Evening star., 1943-09-26
Police Report Shows
FeIonies Fell ISIS
During Fiscal Year

reported during the fiscal year l94s
compared with the preceding year
Maj. Edward j. Kelly, superintend-
ent of police, revealed last night in
his annual report to the Commits
sioners. The felonies dropped from
1922 in 1912 to 6,807 this year.
The number of felonies cleared in
l943 amounted to 729 per cent of
the totals reported, Maj. Kelly said,
compared with a figure of 65.4 per
cent cleared in the fiscal year of
1912. These figures included assault
with dangerous weapon, grand lar
ceny, housebreaking, murder. GRIM
lnal assault, robbery, unauthorized
use of autos and miscellaneous
crimes
Although the number of felonies
reported for the year showed a de-
crease, the number of arrests for
felonies increased by some 500, in
iicating an encouraging rise of rs
per cent in the number of felony
cases cleared" Maj. Kelly observed.
Among the arrests for violations
of municipal ordinances were 1926
for violations of black-out regula-
tons, "a for rationing regulations
and SGT for health rules.
Arrests during the fiscal year 1943
totaled 1858, compared with 2O8,-
496 the previous year. The break
down for 1943 follows: Felonies,
5.528; misdemeanors, 72,827: munich
pal regulations, 94,234, and persons
held and fugitives 1904.
Auto Crimes Drop.
The greatest drop in the number
Of felonies during the year occurred
In the reports of unauthorized use
of autos, which fell from 1855 to
1,722. There also was a drop this
year of 100 cases of robbery, and
448 cases of housebreaking.' The
total number of arrests for traffic
violations during the past fiscal
year was 99,927 compared to 1884,
060 the year before.
Maj. Kelly said that although 274
additional men were authorized for
the department in 1943, 1.-The de-
partment is still experiencing con-
siderable difficulty in filling vacan-
cies, due to the scarcity of draft
exempt men who can meet the
physical, mental and moral require
ments for appointments. However,
as the additional compensation
has made the position more
attractive to eligible men, it is
hoped that this difficulty will be
relieved to some extent
Maj. Kelly revealed heavy turn
over in the personnel of the auxil-
larry. police force, which he attribu-
ted to huge governmental trans
fers of personnel to other cities, as
well as the demands of the armed
services" Since January /, 1912,
Maj. Kelly said, 2,547 auxiliary po-
licemen left the force. With the
addition of new volunteers, how
ever, the superintendent said that
enrolment figures only dropped
from Alps on July l, 1912, to 1921
on June 80 of this year.
Detectives Praised.
In praising the Detective Bureau,
described several years ago in a
congressional probe as the weak
est link" in the department. Mai.
Kelly told the commissioners:
Since its reorganization two
years ago, the Detective Bureau has
presented an exceptionally fine rec.
ord.t Its policy of giving full credit
for work performed by members
outside of the bureau has developed
a spirit of cooperation within the
department such as has never been
known before New and scientific
methods of crime prevention and
detection have been adopted and
number of outstanding cases have
been cleared
THE Homicide Squad investigated
1,742 death cases during the year, 81
of which were classified as homi-
cides. Only two of these cases have
not been cleared as yet"
Mai. Kelly reported the Robbery
Squad cleared 59.7 per cent of its
cases during the year, compared
with 48.3 per cent the previous year.
He attributed this increase in eff
cheney to assignment of specific
types of cases to members, who have
become experts along their own
particular lines" by making a thor
ough study of the methods of oper-
alton of various types of criminals.
Other Reports Summarized.
A summary of other units of the
department follows:
General assignment squad
Cleared 957 assignments and recov-
cred total of $130,0O4 in lost or
stolen property. Pawn inspectors
office under the squad recovered
$49,874 worth of property.
= Narcotic and vice squad-The spe-
cial vice squad under the lieutenant
In charge of the narcotic squad CO.
operated with military authorities
in the drive against prostitution.
A number of notorious" call houses
were broken up during the year.
Auto squad-Received reports of
1888 stolen cars, decrease of 985
from 1912, and recovered 1903 cars.
Public relations squad - Made
2.456 investigations of missing per-
sons, violations of Selective Service
Act, un-American activities and ap-
plications to carry firearms.
Traffic Division.
Traffic Division-Made 38066 ar
rests, impounded 1908 vehicles, in
spected 1925 vehicles, reported A.
500 accidents, and the Hack Inspec-
tors Office approved and issued 7,744
hackers identification cards.
Women's Bureau-Made $50 ar
rests. an increase of l52 over the
previous year, and Investigated Sill
cases. The problem of large num-
bers of households left ''motherless
because of women being engaged in
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