Evening star., 1947-07-15
Senators 10 Act
Today on Fund
ForPo|iceProbe
Seek to Get Resolution
To Rules Committee
Before Final Session


A decision on whether the Senate
District Committee will ask imme-
diately for $25, 900 to finance an in
vestigation of police administration
here was expected today as an ex-
eNtive session of the full committee
was called for pm.
Committee aides said the session
was called hurriedly in an effort to
get the resolution to the Senate
Rules Committee tomorrow morn
ing-if the full committee should
decide to request the investigation.
The Senate Rules Committee,
which must pass on the question of
allotting $25 900 from the Senate's
contingency fund for full-dress in
quiry, will meet tomorrow for the
last time Sefore adjournment, it was
explained
Indications were that the special
subcommittee headed by Senator
McGrath, Democrat, of Rhode Is
land, which held a preliminary hear
ing on police operations yesterday,
would recommend the investigation
and the full committee was expected
to favor such a move.
Would Cover All Forces.
Senator McGrath emphasized that
If an inquiry is ordered, it will cover
the Park and Capitol police as well
as the Metropolitan police.
The testimony at yesterdays
hearing included these high lights:
/. District Commissioner John
Russell Young described the present
system of official crime reporting as
q routine matter" denied the ex-
istence of secret police files and an
nounced that he had ordered his
new police chief to correct any
abuses that might exist in the pro-
cedure of withholding certain cases
from the police teletype.
2. Maj. Robert j. Barrett, the Dis
trict's police chief, asserted that
every case in the departments con-
fdential file of complaints is thor
oughly investigated, that a radio
lookout is issued to alert all police
men to apprehend criminals in every
case and that no case is closed until
an arrest has been made.
8. Maj. Barrett charged that the
Washington Post stole police rec
ords, photostated them and pub
lished the records. He said he had
just learned that drawer had been
jimmied in the Detective Bureau.
His. charge brought a prompt denial
from the Post.
4. Spokesman for the Park and
Capitol police assured the subcom-
mittee they had received full CO.
operation from the Metropolitan
Police. Capitol officials, however,
pleaded for larger force.
Would Employ Experts.
At the outset of the hearing, Sem
ator McGrath made it clear that he
proposed an investigation in which
noted police experts would be i'm
ported to 60 through the Police
Department thoroughly, work with
It's officers. study the entire system
and report to Congress what they
find.
Commissioner Young told the sub
committee he would welcome such
an inquiry. Maj. Barrett said he had
a fine department and doubted if
such an investigation was needed.
Committee members during the
hearing based many of their ques-
tions on long statement submitted
by the Post in which the newspaper
charged that the Police Department
had "misrepresented and distorted"
the number of crimes committed
here by failing to enter complaints
on the complaint book, by withhold
ing complaints from the police tele-
type circuit, by maintaining conf
dental and secret files and with
holding complaints from the statisti-
cal bureau.
Secret Label Contested.
Asked about these charges, Com
missioner Young said he had ques-
toned Maj. Barrett and told him
that If the present practice Of re-
porting crimes is abused, it should be
corrected.
Commissioner Young suggested
that the Senator examine specific
cases withheld from the teletype
rather than deal with general
figures.
Maj. Barrett told the committee
he was sure the figures quoted by
the Senators represented many du-
plications Maj. Barrett explained
that when a detective marks case
hold" on a precinct book, he may
later make an arrest and send the
case over the teletype but forget to
have the precinct erase the hold"
mark. In this way, he explained,
counting the number Of cases
marked hold" on a precinct book
may give the wrong impression.
Maj. Barrett told the committee
that every case marked hold" or a
precinct book is reported to the rob-
berry squad. He said he could answer
for every case in the files Of the rob-
berry squad, except those that have
been taken out"
Charges Desk Was "Jimmied."
When the Senators questioned
him further on that point, the new
police chief said some records are
missing from police headquarters.
He said he had learned the night