Evening star., 1941-05-15
Auxiliary Police
Force Is Urged
For District
Emergency Duty Unit
Of 1900, Including
100 Women, Asked

y luU women, ASKED
Enlistment and training of an
auxiliary police force of 1900 men
and women for the District, to be
available for use in emergency, was
proposed to the Commissioners to-
day by the Civil Protection Com
mittee of the District Defense
Council, which is headed by Police
Supt. Ernest w. Brown.
The committee also recommended
the appointment of 282 additional
privates in the regular Metropolitan
Police Force and other means of
strengthening police protection now
alta cost estimated at nearly
$3.50 900.
The auxiliary police force, as pro-
posed by the committee, would be
selected and placed under training
ut once and the members would be
paid on an hourly basis comparable
to the salary of Glass l privates
In the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment when called into active service.
Glass l privates are paid $500 to
81, 400 a year.
100 Women Suggested.
The recommendations of the COM
h1ittee bear the Endorsement of all
members of the group, which in
cludes, in addition to Maj. Brown
Culver B. Chamberlain, DR.. E. F.
Harris, Odell S. Smith, chairman of
fha pt1t,1ip
Board of Trade; Haywood Saunders,
Capt. Henry Helms and Oscar w.
Hollingsworth. The report, sub
mitted first to Capt. H. c. White
hurst, highway director, who is
executive officer Of the District De-
Tense Council, was released today
by the Commissioners, who said they
would consider the recommendations
carefully before taking any action.
- 1t was recommended that approx
tmately 100 of the proposed auxil-
larry police force of 1,600 be women.
who would be under the command
OF the director of the Police Wom-
ems Bureau, and that 100 men be
placed under the command of
United States Park Police, the re-
mainder to be under the command
of the commanding officers of the
Police Department precincts, divi-
sions and bureaus.
Immediate Training Urged.
Members of the auxiliary force
would be residents of the several
precincts, they would be persons of
"unquestionable character" and, so
far as possible, outside the selective
service age.
1t was recommended that the per-
sonnel be thoroughly trained in the
fundamentals of police service and
be identified by a suitable uniform
sufficiently different to be distin-
guished from the regular police
force. 1t was stressed that the train
ing force be started Immediately "in
order that they may be ready for
service in any emergency"
1t was also urged that provision
be made for medical attention, hos
pitalization and compensation for
any member of the auxiliary force
contracting disease or injury in line
of duty. Each applicant would have
to pass medical examination to
be conducted by a member of the
Board of Police and Fire Surgeons
or the United States Public Health
Service.
Present Force Called Inadequate.
In recommending that the pres
ent regular police force of the Dis
trict be increased by 282 more prd-
Yates, estimated to cost S578,474 for
salaries, uniforms and equipment,
the committee said it found that the
Police Department was inadequate
IN number to render effective police
service"
The committee recommended that
IS additional men be added to the
United States Park Police, at an
estimated cost of s51,283, and also
urged that steps be taken to provide
Immediately for the equipment of all
Metropolitan Police cars with two
way radio system, estimated to cost
$4,000. The group said survey
1t had made showed that the District
police force still is operating on a
one-way radio communication
system, whereas 500 cities and AZ
counties over the country now are
operating two-way mobile units. The
group recommended that IL cars of
the Park Police be equipped with
two-way radio sets, at a cost of
s3,575.
One other recommendation was
that at least Is beds should be pur-
chased and placed in use in each of
the police precinct station houses.
The cost of beds, bedding and linen
was estimated at S6,024.
Attention was called to provision
OF District law which provides that
any retired member of the Police or
Fire Department of the District re-
ceiving retirement pay may be called
into service in time of flood. riot,
conflagration, during extraordinary
eSsemblages or unusual emergen-
cies. The committee suggested that
this provision in the law should be
used should occasion require.