Evening star., 1949-10-07
Probe
To TraceCases
.UptoCourts
House Approval Due
Tuesday for Inquiry
Into High Rate Here

INTO nl9n Nute HeIS
The proposed Investigation Of
crime and punishment here, due
for House approval Tuesday, will
follow the method of tracing cases
through law enforcement agencies
from the time the crime is COM
mitted until the offender has had
his day in court, Representative
Davis, Democrat, of Georgia said
today.
A special resolution calling for
the investigation cleared the House
Rules Committee yesterday. Mr..
Davis, its sponsor, heads the House
District Subcommittee handling
police legislation and will conduct
the investigation.
House Majority Leader McCor-
mack said the resolution probably
will be called up in the House
Its passage seemed a
foregone conclusion.
To Study Record of Arrests.
Mr.. Davis said the crime rate
here has risen to such an extent
that something must be done
about it. He wants to know
whether the trouble lies with tho
police, the prosecutor, the proba-
tion office or the courts.
To find the basic cause Of
Washington's high crime rate, he
said, he will start with the record
of arrests in a number of cases.
His subcommittee then will follow
the cases through the mill of law
enforcement.
II certainly intend to investi-
gate the handling of cases by the
courts and afterwards" he said.
1--WE will look into paroles, proba-
tions and pardons.
He called particular attention
to the recent grand jury report
taking the courts to task for deal
ing too leniently with repeaters.
He cited an editorial in The Star
Wednesday commencing the grand
jury for the report and pointing
out that a number of notorious
offenders have escaped heavy
penalties.
A former judge himself. MIR. Da-
Wis said his resolution was
prompted by the day-to-day crime
reports in the press and the re-
cent FBI report on Nationwide
crime data.
The FBI report showed Wash
ington ranked second among
major cities in the number OF
aggravated assaults, sixth in
burglaries, seventh in murders
and eighth in robberies.
Police Supt. Robert j. Barrett,
in his latest crime report to the
Commissioners, noted continu-
ing increase in crime here but
expressed the belief it was levelins
off.
Maj. Barrett said yesterday he
welcomed the investigation as far
as the Police Department is con-
cerned.
We've got a crime report that
shows good record of clearances
of our crime cases." he added.
Striking the same note, Com
missioner John Russell Young
said an investigation of the Police
Department is welcome because it
will provide an opportunity to
focus attention on the fine record
of the Police Department in clear
ing up serious crimes.
Representative Davis empha-
sized he has no preconceived
notions about the cause of what
he considers noticeably lax law
enforcement here. He said he
introduced the resolution to find
out what the trouble is.
Far-Reaching Authority.
The resolution itself gives his
subcommittee far-reaching au-
thority. It authorizes the in
vestigators to conduct a full and
complete investigation and study
of the number and character OF
crimes committed in the District
of Columbia during recent years
and of the action taken by the
responsible officers and employees
of the Federal and District gov
ernments in identifying and
Furnishing the persons who COM
mitted such crimes"
The reference to Federal en-
ployes includes prosecutors, pro-
baton officers and judges.
The resolution authorizes the
committee or subcommittee to
subpoena records and permits the
investigation to proceed even dur
ing the forthcoming recess Of
Congress.
Mr.. Davis said the House Dis
trict Committee already has soma
funds to finance the investiga-
ton. If 1t needs more funds.
he said, it can ask for money from
the Houses contingent fund.
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