Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-15
ASKS EIGHT
MORE RADIO CARS
IN ANNUAL REPORT
Recommendation Is Added to
Usual List Proposed by
Police Head.
$4,000 EVIDENCE FUND
ASKED FOR LIQUOR BUYS
Larger Force and Right to Enter
Clubs Without Warrants Are
Also Put Forward as Needs.

Mai. Henry C. Pratt, superintendent
of police, in his annual report, for
warded to the Commissioners yesterday,
renewed a host OF recommendations
that have been carried In the report for
some years and added a new one-in-
crease of the number of radio patrol
cars by eight, on account Of the high
efficiency Of those now in service.
The recommendations are of two gen.
eral classes. One class asks enactment
of legislation giving the department
greater powers and aiding 1t in its en-
forcement duties. The other class seeks
enlargement of the force.
Asks $4,000 Liquor Fund.
. Among the first class is a proposed
amendment to the national prohibition
act to make all officers Of the depart
ment prohibition agents. To back this
UP. there is request for an annual $lO,-
coo appropriation for procuring evl-
dence and in the payment Of reputable
agents in the enforcement OF the vice,
LIQUOR and gambling laws. to be used
either for the purchase OF evidence 9r
for the payment of informerS both OF
which procedures are absolutely essen
tial to even the slightest measure OF
success in securing reasonably effective
enforcement of the laws referred to-"
Further extension OF power sought
are the right Of entry without warrant
into any cluo. incorporated or not, than
which Mai Pratt says he can con-
ceive of nothing more important to the
law enforcing agency" Then the de-
partment wants 10 see the enactment
of the Sackett vagrancy bill, Tightening
the present state of the law on va
grancy, and enabling the policemen to
arrest as Migrants large numbers OF per-
sons now exempt from such arrest; a
law regulating the purchase. carrying
and possession of dangerous weapons, a
law giving the Police Department con-
troll over all dances and dance halls and
preventing any person from engaging
as a dance teacher without first Sc
curing permission from the major and
superintendent of police, law allowing
pawnbrokers to operate in the District
and a law regulating the business Of
executing bail bonds.
1850 Police Urged.
AS to the enlargement OF the force,
the report recommends an increase
which will allow / 800 patrolmen and
1000 detectives, two more fast automo-
biles for use of the Detective Bureau
and the new radio cars.
Maj. Pratt reports a marked i'm
provement in discipline" during the
year ended June 80 last. During the
year 2 members of the force we're
dropped during their probationary year
for unsatisfactory service, 81 were
fined, Is removed 8 required to pay
debts, IA warned, deprived of part
of annual leave. assigned to extra
duty, / severely reprimsnded and |
required to live within the District Of
Columbia. In 38 cases before the trial
board the charges were dismissed and
in six the trial board findings were re-
versed by the Commissioners.
The value of property stolen during
the year was reported as 81 ,433,803 and
of that recovered by police S323,942.
The Detective Bureau members made
1890 arrests. There were 1908 convic-
tions. 10 cases nolle pressed, 81 arrests.
in which no papers were filed, 1925
cases dismissed, and 489 cases pending
or otherwise disposed of.
The number of automobiles stolen
was 1908 and the number recovered
1902 The auto squad made total CT
$50 arrests. which resulted in 95 con-
victions. los cases held for grand jury,
"a cases dismissed and II nolle pressed.
There are 81 cases pending.
The Bureau of Criminal Identified
ton fingerprinted 1874 prisoners,
photographed the scenes of 16l crimes
and 90 accidents, made 1,4l8 identified
tions from f1ngerprints and forwarded
1,036 photographs and flngerprints to
other jurisdictions.
Five hundred forty-two lunacy writs
were filed and ASS patients were adj
Judged insane and transferred to st.
Ella Zheth'S HOSpital
Driver Permits Drop.
The year showed a decrease in the
number of applicants for permits to
operate motor vehicles. There we're
55,161 such applications in 1880 and
53,701 in 1881. Last year 1884 OF
the applicants were turned down.
Applications for hacking licenses
numbered 4,611, of which 145 were re-
fused.
The Board of Surgeons reported
1882 visits to the clinic by members
of the force, in addition to 6,236 visits
made by members Of the board to the
homes of sick policemen.
The school of instruction gave police
training tn liz rockies and IL older
members of the force. Twenty-six men,
bers of the force qualified as pistol ex-
perts, AZ as sharpshooters. 48 as marks
men and 10 failed to qualify.
The Crusaders. ti-prohibition or
ganiZation, in a statement issued today
took exception to the recommendation
of Mai. Pratt that all police be permit
ted to act as enforcement agents and
that $4,000 be appropriated to buy
liquor evidence and pay informers.
THE prohibition law is probably bet
ter enforced in Washington than in any
large CITY," said statement issued by
the Crusaders, land large number OF
officers devote their time principally to
prohibition enforcement. The employ
ment of the rest Of the force in liquor
shopping will take them away from
legitimate police work, such as catching
real criminals. We understand that
there are still one or two unsolved MUIR
ders on the books"