Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-19
Automobile Large Contribut-
ing Factor, But Dry Law
Has Influence.
POPULATION AND POLICE
ALSO SHOW INCREASES
Cost Of Force Jumps From 81 ,3s2,'
020 to $3,141,545 in
Decade.

At the end Of 10 years OF prohibi-
zion the Police Department yesterday
produced a dazzling array Of statistics
bearing on liquor violations in this
decade, as well as the rami1cations Of
Law breaking In its varied other forms.
And in the analysis the following pic
ture was graphically drawn:
Arrests have more than doubled since
the advent of prohibition; Police Court
fnes are nearly twice as great; the
District JAN Is handling more than three
times as many prisoners; the police
force has been increased by more than
$50 men, and the cost Of operating and
maintaining it has jumped $1,759,000.
Prohibition, of course, Is not alone to
blame. in the opinion of police officials,
though it is a factor to be reckoned
in present conditions. The population,
1t was pointed out, grew In that period
from ass, 400 to $4,000, and the auto
mobile increased proportionately, both
contributing to the large advance IN the
number Of arrests.
Automobile Big Factor.
The Police Department reports show
that in the fiscal year ending June 80,
months OF the effect Of the prohibit
ton law, there was q total Of 1880
arrests, whereas in the 1929 fiscal year
ending June so, last, the arrests totaled
121,,577. OF this 2l,577, however,
S7.400 were for violation Of the traf-
dc regulations, which Is compared with
1898 arrests for the same offenses in
the 1920 fiscal year. Thus 1t was
shown, that the automobile has been
T.
the growth Of the police blotter.
Despite this fact arrests for viola
tons of the liquor laws increased ire
nlenduously. In 1920, there were 3S4
arrests for violation of the Volstead
act, and 3,7i7 for violation Of the Shep-
pard law which includes intoxicat ton
and drinking In public, and up to 1925,
driving an automobile under the infiu-
ence Of liquor. In 1929, however. the
arrests for violation Of the VolStead law
totaled SPIT, an increase Of 1853. Ar
rests for attractions of the Sheppard
law showed an even greater gain, the
number in 1929 totaling 14,056, or TO-
339 more than in 1920.
The arrests for violations OF the pro-
hibition law included selling, illegal
possession, manufacturing and trans
porting of liquor. Police department
records show there were $50 arrests for
selling In 1920 compared with LOTT in
1929; 90 for transporting In 1920 COM
pared with ol2 in 1929; IL for illegal
possession in 1920 compared with 1926
In 1929; and Al for manufacturing in
1920 compared with II in 1929.
2s,4SI Gallons Seized.
AS no records were kept by the police
Of the seizures In the early years Of
prohibition. quantity OF liquor confis-
AkAA d. a. ~. ~.
firSt year that records are available, the
figures show seizures amounting to a.
BAL gallons. The quantity seized in the
1929 flScal year amounted to 2e,4el
gallons.
Fclonies and miSdemeanors not in
cluded in the liquor law violations like
wise showed a gain in the ten-year
period; misdemeanorS, such as disorder
ly conduct, petit larceny and other Vio-
lattons jumping from 81 ,os2 in 1920 to
30,760 in 1929, and felonieS increasing
from 2,s62 to ATS In that period.
The share Of the prohibition law in
this situation cannot be measured
although it is regarded as factor by
the police, just as the automobile and
rising standards of luxury are factors,
even as the moral let down resultant
from the World War is a factor
The increased arrests, naturally are
/ banded by the Jail and other penal
Institutions, as we'll as the fines i'm
posed in police court Here. too. the
automobile which is responsible for the
growing arrests for trafdc violations, has
been decided contributing factor,
though liquor has played its part.
Fines Nearly Double.
In the 1920 fiscal year the police
/ court imposed fines amounting to S247, :
1873. The figure for the last fiscal year
was $492,23l.
Records of the Board Of Public Wei
fare show that the jail in the 1920 fiscal
year handled 3,z87 prisoners, while the
number last year reached 12,247. OF
these, 12,247 prisoners, 5S3 were charged
with violation of the prohibition law
and SIS with intoxication.
The police force, however, has not
grown IN proportion TO the number oil
arrests. In 1920 there were s34 on the
roster Of the department, and in 1925
the number was slightly under 400
The cost OF operating and maintaining
the force increased In these years from
$I,3s2.o20 In 1920 to $3,l41,545 in 1929
Washington went dry" legally three
years In advance Of National prohibi.
ton, the Sheppard law which became
effective November !. 1917, making II
p desert but in this three-year interim
arrests also MOVED an increase, with
liquor violations mounting from year
to year. In 1915. the year preceding
the Sheppard law, there were 1884,
arrests for intoxication, and the follow.
ing year the figure was raised to s,64s
Then in 1919, before the VolStead av
became effective, there was a decline IL
$3.50, and q further decline In 1920 tx
r 5gS hut last wear the lnUreeAdentAe
total Of 1892 was reached.