Evening star., 1935-07-06
CRIME
COMMITTEE VALUE
DOUBTED BY HAzEN
Question of Financing "Con-
tinuaI Investigation
Raised by Official.
POLICE PROMOTION
CHANGE is OPPOSED
Commissioner Favors Revision Of
Examination for Selection
of Officers, However.

on crime, as recommended by a COM
mittee of District oflcials who were
named to make a digest Of the results
of the work Of the House Crime Com
mittee.
Hazen said he would leave the de-
cision to the Board of Commissioners,
but said frankly he was in doubt as to
the practical value of continual in
vestigation by citizens group and
raised the question of who would
finance such study.
The Commissioner, after reviewing
the recommendations Of Corporation
Counsel Prettyman, Assistant Engi-
neer Commissioner Howard F. Clark
and George w. Offutt, chairman OF
the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board,
definitely turned thumbs down on an
other recommendation. This was
that written examinations in the pro-
motion of police Ieutenants to be
captains be abolished. He said he
was afraid such a change would in
crease the political pressure on the
Commissioners for promotion Of one
ucQISIldllI over dllOtIlcI-
Hazen favors a revision Of the ex-
aminations in the selection of cap
tains and other officers, but insisted
several service tests should be con-
tinued.
Holds Captain Responsible.
The Commissioners will act soon to
carry out two Of the proposals Of the
Commissioners committee. He agrees
fully with the declaration that police
precinct commanders be held definite
ly responsible for conditions in their
districts and soon will call meeting
Of the captains and instruct them
there is to be no passing of the buck"
as to their responsibility.
He was planning today to invite
Judge Gus A. Schuldt to address the
captains at the same session to give
the commanders his views on law
enforcement. Hazen will hold the
captains responsible for law enforce
ment in their precincts even though
headquarters units are called into
play in solving crimes. The Pretty
man committee declared a captain
should merit demotion If he displayed
an inability to cope with known law
violation in his own district.
Creation of a small body of Inter
state" detectives, with the co-opera-
ton of Maryland and Virginia, was
one of the outstanding recommended
tions of the Prettyman committee.
Hazen is highly in favor Of the plan,
which is designed to arm q number
of District detectives with authority
to act in Maryland and Virginia, and
to give an equal number of Maryland
and Virginia detectives power to op-
crate here.
Hazen said he planned to send an
invitation promptly TO law-enforce-
ment officials of Maryland and Vir-
ginia to consider this proposal. Maj.
Ernest w. Brown, superintendent Of
police, for some time has been seeking
means of establishing coordination
between the police of t:ie District and
the two neighboring States.
Parole Regulations.
The Commissioner will send to the
OlDtl III oOdlo o
ton that stringent restrictions be set
up in its policy against parole for
"habitual criminals" Hazen agrees
the Parole Board should go slow" in
releasing prisoners with long records
of serious offenses.
Complete rewriting of the District
criminal code, another recommends
tion of the Commissioners commit
tee, met with the Commissioner ap-
proval, and his only question was
how to find the money to do the
work He said all legal experts re-
port the need of revision of the code.
Enactment of five measures already
sent to Congress will be urged by
Hazen when he appears before con-
gressional committees later this
month. This will carry out another
proposal of the Prettyman commit
tee. A legislative committee, ap-
pointed several months ago by the
Commissioners, drafted these meas
ures, and Hazen hopes they will be
enacted before the present session
ends.
One would considerably broaden the
field of persons eligible for jury serv-
ice and would remove restrictions
against Federal and District employees
serving as jurors.
Another would increase the length
of jury service in Police Court from
two weeks to four weeks to make it
correspond to the terms in District
Supreme Court.
A third jury bill would take away
the present prerogative of women of
refusing to serve merely because they
do not wish to.
A fourth bill is designed to reduce
the number of jury trials in Police
Court by allowing compulsory jury
trials only in cases covered by the
Constitution.
The other bill calls for compulsory
semi-annual mechanical tests for all
motor vehicles in move to increase
safety on the highway.
Changes in Police Rating.
As to proposals for revision of the
system of rating the work of police
111C4l, x1d1CA Sdlu ILLS SuUJGCG WAS
already covered in proposals sent to
the Civil Service Commission on the
basis of a report made by another
District committee, headed by Edward
w. Thomas, assistant corporation
counsel. Thomas suggestions advocate
that 10 per cent of the tests be based
upon efficiency and experience and
general fitness of the oficer and that
80 per cent of the weight be given to
mental examinations. Hazen today
received from L. A. Meyer, chief ex-
aminer of the Civil Service Commits
sion, a report that that agency was
studying the suggestions.
The Commissioner voiced approval
of a Prettyman committee recon-
mendation that sergeants make the
ratings for privates under their su-
pervision, these to be passed upon
or revised by the captains and finally
to be made matter of annual record.
The last recommendation Of the
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