Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-21

Baltimore 245, Buffalo 50, and
Pittsburgh 3ol. Aggravated assault !:
Washington 1928, Baltimore 6e5,
Buffalo IS and Pittsburgh 1874.
Burglary.-breaking or entering:
Washington 2641, Baltimore 1179,
Buffalo 296 and Pittsburgh 1855.
Larceny: Washington, in cases in
volving $50 or more, 1913, and $50 or
less, 5.598; Baltimore, 6l2 and i ,764:
Buffalo. 156 and 489 and Pitts
burgh, 276 and 434. Automobile
theft: Washington TOO, Baltimore
l,423, Buffalo 40 and Pittsburgh s3l.
Another important factor to be
considered in comparing the crime
figures Of cities, the FBI pointed out,
Is the population of the city and
adjoining metropolitan areas.
While the 1910 census gave WASH
ington some 663, 900 in population,
with Baltimore 854, 900, Buffalo 575.-
600 and Pittsburgh 665 5000, it is
believed the Capital has far out
stripped the other three cities in
the last seven years, especially in
the growth Of metropolitan areas.
Report Made to Young.
The totals Of local crime compiled
by FBI agents were included by
Police Superintendent Robert J.
Barrett In a report to Commissioner
John Russell Young, recommending
a complete overhaul Of the depart
ment's crime reporting and cons
mpnications systems.
Maj. Barrett had asked the FBI
to make a complete report on local
records along the uniform lines rec
commended by the Bureau and
adopted generally throughout the
larger cities. The study revealed
that, with the exception OF murder
and non-negligent manslaughter rec
ords and automobile thefts, the
bureaus figures were substantially
above those of the police depart
ment's statistical bureau.
For example, the FBI's figures on
rape were 66 per cent above those
Of the D. C. police, robbery 70 per
cent, aggravated assault 1853 per cent,
burglary II per cent and larceny Is
per cent in cases above $50 and
261 per cent in cases less than $50.
This last discrepancy was due in
part to the fact that police Stats
tics did not take into account lar
,cenies under $25, which were not
being teletyped to headquarters from
the precincts.
Other discrepancies were due
partly to the Withholding of certain
crime reports from the police tele-
type and partly to the fact that the
police are required by law to classify
certain crimes differently from the
method recommended by FBI.
Recommendations Included.
Maj. Barrett included in his re-
port a series Of detailed recon-
mendations by the Federal bureau,
pertaining largely to the consolida-
ton in one records ONCE of reports
modernization of the communica-
tons system.
Despite the apparently bad show
ing Of Washington, the general re-
port indicated q decline in crime
in most cities at q time when law
breaking in the rural areas was on
the increase. The increase was rs
per cent outside the cities and the
decrease in urban centers was %
per cent.
The FBI data for other cities is
based on an analysis of 371 ,228 fin
gerprint arrest records sent in by
local and State police officers.
FBI Director j. Edgar Hoover
said recently that preliminary ex-
animation Of these records showed
that the age. II, predominated
among male arrests and the age,
"a, appeared most frequently on the
records of female detention. The
record showed 546 per cent of the
of1enses reported we're by repeat
ers."
Trends in Common Crimes. ~.
Concerning the trends in the most
common crimes, in the frs. six
ror9fhe ~ 10A7