Evening star., 1938-09-18
Crime
Continued From First Page)

organization were committed, as COM
pared with 1897 during the similar
period q year ago, reduction Of 1,470.
Housebreaking decreased 80 per cent,
robbery "a per cent. grand larceny
52.4 per cent and aggravated" as
saults SO per cent.
The recent change in the law de-
scribing grand larceny as any theft
Of $50 or more, instead Of the former
figure Of s35, may explain partially
the reduction IN grand larceny cases,
DR.. Nolan said.
Economic Conditions Discounted.
Recent economic conditions appar-
'ntly have no special significance with
aspect to the decline in crime here,
DR.. Nolan asserted.
The pickup squad, he explained, Is
responsible for preventing as we'll as
detecting crime Another evidence of
police cooperation, he said, was the
willingness Of policemen to accept
extra duty.
A evidence Of the increased efici-
ency Of the police, DR.. Nolan cited an
increase Of SO per cent in the number
OF cases In which arrests were made.
Nearly AZ per cent of all cases re-
ported to police resulted in arrests,
as compared to approximately IS per
cent IN 1887, and 294 per cent in
1885. The increased number of ar
rests was effected without an increase
in the number Of police. Only IL
per cent Of the arrests were Of the
criticized technical" variety. Nearly
per cent of the arrests resulted in no
prosecution.
Juvenile Crime Increases.
The number Of children involved in
crime increased during the surveyed
period. Juveniles under II were in
volved in 1s per cent Of the cases In
which arrests were made, as COM
pared with 15.9 per cent last year.
The new Juvenile Court extended
the age of juvenile jurisdiction to 1s
on June ! last. The increase in the
age limit for one month of the period
examined could scarcely account for
the 80 per cent increase in juvenile
arrests, DR.. Nolan said.
Police Court convictions increased
appreciably. Convictions were OBJ
tanned in IA per cent of cases heard
IS compared with 84 per cent in
937 and 6 per cent in 1896. Dis
i'lissals occurred in 84 per cent OF
The cases. as compared with 8.8 per
cent in 1887 and II per cent in 1896.
The grand jury, too, improved its
'acord, with indictments returned in
% per cent Of the cases presented
compared with a2.1 per cent in
-937 and e3.6 per cent in 1896.
1872 Cases Pending.
OF the LOIS cases in which arrests
we're made, 1873 were disposed of IN
Juvenile Court, 23O in Police Court
go in District Court and 1872 were
pending.
In District Court 371 cases, or 80e
per cent, resulted in convictions OF
guilty pleas. 19, or 81 per cent, ended
IN acquittal and 35, or 68 per cent
we're nolle pressed.
OF the convicted persons, 81, OF
2l8 per cent, were granted proba.
ton. This percentage was the same
as the year before.
In an effort to speed up trials ir
felony cases the association made 9
study Of jail congestion resulting from
pending felony cases and submitted it.
findings to the Civil Liberties Com.
mittee Of the District Bar Association
A study of probation is in progress
it was stated.
DR.. Nolan expressed pleasure ovel
the crime survey findings for the frs
half of the year and expressed belle
the public is becoming more consciou!
Of the problems of crime control. HI
declared Washington mo longer is The
safest big city in the United States II
which to commit a crime"