Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
Recommends Mandatory Dis
miSSaI for Drinking Liquor
On or Off Duty.
ADVOCATES DRASTIC
LAWS TO AID IN WORK
Asks Warrants for Arrests of
Gamblers on Affidavit of
Suspecting People.

A thorough overhauling of the Police
Department and the passage of drastic
laws to aid it in its work is recon-
mended in 7s-page report to the Com
missioners made public by Mai. Henry
G. Pratt, superintendent of police
yesterday.
Mandatory dismissal of policemen
who drink liquor on or off duty is one
OF the reforms called for. Another is
the passage OF law allowing warrants
for the arrest of gamblers to be issued
to any policeman who makes an affi-
daVlt that he has reason to believe
gambling Is going on In any premises.
Inc reforms called for should be
erected in the next five years, the re-
port urged, in an effort to bring the
standard of Washington's Police De-
partment up to that OF the best in anv
European city. They comprise a great
~ increased and higher paid personnel
extensive training for all policemen. ac-
cushion OF scientific criminolooical
apparatus, harSher discipline for the
meMDerS OF the force, and more ade-
ment. i~ e4"'p-
Shelby Prepared Report.
Although the report was transn,;ttad
as Maj. Pratts document. the act,IaI
writing was done by Assistant Suner-
.nCenoent William S. Shelby. and it is
S .ne pFoouct OF many months of labor.
WoIK was begun on the manuscript in
AprlI, 1929. but the many uphea va IS
through which the department has
gone since that date have DELAYED its
completion. ITO
The report starts with a pessimistic
commentary OF the ineffectiyeneSs of
ninsIlcah police forces generally, pro-
tseus 70 detailed and critical study of
sne local situation and winds up with 3
large plumber of recommendations for
improving the force and the laws which
II must enforce.
It is generally conceded" the renort
states, that in all of our unhappy mn.
nlclpal history the general INEFFECTIVE
ness OF our police systems has been one
~ the outstanding and. alas we'll
merited criticisms. Municipal de-
partmentS have been the foot baII of
politics. Ohlcers are assigned to the
uencate task OF attempting to regulate
the conduct of other human beings
without previous experience or training
IN work OF this type. They have in
many cases an alarming misconception
OF Iheir authority and power, and there
- frequently an utter lack of knowl-
edge OF the rights guaranteed the citi-
zen by the Constitution
Strength Of Force Inadequate.
The strength of the force the report
says, Il 1873 men, OF which 81 are
paid by street railway companies Ow-
ing to the large number OF special as
SlgnmentS, there Is never time ex-
cept IN cases OF great emergency, when
more than pa patr0lnnen are actually
ON the streets enforcing the laws. In
addition to this. Washington police are
called upon about two DAYS out of every
three to supply special details for MANY
occasions. such as arrivals of distin-
gulshed guests and the like, which fur
ther reduces the number Of patrolmen
on the street.
The so headquarters detectives dealt
with 1874 cases in 1928, and the
number of assignments is on the in
crease. The result of this is that only
the most important cases receive care
full attention and many of the smaller
ones, which represent genuine grieV-
ances to the complainantS. are sighted.
There is no effective method If train
ing policemen. At present they are put
on the street equipped with a badge
OF authority and the lethal weapons of
their calling" in many cases without
even the 30-day period of training
which some of them receive at the po-
lice school. Even when they go to
school, they are liable to be called upon
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