Evening star., 1948-06-25
Calls for Police Help Bring Quick Response
As Complaint Room Clicks After Six Months


From the public point Of view, 1t
virtually eliminates the chance any
complaint will lie dormant and 1t
assures better. police protection by
giving the men who make decisions
a better idea of what's going on,
where, when and how.
Under the old system, the tele-
type was the key to reports and sta
tistics. If a case was held of the
teletype for some reason-for in
stance, TO prevent a criminal from
learning the police we're on to his
method of approach-it might later
60 on the teletype or might not.
AS result, police did not get the
credit for some crimes they solved
Nor did the statistics show the ex-
tent of their work. Sometimes sus-
pected false reports were held Of
the teletype. If they were proved
unfounded, they might never show
up in the statistics despite the
police work involved in proving
them false.
1akeS subordinate hOle.
Inspector Truscott estimated to-
day the teletype under the old sys-
tenn reflected about Is per cent OF
the complaints and reports. Now,
one way or another, headquarters
gets everything because everything
starts there.
The teletype is still used, but 1t
takes a subordinate role as far as
statistics are concerned. Lookouts
for wanted men. descriptions of
stolen property, flashes on stolen
cars and condensed reports on in
cidents appear on the teletype.
Cases are also closed on the tele-
type. which gives a double check
on the reports that come to head
quarters from the precincts indi-
vidually.
Policemen complain about the de-
tails required on the new forms.
Veteran patrolmen raise their eye
brows at being asked to write down
the motive. But motive. says In
spector Truscott, is an important
element when the case is murder
or assault.
The forms are so detailed that
Inspector Truscott says rookie
policeman could use an offense re-
port at the scene and get the an
swers to all the questions he would
otherwise forget to ask.
Setup Geared to Expand.
Inspector Truscott emphasized
that the new system of getting COM
plants is geared to expand as the
city expands without substantial in
crease in personnel.
Right now, the operations Of the
central complaint room are flexible.
When the calls start piling in, help
is mustered from outside the room.
Even Inspector Truscott has been
assigned number as a complaint
clerk.
On Friday night, the room Is
busiest, although the nights follow
ing Government pay day also are
busy ones.
On those nights, the radio dis
patchers have to set up a priority
system of sending help. When the
map showing the available mobile
force is alight in every precinct, the
dispatchers have to put the most
serious calls ahead of the other ones.
To BE Compiled Monthly.
When a frightened housewife calls
in to say an intruder is rafting her
doorknob, complaint clerk can
look at the lights on the map and
give her some idea of how soon help
will come.
The statistics on complaints-to
be compiled every month under the
new system-will show just how
many and varied those calls for help
are.
They're not concerned only with
crime by any means. A distraught
shopper may call to say her husband
went to the movies while she was
shopping and she was supposed to
meet him on a certain corner. Will
the police try to find him? Over
the police radio goes a call to look
out for the missing mate and tell
him his wife has gone to Aunt
Mamie's.
Or a confused motorist may call
to confess he is now in deepest
Southeast and lust how can he get
to Bethesda. If he's too confused
to understand directions, a scout car
may be dispatched to rescue him.
Breakdown Of Costs.
The reorganization, with its goals
Of faster police action and q more
complete system Of reporting, has