Evening star., 1937-01-09
POLICE INCREASE
.|NPR|NCE GEORGES
MAY Be SOUGHT
Establishment of Board Also
Probable Feature of
New Bill.
CONFERENCE REVEALS
TREND FOR CHANGE
County Commissioners, Political
Leaders and Legislators Thrash
Safety Problem.
BY GORDON EAMES BROWN,
Stan Correspondent OF The Star

oI uOhDOIN GhNLo DhoWNp
Staf CORRESPONDENT OF The Star.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md, January
9.-Increase in Prince Georges Coun-
ty's police personnel and establish.
ment of a board of police commits.
sioners loomed yesterday as probable
provisions of the bill to be presented
shortly to the General Assembly.
A trend toward inclusion of these
changes in the legislation. which
would set up a new law-enforcement
agency and dissolve the present force,
was revealed at conference of coun-
ty commissioners. political leaders and
delegation members here.
For more than two hours the Off
cials discussed the proposed law, ex-
pected to contain features Of two bills
already drawn, one formulated by
Ogle Marbury of Laurel, counsel to
the Board of Commissioners, and an
other drafted by Hugh Bickford Of
Clinton, head of the special Police
Committee of the Federation Of Citi-
zens' Associations.
Increase in law-enforcement per-
sonnel by at least three officers
seemed almost certain at the end of
the meeting. The other innovation,
establishment of q Board of Police
Commissioners, functioning separately
from the Board Of County Commis-
sioners, was probable but not definite
Final Draft Next Week.
The final draft, according to Charles
Marbury, local attorney and head of
the Prince Georges delegation, will
be drawn next week at conference
of legislators in Annapolis when the
Assembly reconvenes after the present
short recess.
Shortcomings In the present police
statute have prompted the new legis-
lation. The current law, first enacted
in 1881, has been challenged In Cir
cult Court here as unconstitutional.
The indictment and subsequent sus-
pension Of seven county policemen,
who cannot be even temporarily re-
placed, according to legal interpreta-
tions, has created the emergency Of
a police shortage. Only eight officers
now patrol the territory.
An anti-gambling provision Of the
federation's bill was scrapped by the
conferees yesterday when attorneys
doubted whether the provision was
legally enforceable. This section
would permit search of gaming houses
on the report Of two householders
without warrants. Ogle and Charles
Marbury. State Senator Lansdale c..
SaSScer and several Delegates de-
clared the provision contained legal
objections"
The report Of the federation re-
ferred pointedly to the Blandensburg
road gambling establishment Of James
A ("Jimmy") La Fontaine. It
stated: "The question has long been
asked in this county: How does Jimmy
get away with it?' 1t is a matter Of
statutes as much as matter Of poor
police protection"
Bickford's bill recommended in
crease Of the police force from the
present Is men to "a. At yesterdays
conference political leaders objected
to the nine-offlcer jump as too heavy
burden on the taxpayers" However,
the conferees were agreed on an in
crease Of perhaps as many as four
officers and a station clerk. Salary
raises seemed improbable, although
the federation's bill supported higher
initial pay with 10 per cent increases
every five years Of service.
Contrasting Police Figures.
Bickford pointed out that the num-
Der Of inhabitants for each policeman
in Prince Georges Is 4,733, while the
Montgomery County figure is 1880 and
the Washington total is $50.
Basing his provision on the grand
jurys recommendation to take poll
tics out of the police force" Bickford
proposed that a separate board Of
commissioners be established to ham
die law enforcement administration.
This body would act as cushion"
between the force and the Board of
County Commissioners. he said, al
though its members would be ap-
pointed by the county commissioners.
Under such a set-up officers could
be removed by the police commits
sioners with appeal to the County
Board. Consensus of the county COM
missioners on this provision wavered
from support to opposition. Favoring
it were Senator Sasscer and Delegate
L. Harold Sothoron of Brentwood.
M. Hampton Magruder, collector of
internal revenue for Maryland, one Of
Prince Georges political leaders, re-
mained neutral on the measure, while
Charles Marbury opposed it. Other
delegates, Ralps Powers Of Hyatts-
vile. and Lansdale G.. Clagett of this
town. did not express definite opinions.
Opponents to the establishment Of
the separate board Of police COM
missioners based their stand on be-
lief that the new agency would not
reduce political factors in the present
set-up. They said that the new
board, since its members would be
appointed by the county commits
sioners, would be as political" as
the appointive agency, now supervis-
ing the constabulary.