Evening star., 1942-04-01
Two Detective Squads,
Robbery and Fugitive,
Merged in Shake.up
Strange Heads New Unit;
Newly Elevated Officers
Transferred, Assigned

Consolidation of the police rob-
berry and fugitive squads was an
nounced by Acting Chief of Detec-
tives Robert j. Barrett today as
he made public large group Of
transfer orders and assignments Of
men recently promoted.
1t. Clyde N. Strange, who had
been heading the robbery squad,
was placed in charge Of the COM
bined unit, and Acting Capt. George
r M. Little, former chief of the fugi-
tive squad, was assigned as desk
man in the Detective Bureau, re-
tanning the rank of acting captain,
Acting Its. Joseph A. Connors
and Charles Warfield, who had been
desk men in the bureau, and De-
tective Sergt. Thomas Sullivan were
placed on special detail concerned
with protection of Government off,
cials.
1t. Herbert G. Wanamaker, re-
Gently promoted from detective SER
geant with the homicide squad, was
assigned to duty as a desk lieu
tenant.
Sergeants Return to Bureau.
Detective Sergt. Jacob Wolf was
named to head the auto squad,
which Acting 1t. Connors had di-
rected in addition to his other work.
The shake-up brought back to the
Detective Bureau as detective SER
egants pair of experienced inves-
tigators who asked for uniformed
duty as sergeants several years ago
and told a congressional committee
last year they had wished to leave
the petty politics" of the bureau.
They are Robert v. Murray and
Richard F. Mccarthy. Sergt. Muir
ray came from No. Precinct
to join the homicide squad. and
Sergt. Mccarthy was shifted from
No. 2 Precinct to the new rob-
berry fugitive squad. The former
was on temporary special assignment
in the bureau during investigation of
the Strieff and Abramowitz murders,
later resuming precinct duty.
The other assignments, including
those Of newly promoted men, fol-
low:
Detective Sergt. P. C. Wheeler,
from robbery squad to narcotics
squad; Detective Sergt. M. o. Ny
ers, from narcotics squad to rob-
berry fugitive squad; Detective Sergt.
z. E. Thompson, from robbery
squad to narcotics squad; Detective
Sergt. Dan Pittman, from homicide
squad to robbery fugitive squad;
Detective Sergt. John Wise, from
fugitive squad to general assign
ment squad.
Defense Assignment Made.
1t. william j. Liverman, from
Detective Bureau to Accident In
vestigation Unit, where he had been
detailed as acting lieutenant; 1t.
| Lafone Starkweather, from No. 4
| to No. 2; 1t. Thomas T. Heffernan,
from Traffic Division to No. 4; 1t.
Basil G. McAllister, from No. 5 to
duty in District Office of Civilian
Defence; 1t. Norman S. Hodkinson,
from Detective Bureau to No. d;
1t. Charles C. Wise, from No. to
No. 10; 1t. Bagby R. King, from
No. 4 to No. Is.
Sergt. Howard F. Smith, from No. Z
to police training school; Sergt.
James r. Clement, to No. 2; Sergt. e.
A. Fuller, to No. 4; Sergt. Walter
Chase, to Accident Investigation
! Unit; Sergt. James L. Rockford, to
No. 8; Sergt. Charles F. Fox, to No.
2; Sergt. Joseph r. Kirby, to No. 4;
Sergt. Benjamin r. Campbell, to
Traffic Division as motorcycle SER
geant; Sergt. Richard A. Burton, to
No. 6; Sergt. George Weaver, to No.
/; Sergt. William M. Sanford, to No.
S; Sergt Earl D. Alber, from No. Is
| to No. 9; Sergt. John o. Hite, from
motorcycle to foot duty in Traffic
Division; Sergt. Thomas M. Poland,
from No. 9 to No. 13; Sergt. George
G. Deyoe, from No. to No. 10; De-
tective Sergt. william r. Greenfield,