personnel,
Inspector Shelby explained, will permit
the establishment of special squads and
the increasing of squads already In
existence, and thereby provide for
more effective patrol Of the night clubs,
billiard rooms, hotels, restaurants and
other places which may or should be
under police surveillance"
Other Recommendations.
Among Inspector Shelby's other rec
concentrations are more suitable quar-
tiers for the detective bureau, which Is
now cramped on the basement floor of
the District Building, the enactment
Of a more adequate vagrancy law,
more stringent law providing severe
penalties for persons carrying concealed
deadly weapons, and the enactment OF
q law making drug addiction felony
and providing that any person addicted
to narcotic drugs shall, upon conv1c-
ton, be sentenced to term at the Dis
trict reformatory at Lorton, Va, and
that 1t be a condition OF the ser tence
that the defendant shall during the
term Of his imprisonment be given
proper and necessary treatment In an
effort to effect q cure.
The last fiscal year the report shows
the detective bureau handled 1880
cases, including the assignments to pre-
cinct detectives, and that its personnel
made 4,295 arrests. OF these convic-
lions were secured in 2,435 cases, 275
were nolle pressed. 935 were dismissed
and $50 had not been disposed OF on
June 80 last, the end Of the fiscal year.
Property valued at $2o4z,SSl; oO'
which includes 1914 motor vehicles,
was reported stolen during the 12-
month period, according to the report,
and the detective bureau recovered
$435, so worth Of 1t, including S85
motor vehicles.
Completed s46 Cases.
The homicide squad In charge OF
Lieut.. Edward j. Kelly. the report
complete records in 946 cases. These
included 1O1 safe burglaries and house,
breaking, SO suicides, 81 homicides ana
6l6 miscellaneous cases.
Although the automobile squad made
A89 arrests for automobile theftS, 100 OF
the cases were dismissed and 80 We're
nolle pressed. This Is due, Inspector
Shelby explained, to the fact that In
numerous cases the owners declined TO
prosecute, or the arrest occurred as q
result of the removal from jurisdiction
of an automobile which had been pur-
chased on q conditional bill OF sale, and
when the vehicle Is recovered and the
defendant returned to this jurisdiction.
an adjustment Is made with the finance
company which results in discontinue
ance of criminal proceedings.
Notwithstanding the gradual disuSe
Of the bicycle, the report showed that
the problem of bicycle thefts Is sufh-
GENTLY serious to warrant the exclu-
siye attention of one detective sergeant,
T. A. Fitzgerald. During the year 435
BICYCLES were reported stolen and OF
these 298 were recovered.
Check Writers Active.
In outlining the activities Of the check
squad. Inspector Shelby said the reports
OF bad checks to the detective bureau
indicate that "the passing years faal
to effect any decrease in the general
gullibility of the human species"
Persons whose very appearance
would seem to serve as a danger signal"
he declared, apparently find no difii-
Guilty In laying down worthless checks
In many business houses, or In passing
The check squad according to the
report made 586 arrests during the year
and secured 423 convictions. Seventy
ave NJ the cases were nOlle pressed 46