Evening star., 1934-12-19
Vigilance Squads Ordered
to Bring In Serious
Offenders.
DANGEROUSLY PARKED
CARS TO BE lMPOUNDED
Force Of Motor Cycle Men Sent
Out With Command to Clear
Up Menace.

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toll and the failure of the public to
heed the educational safety cam
paign. Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen
today organized police and traffic
officials in a drive for rigid enforce
ment Of traffic laws, in the hope of
reducing deaths.
At an emergency conference this
morning with police and trafic
authorities Hazen placed into effect
an eleven-point program designed to
force motorists to observe the law
and the rights of pedestrians and
others. Reckless or careless drivers
are to feel the effect at once of these
new orders:
!. A vigilance squad of motorcycle
men will patrol selected traffic ar
teries at unannounced times and
places to charge any motorist found
violating important traffic rules.
2 Police are directed to inbound
automobiles in aggravated cases Of
parking violations where such acts
create traffic hazards. In such cases
the car will be towed to the nearest
police station.
Drunk Driving Weighed.
g. The corporation counsel will
urge sitter sentences for persons
found guilty of driving while drunk.
4. Persons accused of the more Sc
rious trafic violations will be ar
rested and taken to precinct stations
instead of merely being given @
ticket"
5. The names of persons whose driv-
ing permits have been suspended or
revoked will be published.
g. The corporation counsel will be
directed to prosecute cases of traffic
violations regardless Of private settle
ments which may be made between
drivers concerned in the more serious
accident cases.
7. A general order has been issued
to police and traffic officials to achieve
strict enforcement"
8. Corporation Counsel Prettyman
has been given authority to draft q
regulation which would hold car own
ers responsible In parking violations
lations were committed by relatives or
friends.
Night Court Considered.
9. Commissioner Hazen will request
Police Court judges to re-establish q
night traffic court to speed trial Of
alleged traffic law breakers.
10. Hazen approved in principle q
proposal of Traffic Director Van Duzer
to establish a compulsory semi-annual
mechanical inspection Of cars.
II. Hazen planned to renew his ap-
peal to Congress to enact safety re-
sponsibility laws for District car
owners.
This program was the answer OF the
District to the increasing death toll
taken on Washington streets, which
has set a new all-time record of 126
fatalities within year. The plans an
nounced by Commissioner Hazen bore
the Endorsement of all the officials
who participated in the conference.
These included Mai. Ernest w. Brown,
superintendent of police; Corporation
Counsel Prettyman; Trafic Director
Van Duzer and his assistant, M o.
Eldridge, and Inspector B. A. Lamb of
the Police Traffic Bureau.
Representative Howard Smith Of
Virginia, member of the House District
Committee, who came to the District
Building on another matter, partici-
pated in the latter part Of the con-
ference, as did Engineer Commissioner
Dan I. Sultan.
Hazen Means Business"
I'VE mean business" said Hazen.
For months the District conducted
an educational campaign to teach mo-
torists their responsibilities under the
regulations. In the face of this, the
trafhc toll mounted. The time has
come now for strict enforcement and
we are going to have it."
A similar view was voiced by Mai.
Brown.
Squadrons of motor cycle police
were expected to start out this after
noon to patrol one or more main
highways in search of traffic viola
tors. The plan is that any person
arrested will be required to post COL
lateral. This plan was adopted to
impress upon the driving public the
determination of the District to force
obedience. Maj. Brown declined to
say just how many motor cycle men
would be used. While the men will
be in uniform and on regulation motor
cycles, surprise is one element in
this plan.
Drivers will not be given the priv
ilege Of merely accepting tickets in
the more serious violations such as
speeding, reckless driving, passing stop
signs or lights. driving through safety
of traffic, failing to give right Of way
and failing to give signal. In such
cases, the officer is directed to take
the man or woman to the Trafic Bu-
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