Evening star., 1950-12-23
Maj. Barrett Praises
All Members Of Force
For Work in Year

Police Department were COM
mended by Maj. Robert J. Barrett,
police superintendent. for their
loyalty, hard work and co-opera-
ton" which made 1850 "one of
the most successful years in the
history of our department"
The police chief proudly relates
that each of the SIS murders re-
ported in the first II months of
the year had been solved and
listed series of other major
crimes which had been cleared up
by his men.
Il am very proud, and justly so, -
Maj. Barrett declared in a memo
randum sent to all members of
the police force, ito be the head
of a department which has served
the public so we'll, often times
under adverse circumstances. The
department is subjected to criti-
cism from time to time, but in
spite of adversely we have come
through with flying colors. 1t is
with a great deal of pride and
pleasuer that I commend each and
every member of the department
for the part he has played, for
making possible our success"
Reviews Murders.
Maj. Barrett reviewed the mur-
ders of two watchmen at the
Lansburgh Department store in
April and the Staying of taxi
cab driver at Boiling Air Force
Base in May. Solution of these
brutal crimes. he said, afforded a
prime example of the efficiency of
police investigators.
There was little information
available at the start of the Lans-
burgh murder investigation, Maj
Barrett said.
But by proper police methods, :"
he added, " and with the interro-
CATION of almost 1000 persons
these crimes were marked closed
with the arrest of a young colored
man who was a former employe
OF the store. He was found guilty
and is under sentence to die in
the electric chair"
There were no clues at the
scene Of the Boiling Field murder,
Maj. Barrett said, and almost
5000 persons were questioned be-
fore the crime was solved with the
arrest of soldier who was ad-
judged insane and committed to
st. Elizabeths Hospital.
Leads uncovered by policeman
resulted in the arrest of three
hold-up men who robbed the
Forty ninth Street Branch of the
Metropolitan Bank on December 7
and the Shepherd Park Branch of
the Hamilton National Bank last
February.
Vicious Sex Crimes
Police also rounded up the five
members of the "Pimple Faced
Gang" thereby solving holdups of
the Fruit Growers Express Co., the
Naylor Theater and several other
places, Maj. Barrett reported.
A series of vicious sex crimes"
was one of the departments major
problems during the year, Mai.
Barrett said. All of those crimes
were solved. Among the sex crimes,
Maj. Barrett recalled, was the rape
of 'teen-aged girl, attempted
rape of 10-year-old child, and
the attempted rape of a young
housewife in the Brightwood Sec
ton a few weeks ago. A 16-year-
old colored youth has confessed all
three attacks, the police chief said.
During the first II months of
the year i,455 automobiles were
reported stolen and all but % were
recovered.
This is an outstanding record, !"
Maj. Barrett said.
Personnel Problem.
"In these troublous times" the
police chief continued" we are
confronted with a personnel prob
lem and it has been disappointing
that sufficient personnel could not
be recruited in order to put into
effect the five-day work week
which was authorized by Congress
earlier in the year. We are losing
men to the Armed Services and
our recruiting cannot keep pace
with the separations from our. de-
partment. Even in the face of de-
pleted ranks we have been for
tunate in clearing most of the
major crimes reported"
Maj. Barrett said the problem
of juvenile delinquency is "one of
much concern to the department. -
He pointed out that the Juvenile
Squad was enlarged and put un-
der the Detective Bureau during
the year.