Evening star., 1948-11-24
Black or Brown Shirts?

There is every reason to mistrust the
organization here of Police Department
civilian reserve.
The Commissioners, however, nave
authorized one. They should bend over
backward to see that every step taken
in setting it up receives full publicity, so
that the people will know what is going
on-and why.
Certainly we want no secret police.
Names of the volunteers and their quail
f1cations should be matter OF puohc
record. Citizens have the right to know
who, among their neighbors, are members
Of the police.
Identification marks drown shirts
black shirts-silver shirtsO must be
understood and instantly recognizable by
the public. If citizen is to be puSneo
around, he has the right to know that
the pushing is official.
The training program should be open
to public inspection. If it includes target
practice with small arms, training In the
use of the nightstick, instruction in throw
ing tear-ga bombs or the approved method
of swapping on handouts, the public has
the right to know how proficient the
traineeS have become before being loosed
for operations.
To be sure. the Commissioners are not
thinking about a secret police. The
trouble is that they have not made pre-
cisely understandable what it is that they
are thinking about. Mention has been
made Of the recent report on Civil Defense
for National Security. If the Commits
sioners are modelling their proposed civilian
auxiliary on that document, they appear
to have been somewhat precipitate. If
the reports suggestions are to be adopted,
the use of the police in times of emergency
is one very small detail in its exhaustive
recommendations. In this respect, incl
dentally, the report emphasizes the need
to protect civilian police by industrial
compensation or its equivalent. The impl-
cations are evident. Why should this
important point be neglected by the
Commissioners?
Major Barrett has been authorized, with
out any specific statutory authority, to
select, train and equip civilian reserve.
The volunteers would not be paid. Yet
these volunteers are to be available for
service during emergency" riot" "inva-
sion" "insurrection," "or any day of public
ceremony or celebration" That gives
somebody lot of latitude in the use Of
this civilian force. VINO is going to pro-
claim the emergency? Major Barrett?
What constitutes a riot? What sort of
celebration are we going to celebrate by
turning loose civilian police auxiliary,
suitably armed and equipped, to regiment
the celebrants? If none of these things
is contemplated, why any police reserve
at all?
This whole business strikes The Star as
putting the cart before the horse and in
a manner that can work great mischief.
If we are to begin preparing for the
catastrophe of an atom bomb, invasion or
insurrection, the first step would be to
organize-as the civil defense report sug-
gests-for police action under unified area
command. Why not begin with just two
of our many police forces in this area?
For example, who, in some grim emergency,
is going to be the boss, the chief Of the
Metropolitan Police or the chief of the
United States Park Police? Where will
the Capitol Police or the White House
Police or the Federal building guards come
inland under whom? How about the
police forces of Arlington, Montgomery,
Prince Georges? Will disaster find them
reporting to Major Barrett or will Major
Barrett be reporting to them? Why not
get that sort of thing worked out before
creating another police force, composed of
part-time civilians?
The Star believes that If the time, in
the opinion of competent authority, has
come to put this country on a war footing
people should be told all about 1t by their
elected government spokesmen. If plan
is to be followed, 1t should be understood
by everybody and approved by the chosen
representatives of the people in Congress
and the State Legislatures. That is espe-
cially true, here in Washington, where the
people themselves have no voice in the
decisions of their rulers.
The idea of volunteer, civilian police
reserve, without the authority of law
that spells out in black and white its func-
tions its accountability to the public, its
powers and their limitations, is thoroughly
repugnant. It can lead to manifest abuse.
1t can result in police favoritism, in bully
ing, in pushing nonvolunteers around, in
arrogant and dangerous assumption of
authority. 1t has no place in this city
unless its pros and cons have been tested
by public debate, considered with great
care and approved by those empowered
to make law.
The step now authorized by the Com
missioners has little about it to command
public confidence. 1t has much about it
that creates grave doubt as to its wisdom,
let alone its necessity.
To Control the Weather