Evening star., 1935-05-01
Shake-up of Police Com
mand Urged in Findings
of Probers.
GARNETT, KINDLEBERGER
REPLACING PROPOSED
Delay in Passing on Document
Due to Members Desire to
Read Transcript.
BY JAMES Z. CHJNN.

Inc Mouse DLSIllCL NOHlIuItVcC GoNoy
refused to approve for the time being
the comprehensive report Of the spe-
cial Crime Investigating Committee
recommending a clean sweep Of the
police departments high command"
and the immediate removal from ONCE
Of United States Attorney Leslie G.
Garnett and his Police Court assist
ant, Karl W. Kindleberger.
The committees action came as
complete surprise and will delay for
NAL consideration of the report for
several weeks. The delay in passing
on the report was said to be due to
the desire of certain members Of the
full District Committee to read the
voluminous transcript Of the 60-day
investigation.
Session Lasts Two Hours.
Copies Of the report we're turned
over to members Of the full District
Committee at an executive session
which lasted for nearly two hours. At
its conclusion, Chairman Norton issued
a statement explaining that the COM
mittee took the position that the Crime
Committee was creature Of the full
District Committee and had no au-
thority to make the report public.
But the report had by that time
already been given out for publication,
after having been printed as a House
document.
Chairman Randolph OF the Crime
Committee, however. gave out for pub
lication a formal statement which he
made to the full District Committee in
submitting the report. After review
ing briefly the history and activities
Of the Crime Committee the state
ment said:
I'm the conduct o. the investigation
the Special Committee had the aid
and assistance of the five newspapers
of Washington. the religious, civic and
legal organizations and numerous pub
lie spirited citizens. The Special Com
mittee wishes at this time formally to
express its grateful appreciation to
those who have thus assisted.
Step in Right Direction.
THE work of this Special Committee
is a step in the right direction. If
the public officials and the citizens of
Washington. who are in position to
do so, will carry on and improve upon
the opportunity that has been pro-
vided, Washington can. within rea-
sonably short time, become model of
law enforcement.
The Capital City of this great
Nation belongs truly to the people OF
the 48 States as it does to those of us
who live here or come here on official
business. Because this is true, the
members of the special committee
have felt sense of patriotic service
in the earnest devotion which they
have given to this endeavor.
1T has been privilege to have
thus served the Capital and the
Nation"
An official statement issued by
Chairman Norton. at the direction Of
the full District Committee. follows:
The motion was made and carried
that the committee extend to the Spe-
cial Crime investigating Subcommittee
vote of confidence and appreciation
and commend them for their valuable
and constructive service to the District
of Columbia In view Of the impor-
tance and widespread interest in this
report and in order that proper con-
sideration may be given to the report,
it was the consensus Of opinion that
the hearings be printed Immediately,
and pending the printing of these
hearings no action will be taken on
the report"
After the meeting Of the District
Committee, Representative Werner,
Republican, of South Dakota. who
served on the Crime Investigating
Committee, issued a brief statement,
which said:
81 wish it clearly understood that 1
do not concur with the conclusions of
the report in number of instances"
Werner refused to be specific, but it
is known he objected principally to
the recommendation for the removal
of Garnett.
Makes 80 Recommendations.
The report, in addition to asking
clean sweep of the police depart
ment "high command" and the i'm
mediate replacement of United States
Attorney Leslie C. Garnett and Karl
Kindleberger, his assistant in charge of
police court prosecutions, contained
more than 80 recommendations.
The report urges, for the purpose Of
efficiency, that the administration of
the Police Department be taken out
of the hands of the officials who have
given the city the best years of their
lives" but calls on the Commissioners
to retire Immediately only those off,
GERS above the rank of captain who
have reached the age Of go years.
This suggestion will affect Maj. Ernest
w. Brown. superintendent, and In
spectors Thaddeus r. Bean and Albert
j. Headley. The only other officers
above the rank of captain who escape
are Inspectors James F. Beckett, Frank
S. w. Burke. chief of detectives; Lewis
I. H. Edwards. personnel officer, and
William G. Stott, property custodian.
The Police Department also was un-
compromisingly condemned in the re-
port to the full committee. The
committee declared it was not salts
factorily administered. and that there
Is a weakness in the administrative