Evening star., 1942-02-08
Federation Asks
352 New Police
For Traffic Duty
Delegates Oppose
Ousting Residents
For War Workers

Increase of 352 men for the Dis
trict police force for assignment to
trafiic duty and continuation Of the
present Accident Investigation Unit
Of the force was voted unanimously
last night by the Federation Of Citi-
zens' Associations.
The delegates also opposed the ;
action of the Federal Government
in planning to complete the new
Kramer Junior High School in Ana
costa for use as . Federal ONCE
building. They asked that no other
school buildings be taken over with
out consultation with and approval
Of the Board Of Education.
After lengthy debate the delegates
went on record as opposed to any |
measure tending to classify District |
residents by arbitrary authority"
with view to evacuating them from |
the city If they were not essential to |
the war effort. Residents, however,
were asked to throw open their
homes where possible to provide
rooms for incoming war workers.
Smith Sponsors Action.
The request for additional police
to be assigned to trafflc duty came |
on motion of Chairman Baxter
Smith of the Safety Committee,
who declared that none Of the new
men added to the force in 1941
were assigned to traffic duty. Ac-
cording to standards of the Inter-
national Association of Chiefs of
Police. he said, four full-time on
GERS should be assigned to traffic
for every 10000 population. The
cost OF the additional men. he add
ed, would be less than the cost Of
the present annual traffic toll.
In addition to the 352 men sought,
the delegates asked the Commits
sioners to assign every policeman
that could be spared from other
work to traffic duty; that the po-
lice superintendent provide every
possible aid to the head of the
trafi1c division; that training courses
be established to make the entire
force trafflc-conscious; that the
men now on traffic duty be used to
the best possible advantage, and
that those police now doing duty
which could be performed by the
military forces, such as patrolling
the White House, be reassigned to
District streets and highways.
Accident Arrests Increase.
In recommending continuation Of
the accident investigation unit, Mr..
Smith said there were rumors afloat
of intent to abolish the unit. He
said arrests in accidents have in
creased from 10 per cent to more
than 40 per cent Of the cases investi-
gated since the unit has been oper-
ating.
1t was also unanimously voted
that the Commissioners be asked to
establish program of training
scout car officers in accident pre-
vention work by assigning one such
of1icer to each accident investiga-
ton car for a period during which
he would be trained by the accident
investigator. This procedure, 1t was
asserted. should be continued until
every police ofYicer on the force now
assigned to scout car duty has re-
ceived such training.
In asking for opposition to the
Government pre-emption Of the
Kramer School. now partially COM
plete. Chairman Walter Wasson of
the Education Committee observed:
There are other places for the War
Department"
Evacuation Debate Warm.
The resolution against the evacua-
ton of District residents. brought in
by Delegate Culver Chamberlain of
Cathedral Heights-Cleveland Park
Association, provoked hot debate,
with some of the delegates feeling
President Roosevelt should not be
criticized during a war period.
Wilbur S. Finch of Burroughs As
sociation said he dared anybody to
evict him from his home and fill it
with war workers."
1t was not, he said, question of
finding quarters for the military, but
for stenographers. The motion was
carried. 28-l8, in a standing vote.
The question was brought to the
floor in connection with a letter
from Defense Housing Co-ordinator
Charles Palmer, in which he said
some months hence classification of
District residents might be neces-
sary to determine those necessary
to the war effort. and the mainte-
nance OF civic and business life. The
letter suggested voluntary with
drawal for those who found they
were not essential.