Evening star., 1935-10-07
48 NEW POLICEMEN
TO Be ADDED TO
FORCE OCTOBER IS
Increase Is Largest Here
During Maj. Browns
Administration.
IS REPRESENT INCREASE
ALLOWED BY CONGRESS
Superintendent Sets Precedent by
Personally interviewing
Each of Candidates.
BY JAMES r. CHINN.

BY JAMES +. CHINN.
Police Supt Ernest W Brown made
preparations today to add 48 men to
his force-the largest number ever
appointed at one time during his ad-
ministration.
The appointments will become eff
fective October Is, at which time the
4S rockies will be assigned to the police
training school for an intensive three
month course designed to fit them for
patrol and traffic duty.
Thirty-five of the additional men
represent the increase allowed by Con-
gresS for the current fiscal year. The
other l3 will fill existing vacancies
due to retirements, designations and
death.
Sought 14O New Men.
Maj. Brown fought vigorously for
l40 additional men this year. but sue
ceeded in having the Commissioners,
the Budget Bureau and Congress ap-
prove an increase Of 35. The Commits
sioners, however, have promised to
write into the budget for the coming
fiscal year provisions for substantial
increase in the force due to the grow
ing demands for more officers to con-
troll traffic.
In selecting the 48 new men Mai.
Brown has established a precedent by
personally interviewing each of the
candidates for appointment, who have
qualified through civil service exami-
nations and whose names have been
certified to the Police Department
The commission sent the police su-
perintendent a list containing the
names of "A eligible candidates. From o
this list the 48 Will be appointed.
Some Not Desirable.
Already Mai Brown has eliminated
some Of the IA as a result of the per-
sonal interviews. Despite the rigid
character investigation made by the
Civil Service Commission of the ap-
plicants for appointment to the force,
he has found that some of them are
not desirable because of certain views
they have regarding law enforcement.
Maj. Brown said it was his inten-
ton to appoint only the best men on
the eligible lst-men with outstanding
character who are in complete SYM
pathy with the laws and police regu-
lations. 1t is his aim to give WASH
ington the best police force in the
country. He thinks it ranks in that
position now, but he also believes there
is room for Improvement.
SO Appointed in 1880.
Not since 1880 has there been such
a wholesale appointment of new
officers. In that year 60 appointments
were made at one time. Due to Demo-
cratic economy since that time, the
force was reduced, and 35 of the 48
new men who 60 on the department
pay roll will merely replace the officers
lost in the budget-slashing periods.
Mai Brown would like to add l40
more men to his force next year, and
so recommended in his budget esti-
mates. The Commissioners, however,
are not expected to approve that num-
Der, although they have told him they
proposed to give him more men.
Mai. Brown pointed out that traffic
conditions and the increase in auto
mobile registrations make a SUBJ
Stantial increase in his force impera-
tive. He would like to assign a number
Of additional men to traffic duty to
force motorists to drive carefully and
rid the highways of death.