Evening star., 1947-09-20
Police and Fire
Budget Pleas
a|1122 Million
Barrett Seeks Force
Of 1000, Citing
Crime Increase

Police and fire department budgets
totaling 11,556,957 for the fiscal
year starting next July today
were before the District Commis-
Eioners. *
Police Supt. Robert j. Barrett
asked for approval OF a proposed
budget of $7,448,957 for the opera
tion and improvement of the police
department while Fire Chief
Clement Murphy submitted pro-
posed budget calling for $4,108,000.
The figures were disclosed late yes
terday by Budget Oficer Walter L.
Fowler as he started making public
the budget requests of individual city
agencies after telling Washington
mans their city officials want an all
time record $i44,186,908 to run the
city next yeaI.
The police request is $431, ,708 above
the $7017,249 appropriated for the
current year.
Wants Force of 1000.
Maj. Barrett has told the Com
missioners, it was disclosed, that he
wants the increases to man the new
14th precinct in the Benning road
area and to bring the total strength
of the police force to 1000. 1t now
has an authorized strength of 1,795.
The ultimate goal of the depart
ment, he said, should be $500 po-
lcemen.
In addition to asking for more
policemen, Maj. Barrett is seeking
SO additional civilian employees, so
policemen now doing clerical and
secretarial work can be put on beats
and so the Women's Bureau and
House of Detention can be put on a
40 instead of a 44-hour week.
There has been an increasing
amount of crimes of a violent ma
ture," he told the city heads, which
are apparently an aftermath OF the
war. The department has suffered
the loss or injury of number of
valuable men, and it is felt the in
creasing tendency to lawlessness in
the District can only be counter
acted by increasing the police force"
High Lights OF Request.
Here are the high lights of the in
creases Maj. Barrett is asking for
1883.
An inspector for the Women's
Bureau, now headed by captain,
Also $4,000 to purchase site for
q new House of Detention.
Three additional captains-one
for the new 18th precinct, one to
head The No. 2 precinct, where a
temporary captaincy was authorized
by the Commissioners after No. 2
was split into No. and No. 13, and
one to act as harbormaster, post
now held by lieutenant.
Nineteen more lieutenants.
Three more sergeants and three
more corporals to man No. IA.
17S More Privates. s,a...s
An additional 178 privatesgr84 to
man No. ID and the remainder to
permit every man on beat to cover
it thoroughly and know his neigh
borhood and its people.
The sum of $4,000 to purchase
requirements for police cars, and
another $500 to purchase and
operate a convertible sedan for
parades and presidential escort duty.
Hiring of an orthopedic surgeon
at $4.724 to handle bone and joint
injuries suffered by policemen. Such
injuries now are treated by out
side specialists.
The Fire Department budget
which includes $263, 900 to build and
equip new flrehouse at Forty
ninth and East Capitol streets, tops
by s349,00 t>e amount appropri-
ated so far this year to fight and
prevent fires in the Capital.
The increase includes salary raises
for a number of key positions in the
department. Chief Murphy has told
the Commissioners the raises are
aimed at increasing the efficiency
Of the fire force.
Chief Murphy is seeking $157 500
to replace equipment.