Evening star., 1941-09-14
Tomoow Policeman VIII Be an Expert Even on Clothes and Silver
BY J. THEODORE CROWN.

by D. InEODOhE ShOWNs
You'll never hear a cop say,
Drop that gat, mug" after the
new advance police academy has
finished training District police
men.
But don't get the idea members
of the Metropolitan Police De-
partment are going to be 'pantie
waists" when they've finished the
new course. The three officials
of the Police Department who
are arranging the curriculum
are all he-men. They gained their
police knowledge the hard way.
Acting Maj. Edward J. Kelly
climbed to the top rung of the
ladder-as far as policeman can
go-through his own efforts.
Harvey G. Callahan reached his
position as assistant superintend-
ent of police in the same manner.
AS for Capt. John Fowler, in
structor of the school more
about him later.
Prof. Fowler talked yester-
day about his course to eliminate
the use of police dialect and slang.
He said what he's after is clarity,
not improving policeman's liter
ary style. The average person
from any section of this country
would know the universal slang,
but during an investigation po-
liceman might find citizen who
wouldn't comprehend certain
niceties of meaning. Therefore
police slang will be abolished.
"Besides-," Capt. Fowler
laughed, we've got a new men,
ber of the force who has just re-
ceived a college degree
Cloth Study Has Angles.
The abolition Of slang is only
one of many subjects on the
curriculum that should revolu-
tionize the "modus operandi" of
the Police Department.
Take, for instance, cloth. How
many citizens or policemen can
describe the different types Of
cloth? BY visiting tailors and
clothing dealers, Capt. Fowler has
found nearly 500 different kinds
of material are used in the manu-
facture of clothing. Capt. Fowler
feels policemen should at least
know the names and texture Of
the popular materials. To make
sure they do, Capt. Fowler has
secured the services of depart
ment store buyer to classify pat
terms ordinarily used and illus
trative charts will be placed in
the classroom. This should help
a ranking member of the Police
Department who said he didn't
know more than one type of her.
ringbone until Capt. Fowler put
on exhibit herringbones in blue,
brown and gray. Capt. Fowler
also wants to show the difference
between oxford gray and mid
night blue serge.
Learn to Make Casts.
Policemen may think they are
back in the first grade when Capt.
Fowler and his experts on the
subject begin explaining molding
and cast making. But, as Capt.
Fowler pointed out, leading MUIR
der and kidnapping cases have
been broken" by this method.
Students will be taught exactly
how to make plaster paris casts Of
footprints and tire treads that
may be placed on file as evidence
to be used after culprit is ap-
pretended. To aid in the identi-
flying of tire treads, leading tire
companies have given the school
samples of their tread designs.
Members of balliSticS classes
will be told the meaning and i'm
portance of ballistic tests. Capt.
Fowler recalled the time three
policemen took the witness stand
in a murder case. The first said
he found three cartridges" in the
room; the second said he wit
messed the policeman's finding
three bullets" and the third said
he witnessed the policeman's find
ing three shells" AS result Of
such testimony, a clever defense
attorney was able to convince the
jury the policemen didn't know
what they were talking about.
The culprit was convicted on a
charge of manslaughter instead
of first degree murder.
In explaining this point, Capt.
Fowler said. policemen will be
urged to differentiate between a
shell, which is empty after the
detonator has set off the powder
propelling the projectile-com-
monty known as the bullet. The
complete piece of ammunition is
the cartridge.
Pistols and Revolvers.
Another mistake often made by
policemen making out reports is
not differentiating between a
pistol" and a revolver" Capt.
Fowler points out pistol is a
single-shot gun, or one having
a magazine having several cart
ridges. A semi-automatic is a
pistol. A revolver is a gun hav-
ing a revolving cylinder with a
certain number of chambers.
Members of the classes will be
shown all the various types Of
guns, such as sawed-of shot
guns, shot-guns, various types
of pistols and revolvers, pistols