The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-28
2-WAY POLICE
BROADCAST
IS NEAR

Within another three weeks
washington may lead the world
in scientific crime prevention with
q two-way broadcaSting system
Tor police work.
Exactly five years ago today at
Q. M, WaShington's present po-
Lee radio system was installed.
Built by one man, it has seen "a
hour service since that time, and
is always ready on six seconds
notice.
After almost a years expert
menting, Lieut.. James L. Kelley,
radio expert of the Washington
police, has almost perfected q
portable tranSmitter which, II
installed in cruising scout cars,
will enable policemen to use the
air waves to report regularly with
headquarters.
The only handicap now to be
overcome is the perfection OF
vertical antenna which will both
receive and send broadcasts.
Lieut.. Kelley, assisted by radio
technicians of the commercial
field, has been experimenting on
the antenna since last October.
Brown Is Enthusiastic
Major Ernest w. Brown, super
intendent of police, already has
predicted:
"Such a system, when per
fected, will speed police work
100 per cent"
Inspector L. I. H. Edwards, who
Is directly in charge Of the police
radio system, has long seen the
need for a practical, dependable
invention in radio which would
permit instant communication
from the scene of q crime to head
quarters. He has closely followed
Lieut.. Kelley'S work and enVlSlonS
Washington leading the world IN
this development.
Explains Invention
CloSeted in his makeShift labor
atory over No. 10 precinct, Lieu
tenant Kelley today explained his
new invention:
"SmaII enough to fit In the
trunk Of q scout car, this trans
mitter operates on an ultra
high frequency brOadcaSting
band for communication with
Headquarters. BY combining our
present radio receiving set with
this new invention, the cruising
scout car can maintain q CON.
slant contact with the central
bureau.
"These twO-way brOadcaStS by
radio require two separate fire.
quency bands, one used for send
ing, the other receiving. That's
where the rub comes
With a flow Of technical Ian
guage, Lieutenant Kelley explained
how this high frequency transmit
ter, was difficult to reach by sta
tions equipped with the ordinary
antenna With several scout cars
equipped with the same frequency
bands, some difficulty would be
encountered when two cars tried
to send messages simultaneously.
On the other hand, Lieutenant
Kelley explained, several scout
cars could be listening in while
the one is sending. In an instant,
several squads of police could be
summoned by the single commun-
ication to observation-disclosures
ing upon how many police broad
casters were listening in"
Has Tested Device
During recent eXpe rimental
tests, Lieutenant Kelley has sue
cessful1y broadcast to headquar-
tiers from the vicinity Of Mount
Vernon and Alexandria, four or
five miles away.
Commenting on the new develop
ment, Inspector Edwards laughed:
"KeIIey is a real radio wizard.
When Washington invited bids
from the commercial field in
1880 for the construction Of our
present system, our only bid was
SIPS, 900. Lieutenant Kelley built
the same equipment, installing
every radio, and maintained the
entire system for six months at
a total cost of $18,5OO-and I
believe he returned $27 Of that"