Evening star., 1947-11-25
Barrett Will Put
fixing Issue
UptoD.C.Head
To Stop Supplying
Ticket Adjustment
Dotu to Reporters

Doto to Reporters
Police Supt. Robert J. Barrett is
going to put it up to the District
Commissioners whether the Metro
politan Police Department is to
furnish records on the fixing" Of
traffic tickets to the District Traffic
Court Conference Committee.
In the meantime, he said, he is
going to stop the reports on such
adjustment of tickets which have
been supplied to newspaper report
ers each week. He said it had been
his intention to halt the issuance of
the weekly report yesterday, but it
was made public before he had an
opportunity to issue the order.
Mai. Barrett's first reaction to
questions about Withholding reports
on the tickets was choleric.
IT think it's q damned outrage
that q captain should have to make
public his actions in handling those
tickets" he said.
1TACCS OTuCT w IAdECHs
Later he reasoned it this way:
The order under which the weekly
reports have been made public goes
back to the days when the late
Melvin c. Hazen was president Of
the Board of Commissioners.
II don't know whether the present
Commissioners want to continue the
practice" he said. IF they tell me
they do, the Conference Commit
tee or any one else can have them"
Mai. Barrett said he does not be-
lieye the public is entitled to the
FACTS about the tickets.
y may be wrong" he said. T
want to be right. I'm willing to
be told"
Maj. Barrett said it was his un-
derstanding that the weekly reports
given newspapermen were given
with the understanding they were
not to be published.
Z Original Order Cited.
The Commissioners order on the
matter, dated October II, 1899, and
based on a recommendation of Cor
poration Counsel Elwood H. Seal
read as follows:
That in the future, the names of
all persons having traffic tickets
cancelled will be made a matter OF
public record and such record will
be maintained in the police depart
ment. In addition to the name OF
the person to whom the ticket is
issued, the officers name issuing the
ticket and the name of the person
requesting cancellation of the ticket
will be recorded, as well as the rea-
son for the adjustment being made"
Ten days later, the city heads is
sued memorandum to the police
superintendent.
Where a traffic violation notice
has been issued" the Commissioners
wrote, THE information required
above shall be given in all instances.
Consequently If traffic violation
notice is cancelled by issuing a
warming the required infornaasaon
must be given and made public m
ACCORDANCE with the spirit and IN
tent of the Commissioners order"
The report made public yesterday
listed 1853 motorists who were let
off with warnings and not required
to post collateral or go to court.
In, addition, there were 10 cancel
lations.
Varied Reasons for Cancellation.
In cases of persons entitled to
diplomatic immunity the charge on
the ticket is Cancelled. There were
these cases and also cancellations
In yesterdays list because mo park
ing" signs had been posted after
the motorist had parked, and for
q variety of other reasons. Where
a charge is Cancelled, it does not
appear on the drivers record.
The weekly lists would not show
how a motorist might have been IA
vored In previous weeks.
Nathan M. Lubar, secretary of
the Traffic Court Conference Com
riaittee, which asked for and was
denied figures on fixing for the year
ended October 80. yesterday said
an instance had been reported of
man who had received 1877 traflc
violation tickets.
I'm about IS per cent of the
cases he was let off with warnings,
and in the rest of the cases he was
permitted to forfeit collateral" Mr..
Lubar said. According to the re-
port he never went to court.
aC1,oh %raofpoayt o}yoe y1rofare,,
tial right to park on the streets in
violation of the law"
Committee Makes Recommendation
The Trafic Court Conference
Committee is appointed by the
president of the District Bar Asso-
ciation-George e. Mcneil this year
and makes studies and recon-
mendations for the enforcement of
traffic regulations by police and
courts. 1t includes attorneys, those
having to do with traffic and traffic
law enforcement, school people and
others.
Mr.. Lubar said he believes only a
small percentage of motorists-10
or is per cent-are chronic violators
ahdt that other motorists violate
trafic regulations only rarely. Elim-
mating the chronic violators would
help the police and would be fairer
to the law-abiding, he said.
Annual tabulations of the figures
on traffic charges reduced to warn
ings or Cancelled are made up in the
office of Inspector Miller. A reporter
asked Inspector Miller for these
figures and he said he could make
them public only on the order of
Maj. Barrett.
The request for the figures then
was made to Maj. Barrett, who re-
jected 1t.
The adjustment of traffic tickets
Is covered in general order No. 81,
issued by Maj Barrett last October
q, consolidating several previous
orders, but said to cover approx
ntately the same ground,
Text Of Order.
The order reads:
I'm cases of minor infractions Of
the trafnc regulations where traffic
violation notices have been issued