Evening star., 1944-06-01
Juvenile Bureau
Begins Work
0f0rganization
1t. Murphy Heads
Eight-Mon Unit
Studying Problem

St00y'
The work of the newly-organized
Juvenile Bureau in the Police De-
partment got under way today at
an organizational meeting held at
headquarters and attended by Maj.
Edward j. Kelly, superintendent OF
police, Inspector Harvey G. Gala
han, assistant superintendent, and
Lit. william r. Murphy, who will
head the new, unit.
Afterward, 1t. Murphy said that
he and his staff of seven men will
operate at first only in the lst, I'd
and 18th precincts, which have the
highest record of juvenile delin-
quency. Also, he added, the Junior
Police Leagues established success
fully in the 18th precinct by Officer
Oliver A. Cowan will be extended
to the other two areas.
Meanwhile, report submitted to
Congress by President Roosevelt on
the work of the Juvenile Court
shows that delinquency complaints
decreased 16.2 per cent in the fiscal
year 1943 compared with 1912.
Problems to Be Studied.
After today's session at police
headquarters, Maj. Kelly designated
Lit, Murphy, who recently studied
the work Of special juvenile police
units in New York, Baltimore and
Cleveland, to talk with the press.
During the remainder of this
week, he said, he and his men will
study the history of juvenile prob
lens in the District. Next week
they will devote their time to q study
of social agencies dealing with de-
linquency, which will be arranged
| by Mrs. Catherine Norton, secre-
| tary Of the family and child welfare
division of the Council of Social
Agencies. After that they will be
ready to assume their new duties.
Officers Detailed.
Detailed from various precincts
throughout the city to police head
quarters for work in the Juvenile
Bureau are the following police
officers: James G. Bryant Of No. l
precinct, Bernard C. Johnson, No. q;
Frank j. Innocenti, No. A; Bryan d.
Dorsay, No. 8; Oliver A. Cowan, No.
I3. Claude E. Glass of the traffic
division and Edward l.. Hayes of the
Missing Persons Bureau.
The majority of the men selected
for the squad, Maj. Kelly said,
'have had a good deal of experience
in handling juveniles.
The men will receive two weeks
instruction in their duties from 1t.
Murphy before they will be assigned
/ for work in the precincts having
the highest Incidence OF juvenile
delinquency, Maj. Kelly said. The
squad, now comparatively small, he
added, viii be increased "a little
later"
viii work in Uniform.
Maj. Kelly said the men from the
precincts viii work in Nniform as
I've feel th&s1 handling Juveniles
the uniform has = beneficial effect"
!. In addition ~ working closely
with the Juvenile Court and other
agencies dealing With juveniles, the
police superintendent pointed out,
the Juvenile Bureau will seek CO.
operation of parents of children
committing offenses ito see If they
can't get them Strengthened out. I"
An effort will be made, he said, for
the squad to handle petty offenses
that can be kept out Of the Juvenile
Court.
Lit. Murphy formerly was attached
to the fourth precinct. He served
with the Crime Prevention Bureau
from 1882 to 1885 when it handled
cases of youthful violators.
Increased community awareness
to juvenile delinquency problems
and the focusing Of community re-
sources on the situation were cited
In the Presidents report on the
Juvenile Court as possible factors
contributing to the decrease.
The report showed, however, that
in June, 1943, more than 500 COM
plants we're received, the highest
number ever recorded in a single
month. These cases were not in
cluded in the .1S43 fiscal year sta
tistics, 1t was said, because they
could not be investigated and heard
in court during the month.
Juvenile Court statistics are based
on cases disposed of instead of
covering the number of complaints
received.
The report revealed a total of
1888 cases handled in 1943, COM
pared to 3,219 in 1912. The decrease
was in contrast to the first year
of the war, 1941, when there was
an increase of 25.6 per cent in de-
linquency complaints over the pre-
ceding year.
Revealing boost in the COM
plants on girls, the report cited 345
in 1943 in contrast to 303 in 1912.
Complaints on boys far outnumber
those involving girls, it was said,
but the girls problem is generally
very serious" when it reaches the
court.
! An increase was noted in the
number of complaints handled for
acts of carelessness and mischiev-
BUSINESS, including property destruc-
ton and disorderly conduct, but a
decrease in stealing complaints in
1943.
Of the 2,698 cases handled, 1916.
or 48.8 per cent, were for stealing.
In 1912 the percentage for stealing
was 57.6 per cent.
Acts of carelessness or mischief
numbered $50, or 241 per cent, of
the total, contrasted to 1871 per cent
in 1912. Traffic violations accounted
for 258 complaint, or 9.6 per cent,
of the total, whereas the total in
1942 was 8.3 per cent.
The largest number of complaints
against boys was in the 17-year- -old
group, while more complaints were
made against girls in the Is to is
year group. Eighty-one complaints
were handled on children under 10.
A total Of 966 cases had court
hearings. OF these 399 were white
and 567 were colored.
A delinquency rise of 124 per cent
over a 10-year period was disclosed
The complaints handled in that