Evening star., 1947-07-10
Modernizing Our Police Force
Additional Personnel and Replacement of Precinct Stations
Are Steps Favored by Citizens Committee
John Thombs
By John ". Thomson, Jr.

This is one OF a series OF articles ,Ctich
piIl' discuss the recommendations OF the
Citizens Committee ,0hich drafted an H.
year Development program for the District OF
Columbia.)
It would take s22OO, 900 to give Washington
the police protection it ought to have.
This is the opinion of representative citi-
zens committee whose II year $183,000 900 pro-
gram of expansion of District services and
facilities is now pending before the Commits
sioners.
For this sum, the committee estimates, the
city could have total force of 1000 men, a
new station house in Benning. replacement of
8 existing stations. replacement of all radio
equipment a new Woman's Bureau and House
of Detention, warehouse and storage space and
other minor improvements.
Funds for the Benning station and Ill adj
ditional men are carried in the budget for this
year. The additional personnel will bring the
force strength to within $50 of the 1000 total.
Actually the committee felt the force should
be increased to $500 men but thought the
financial condition of the city could support a
maximum of the 1000.
The present size of the force is about 1700
men, Since 1910 it has been increased less than
20 per cent which, according to the committee
is far less than the population increase of the
city. New built-up areas together with the
population increase support the need for more
men.
One More Precinct Station Needed Now.
While the need for the stationhouse at Forty
second street and Benning road NE. is de-
scribed as acute" it is the only actual expan-
sion of the police plant called for in the report.
More precinct stations will doubtless be needed
as the city fills out its unoccupied tracts but
the committee feels the saturation point OF
population will not be reached until after 1870.
The nine obsolete precincts which should be
replaced at the rate OF one each year are Nos.
1875, 7, 9, TO- II and 13. These do not have
enough detention space for peak loads. Sanitary
conditions are bad. Fire hazards exist due to
the nature of their construction and the lack
of any mechanical means for simultaneous
opening of cells. Maintenance costs are ex-
cessive.
AS matter of fact, of the IA existing
precincts, six are more than so years old and
the oldest was built during the Civil War.
Three are more than IS years old and only two
are less than 20 years old.
In asking for new Womans Bureau Build
ing to replace the 60-year-old existing quarters
at 1924 Fifth street NV, the committee says:
"The present building is unsanitary, fire
risk, badly located and wholly unsuited to its
purpose
A new building should be located away from
the congested section of the city.
The Police Department now has warehouse
space in a building at 46s street which must
be razed eventually for the West Administra-
ton Building of the Municipal Center. Storage
space is required for impounded properties OF
various sorts For this reason the committee
asked 100000 to provide necessary warehouse
space.
Radio Equipment May Be Replaced.
Minor improvements are required by many Of
the existing precincts. These include remodel
ing of No. 2; conversion from coal to oil of the
heating systems at Nos. 6, 8 and r.; provision
of off street parking for an average of 10 cars
each at seven of the stationhouses.
The case for replacement of all radio equip
ment Is predicated on an expected demand