Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-01
inspection District System in
Force at 8 AM, With Van
Duzer Traffic Head.
$780, 600 WILL GO
FOR D. C. IMPROVEMENTS
Numerous Ceremonies at Head.
quarters and Precinct Stations
Mark Changes.

With new trat1c department..
reorganized Police Department and
full pocketbook, the District government
today started on new fiscal year.
The changes were carried out with
machinelike precision, despite the wide
spread effect, particularly on the Police
Department, which underwent drastic
upset In establishing the new inspection
district system.
The police reorganization plan was
officially introduced at o'clock this
morning, and an hour later William
A. Van Duzer took the oath Of office
as director Of the Department Of We
hicles and Trafic-s new department,
replacing washingtons original trafnc
organization, which Congress legislated
out Of existence.
S12,50O,0OO TO Be Used.
While these activities were underway,
other officials at the District Building
made preparations to dip into the re-
plenished Golfers Of the municipal gov
eminent and spend some OF the $45,-
SOC, 900 which Congress appropriated
for the new fiscal year. Approximately
sl2, 500, 900 of the appropriation is to
be devoted to capital expenditure
new buildings, new street work and
other important public works.
Numerous ceremonies at police head
quarters and in the precinct stations
marked the introduction Of the new
police department set-up-a plan de-
signed to increase the effectiveness and
efficiency Of the force. The principal
event took place In the office of Maj.
Henry G. Pratt, superintendent. where
the newly promoted officers were given
final instructions as to their duties and
formally assigned tc their new COM
mands.
Detectives showed their sentiment by
presenting flowers to their departing
chief and his successor. And in re-
Spouse, Inspector Shelby lauded the men
for their loyalty and devotion to him
and the department, and declared that
Notwithstanding the abarrage Of crici-
cism leveied at the Detective Bureau
during his nearly two-ar1d-a-half-year
regime, its record was noteworthy.
Inspector Shelby also referred to the
new retirement order of the Commits
sioners which automatically ends the
service of all policemen and flrennen at
the age Of 81, pointing out that while
1t would work q hardship on q few
of the police veterans, 1t nevertheless,
would be Of decided advantage to the
younger men, giving them greater OPP
portunities for promotion. Personally,
he said, he favored automatic retire
ment at 81.
Creation Of Districts.
Under the new plan of police or
ganiZation, three inspection districts,
composed of tour police precincts each,
were created, and an inspector placed
in command Of each district. Inspector
Louis j. Stoll took command of the first
district, establishing headquarters at
the old second precinct station on Fifth
street between M and N streets. This
is the most important district, embrace
ing principal police precincts in the
Northwest.
ing the outlying precincts in the North
west and Northeast, is in command of
Inspector Albert j. Headlev. His head
quarters are in the twelfth precinct sta
ton on Rhode Island avenue northeast.
inspector o. T. Davis Is commanding
the third inspection district, made up
of the police precincts in the South
west and Southeast and a portion Of
the northeast. Headquarters for this
district are in the old fourth precinct
station house in the Southwest.
Rules 10 BE Enforced.
Establishment of the new depart
ment Of vehicles and traflc auto
matically relieved the Police Depart
ment of all of its traffic activities, with
the exception Of enforcement of the
traflc regulations. In special order
to members Of the force Maj. Pratt
called attention to this change by cit
ing q provision in the new trafic act
providing for the creation of the
vehicles and trafhc department. 1t
reads:
"That no member Of the Metropolitan
Police Department may be empowered
to perform any function under this act
other than in the enforcement"
Traffic duties formerly performed by
the Police Department and taken over
by the new trafic department include
the issuance of drivers permits, the
installation of traffic markers and the
examination of applicants for drivers
permits. This work was handled under
direction of Police Inspector E. w.
Brown, In charge of the Traffic Bureau.