Evening star., 1945-05-20
Serious Crimes
Decline Despite
D. C.'s Growth
80 Per Cent Decrease
Since 1910 Reported BY
Criminal Justice GrouE

Crime in Washington showed a
downward trend in 1914 despite an
increase, In population, according
to the annual report of the WASH
ington Criminal Justice Association
released yesterday.
The report indicated a drop in
the number of serious crimes, al
though juvenile and prostitution
cases rose, James A. Nolan, manag-
Ing director of the association, an
nounced.
The downward trend has been
steady since 1910, totaling about 80
per cent in those four years, during
which population has increased ap-
proximately 263,000. The number of
serious crimes known to police fell
from 1882 in 1943 to 4,154 in 1914, or
6.4 per cent, the report showed. Re-
ductions in robbery, grand larceny
and housebreaking were most nota-
BILE, and there were II fewer mur-
ders.
Third in Murders.
Among nine cities of comparable
size, Washington was listed third
In the number of murders per 10O,-
600 population, fifth in robberies,
fourth In burglarieS, second in
grand larceny cases, and fourth in
automobile theftS. In 1884, WASH
1ngton was first in robbery and
grand larceny cases and second in
murder, burglary and automobile
thefts.
"Washington's social forces would
appear adequate generally in STEM
ming the onslaught of crime that
has attacked many of the larger
cities in the Nation, and that has
been publicized particularly in areas
concentrated with defense and war
work." the report declared.
OF the 4,154 complaints reported
by citizens, police solved 2,342 of the
cases studied, or 564 per cent, an
increase of 81 per cent over l943.
About 81 per cent of the offenses
were committed by Juveniles. How
ever, of the 2,342 cleared cases, only
583 convictions were obtained.
Maximum Penalties Rare.
Study of age groups showed that |
excluding Juveniles, persons over
IS years were most frequently in
volved and the 18-to-21-year group
were next. In prewar, years, the
latter group led in frequency of
arrests. In the juvenile cases,
offenseS were most numerous in the
group under IA years.
Study of 1923 adult cases cleared
by police and referred to the courts
showed 40 per cent resulted in con-
Vlctlons, 36 per cent were dismissed
by the courts, 18 per cent are still
pending and the remainder were
turned over to military authorities.
One defendant in a murder case
was given the mandatory death
sentence, but maximum sentences
seldom were imposed in other
crimes. Sentences of more than
three years were the exception.
The District Board of Indeter-
inmate Sentence and Parole had
702 persons under parole super
sision in 1914. During the year,
about II per cent were returned to
prison for parole violations. The
board heard 851 parole appeals and
granted about 35 per cent.
Soliciting Is Curbed.
Court action seldom followed ar
rests on prostitution charges, the
report stated. During the first six
months of 1914, 1,548 arrests were
made but resulted in only 40 cases
of court action for soliciting. The
report noted decrease in open
soliciting, which it attributed to CO.
operative efforts of police and mill
tary authorities.
Analysis of court records showed
the length of time from presentation
OF a case to the grand jury to trial
In court ranged from five to eight
weeks, more than so per cent of the
cases having reached trial within
an eight-week period.
The report called attention to
essential weaknesses" in all the
adult penal institutions and urged
strengthening health, recreation. re-
igious and vocational programs and
improvement of facilities at the Dis
trict'S various penal institutions