Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-13
D. C.. Agency Set Up to Aid
Victims Fearing Police Publicity
Serst. Shimon Named
Head of Currun's
New Bureau
Fairchild Aerial Surveys.

United States Attorney Edward
M. Curran today opened special
door to the underprivileged and
harassed by establishing new de-
partment wherein persons may tell
in confidence their wrongs and Sc
cure relief without the searchGght
of official publicity.
In charge of this. new setup will be
Detective Sergt. Joseph W. Shimon,
who has been assigned to the Dis
trict attorneys Office. The new
move has been made possible
through the cooperation of Dis
trict Commissioner John Russell
Young and Maj. Ernest w. Brown
of the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment.
Persons who are wary. of going
directly to the police with their
troubles, because of potential re-
sultant publicity where public rec
ord has been made and the belief
that the Police Department does not
have full facilities to follow
through" on all types of cases, will
find in the district attorneys office
a private tribunal in which to air
their cases. officials said today.
Mr.. Curran promises that legiti-
mate cases will be thoroughly in
vestigated and persons who have
been victimized will be restored as
nearly as possible to their former
status. In many cases. he says, the
public interest can better be served
by restoring losses to unfortunate
persons rather than putting their
betrayers behind the bars. For, if a
man has been f1eeced, it does him
little good to have his victimizer
sent to jail, when society might bet
ter be served by requiring that the
victimizer pay back the money
taken. Mr.. Curran declared.
Convinced that Washington needs
such unit, United States Attorney
Curran gave a few illustrations. A
person purchased home from a
firm, only to find that railroad
tracks were to be constructed across
his back yard. He took his troubles
to the District attorneys Office and
Mr.. Curran had a f1rst-hand inves-
tigation made. This resulted in the
home purchaser not only getting his
money back, but at 6 per cent in
tereSt.
Not Competing With Lawyers.
District Attorney Curran said to-
day that last night he discussed the
whole problem with other represent
atives fthe Police Department., in
the absence from the city of Maj.
Brown, and they expressed whole
hearted cooperation and enthusi-
asm for the program.
Mr.. Curran made it clear that the
new agency will not be free legal
information bureau. The new pro-
gram, said the public prosecutor, is
designed to offer a wider service to
the public, but is in no sense COM
peting with lawyers.
In a formal statement today, an
nouncing the departure. United
States Attorney Curran said: Care
full study of the work Of the Office
of the United States attorney has
convinced me of the need for max
ing available new facilities for
handling Investigations, complaints
and inquiries. I feel it is not enough
for my Office merely to secure in
dictments and prosecute cases in
court. I believe it should render a
broader, more understanding serv-
ice to the people. There should be
as an integral part of the office the
machinery to investigate. a1alyze
and report on complaints.
Procedure Explained.
CAS- a matter of public service ]
feel that no person should be
turned away from this office who
has come for whatever reason to
lodge . complaint q report the