Evening star., 1946-04-29
Sergt. A. A. Durkin,
Two Other Policemen
Retire;Fourth Resiqns

Three Washington policemen, in
cluding Detective Sergt. Ambrose A
Durkin, chief of the Detective
Bureaus Criminal Records Division
retired from the force effective to-
day, Maj Harvey G. Callahan an
nounced, while a fourth man, De-
tective Sergt. William G.. Shipman
has resigned.
The other retirements were those
of Acting Sergt. Wilbert C. Reds
Lewis and Pvt. Henry D. Rodgers.
Sergt. Durkin, 63, of SIG A street
NE, turns in his badge after 81
years. He began his service in Sep.
tember. 1909. walking a "Foggy
Bottom" beat in the Third Precinct
Took Post in 1917.
He was called to take over the
records division in 1917, when il
was an Office of 20 units, each con.
tanning about 5000 records. Sergt
Durkin has seen the division in.
crease to 50 units and he estimate.
that 100000 records are now or
file.
Besides furnishing records for hi:
own department, the division Serv.
ices a constant stream of investi.
gators from other agencies Wht
want to check new personnel Tht
Civil Service Commission especially
has made heavy use of the files
he said.
-Four employees aid Sergt. Dur.
kin in administering the comple1
files, and during the busy war year.
the work kept six assistants busy.
A graduate of Georgetown Uni.
versity, the sergeant also found tim,
to attend National Law School a
nights, and holds an LIB. degree
He was promoted to detective ser
geant in 1889.
Active In Civic Groups.
Active for many years in civil
and church groups. Sergt. Durkil
is member of the Washington
Lodge of the B. P. o. E., and /
now deputy grand exalted ruler o
the Maryland. Delaware and Dis
trict Association of Elks. He ais
is member in the Oldest Inhabi
tants Society, the Georgetown Gle
Club and several other choral groups
For many years, he has been bas
!. soloist in the choir of the Churcl
of the Epiphany, 1917 G street NV
Sergt. Durkin said he had n
immediate plans for the future, bu
was going to relax for a while
His son, F. c. Durkin, recently wa
discharged from the Army as tech
nical sergeant, after nearly five year
of service with the 9th Air Force
No announcement has yet bee
made of a successor to Sergt Durki
in the records division post.
Sergt. Lewis, a motorcycle ma
, since he was appointed to the fore
in 1914, is SO years of age. He ha
ridden escort in every lnauguratio
, since his appointment and was
member of the motorcycle escort 6
the funeral of President Taft. Serg
Lewis, who has been commende
twice, lives at 42l Buchanan stree
NV.
Sergt. Shipman, SO, of 429 Mort
Norwood street, Arlington, Va, sub
mitted his resignation earlier tn
month on his return from NOR
gfthan four years service with tn
Navy. A commander when place
on inactive duty, Mr.. Shipman wi
become a naval analyst in the offlc
Of the chief of naval operations.
He became a member of the fore
. in 1882 and is a qualified pistol ex
pert. Sergt. Shipman was injure
three times with the department
, once when a woman prisoner jump
ed on his back while he was lead
ing her down a staircase and the
bit his head.
Pvt. Rodgers. As, has been
member of the force since 1924. I
1926 he was injured while maxim
an arrest. In 1882 he sprained a
ankle breaking up fight and i
1887 he suffered an infected righ
eye while on duty. Pvt. Rodgers live
5 at 32l5 Massachusetts avenue Sc.