Evening star., 1940-03-09
Crime Farley
Urges Stronger
Vagrancy Law
Hozen Comes Out
For More Police,
Citing Recent Record
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Recent outbreak OF series Of
Diolent robbertes, one marked BY
Staying of liquor merchant, re-
suited in double duty for many
detectives and increase in uni
formed force in areas more seri-
ously affected. Crime Uaue later
dreD fire from Capitol Hill, and
Maj. Ernest w. BroUn, police su-
perintendent, pointed to his Oft
repeated request for more men.
Commissioners later Uere asked
to call conference to discuss
means of combating criminal ele-
n,ent in Washington.
Need for an increase in the Metro
politan Police force and for adop-
ton of new and stronger vagrancy
law were cited today by high
District officials attending the con-
ference of police and prosecution
officials on means of improving law
enforcement machinery.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen,
who called the conference, declared
that the lessening of crimes COM
mitted since 125 extra police were
detailed to after-dark vigil, as over
time service, was "clear proof" OF
the need for an enlarged police
force.
He reported that police officials
had made real progress in the past
several days in their attack on
crime.
These men assigned to night duty
already were in service during the
day, but their detail to the extra
duty convinces me of the improve
ment that would come from en-
largement of our force"
Police officials announced they
would continue for an indefinite
period to assign the 125 policemen
to extra duty at night.
"M0re Teeth" in Law Urged.
An outspoken declaration that
Washington needs a vagrancy law
with more teeth" in it came from
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal
after Capt. Ira E. Keck, acting chief
of detectives, reported that nearly 10
per cent of persons who were photo
graphed and flngerprinted during
the past six months, in the course
of police investigations, had identi-
fed themselves as natives of other
Jurisdictions.
The report by Capt. Keck showed
that 2,243 persons in all were finger
printed by the police Bureau of In
vestigation in the past 6 months
and that of this number 265 said
they had spent less than 80 days
in the District.
He added:
"Of the total. 495 or 22.06 per cent
stated they, had lived all their lives
in Washington. A total of 1,748 gave
various States in the United States,
or a foreign country, as their place
Of birth, or 77.93 per cent.
No. Precinct Difficult.
The conference was told that one
of the most difficult sections of the
District to police properly was No. 2
precinct, and arrangements were
made to assign two more policemen
to that precinct beginning Monday.
This was done at the request of
Capt. jeremiah Sullivan of No. 2.
United States Attorney David A.
Pine, who attended the session with
John j. Wilson, an assistant prose-
cutor, suggested that some means of
closer cooperation between prose-
cution officials and police might
prove helpful. For one thing he
suggested that when the prosecutors
are going to nolle PROSE- a case, his
Office would be willing to call in the
policeman involved. 1t was thought
that sometimes the policeman, not
knowing why a case was dropped,
might become discouraged and that
the new plan might help to main
tain morale.
Prosecutions Speeded Up.
Mr.. Pine submitted a statistical
report on convictions obtained by
his Office since the fall term of
court and the percentage of cases
disposed of within three or four
weeks after indictment. He con-
cluded with the report that at the
close of business March there was
(see CRIME, Page A-D