Evening star., 1947-07-10
Senators Pledge
.FuI|-Sca|eP Probe
|0f D. Police
$4,000 to Be Sought
For Study; Hearings
Seen in Two Weeks

A fuil-scale investigation of law
enforcement and the police admin.
istrations in the District was prom.
ised by Senate District Committee
members today.
They predicted that a resolution
for that purpose will go through the
Senate early next week and that
hearings might start within a fort.
night.
The resolution, authorizing the
District Committee or a subcom-
m1ttee to make the study with a
SIS, 900 allotment for expenses and
power to employ expert assistants,
was introduced in the Senate late
yesterday.
Senator McGrath, Democrat, Of
Rhode Island put it in and listed
Senators Ball. Republican, of Min
nesota and Cooper, Republican, Of
Kentucky as co-sponsors.
Earlier yesterday P. j. Ableman.
chairman of the Police and Fire
Committee of the Federation of
Citizens Associations, announced
that the federations Executive
Committee had adopted resolution
urging an investigation of the
Metropolitan Police by joint Sen
ate-House committee and a District
grand jury.
Introduction of the Senate resolu-
ton, however. resulted from a Dis
trict Committee executive session
which voted to sponsor it. Commit
tee members said the decision came
In the course of routine consideration
of Senator McGrath's bill for ap-
pointment of the Metropolitan
Police superintendent by the Presi-
dent.
General Comments Made.
The discussion branched out into
general comments on pending meas
ures as we'll as various Other pro-
posals concerning operations of the
Metropolitan Police. the National
Park Police and Capitol Police, they
disclosed.
The proposed study might cover
such matters as merger plans, the
question Of direct responsibility"
in appointments. keeping of police
records, efficiency of police forces
here and any evidence of Sup
preston Of investigations" a COM
mittee spokesman said.
The resolution. which was re-
ferred back to the District Com
mittee after being introduced by
Senator McGrath, is expected to
be reported formally to the Senate
within few days. 1t directs the
investigating group to report find
ings and such recommendation as
to necessary legislation as it may
deem desirable
1t also authorizes the investigat-
ing committee, with the consent of
the head or the department or
agency concerned, to utilize the SER
vices, information, facilities and per-
sonnel of any of the departments or
agencies of the Government"
Probe by Special Unit.
!. A committee official said the in
vestigation probably would be made
by a special subcommittee of the,
District Committee. There is a pos
sibility, he added, that the public
service subcommittee, headed by
Senator McGrath. might be desig-
mated and enlarged by appointment
of two or three additional members.
Besides Senator McGrath, others
on the public service subcommittee
are Senators Capper. Republican, of
Kansas; KEN, Republican. of Mis-
souri,, and Sparkman, Democrat, Of
Alabama.
AS soon as the Senate approves
the resolution, it was explained, the
investigating group would begin lex
ploratory' studies to determine the
exact scope of It's inquiry and the
lines of procedure.
Committee officials declared they
were unable to estimate how long
the investigation would last or.
whether recommendations might be
submitted with the Senate before
scheduled adjournment of this ses-
sion late this month.