Evening star., 1938-03-20
FUNDS.FORPO[|CE
AELDPARAN0UNT
Chevy Chase Members Visit
Eighth Precinct Before
Outlining Requests.

Declaring that appropriations for
proper police protection in the District
should take precedence over all other
social legislation, q report of the Fire
and Police Committee Of the Chevy
Chase Citizens Association, which has
the backing of the association, calls
for an inspection Of all police equip
ment and an increase In personnel.
Donald N. Carpenter, chairman of
the committee, said In submitting the
report that there is a woeful lack of
men on the metropolitan police force
In relation to the amount Of crime now
evident" The inspection Of equip
ment was asked for, he said, so that
citizens would be assured it is in con-
dition to be operated in the most
efficient manner possible.
Visit Station House.
Particularly concerning itself with
the eighth precinct, in which Chevy
Chase is located, the entire committee
recently visited the station house to
gather data for its report. Reporting
on this visit, the committee said: THE
present command and personnel is of
high type and operates most eff
GENTLY. but Is handicapped by the fact
that only l of1icer and ~ men are
available to cover the multiplicity of
duties necessary for the safety Of such
q large area during each eight-hour
duty period.
The present equipment needs imme-
date repairs and replacements, the
report stated, and "it is evident that
the actual safety Of officers operating
the motor vehicles is endangered due
to the age Of said vehicles
The area is naturally suburban and
has natural speedways, the report said,
and strict control is needed to protect
children and residents. The best
available equipment is needed to catch
reckless drivers and speeders, who now
are able to outdistance the present
equipment"
/ The special duty car assigned to
patrol unoccupied houses was found to
be Of especial benefit when in opera
ton, as it cut down the number of
housebreakings. Since It's removal
these housebreakings have increased,
the report claimed, and 1t should be
put back into operation. The commit
tee was told that the number of un-
occupied houses In the area range
from so to 500.
Other Recommendations.
Recommendations for the eighth
precinct are: Three new motor cycles
and repairs for three motor cycles now
three or four years old, one new scout
car and repairs for three cars which
have been driven over $1,000 miles
each, one riot gun and one rifle a.
equipment for each scout car, one ad-
ditional vehicle to cover unoccupied
houses, repairs to the station wagon,
which has been driven over 65, 900
miles; six additional officers to man
the "unoccupied houses" car, six addi-
tional oh1cers to man the additional
scout car requested and Is additional
men to man the new motor cycles
requested.
These requests, the committee said
would amount to less than 20 per cent
Of the present budget for the eighth
precinct and are justified in view O.
the increased taxes and value of prop
erty In the area affected.
Members Of the committee, in ad-
dition to Mr.. Carpenter. are William
Rodda. Elmer Metz. Winthrop g.
Batchelder. Comdr Robert Van Voor-
his, Capt. Fred Kochli and George T.
Dieffenbach.