Evening star., 1951-10-15
Crime in District
Shows Increase,
FbI Reports
D. c. Leads Nation in
Aggravated Assaults;
Robberies Decrease

aggravated ASSuultSs
Robberies Decrease
A marked increase in most ma
jor crimes here during the first
half of 1851 was revealed today in
the FBI's semiannual Uniform
Crime Reports.
Robberies and auto thefts
showed a decrease, in comparison
with offenses reported in the first
half Of last year, but murder and
non negligent manslaughter, ag-
|gravated assault, houSebreaking
and larceny all were on the climb.
Washington led the Nation in
aggravated assaults shooting.
cutting, stabbing, manning, poi
soning, scalding and acid-throw-
ing. In the same period last year.
Washington was second to Chi
cago in aggravated assaults.
Nationally, the FB1 reported,
crime rose 81 per cent in the
cities and 4 per cent in the rural
areas in comparison with the first
half of 1850.
Robbery Cruiser Helps.
Police Superintendent Robert ].
Barrett attributed the decrease in
robberies to the fact that rob-
bery cruiser is now on the street
"a hours a day and can speed to
the sceen of a robbery in time to
Iget first-hand information and
sometimes even to catch the Of
fender in the vicinity.
Maj. Barrett thought the in
crease in housebreaking could be
. blamed partially on several one
man crime waves here last spring,
Including the Eighth Precinct case
involving some 40 buSglaries.
He pointed out that police are
l now 210 men below their author
S lied strength and expressed the
= view that if these vacancies could
be filled and more men put on the
street the number of crimes would
60 down.
Murder Incidence Down.
In cities across the, Nation, there
, was 81 per cent decrease in MUIR
ders. a 80 per cent decrease in
negligent manslaughter, 6 per
cent increase in rape, an 8.4 per
cent decrease in robbery, 19 per
cent decrease in aggravated as
sault, a 80 per cent decrease in
burglary, 7.9 per cent increase in
= larceny and an 1876 per cent in
crease in auto theft.
For every 100 crimes reported
;. during 1850, the FBI noted. %
were cleared by the arrest of % Of
tenders. The percentage cleared
: in each major crime category
: showed 93.8 per cent Of the mur-
y ders cleared. 1873 per cent of the
:. negligent manslaughters. 80.3 per
cent Of the rape. 1855 per cent of
= the aggravated assault, 43.5 per
cent of the robbery, 20 per cent Of
!. the burglary, 25.6 per cent of the
- auto theft and 22.1 per cent Of
the larceny.
The FBI reported 7.2 per cent
increase in the arrest of girls un-
der 81 during the first half Of
y 1850. Arrests of girls under 81
= for offenses against property in
creased by 3.8 per cent while ar
= rests Of the younger girls for Of
! fenses against common decency.
such as prostitution, commercial
lied vice and other sex offenses,
and disorderly conduct and vag-
rancy increased by 1875 per cent.
D. C. Fifth in Murders.
Washington, in comparison with
j other cities of over 100000 in
: habitants. ranked fifth in murders.
d seventh in robbery, first in aggra-
r waited assault, ninth in house.
breaking, seventh in larcenies in
volying more than $50; sixth in
petty larcenies and 14th in auto
" thefts. AS in previous years, the
FBI did not include reports from
II New York City and Jersey City
: for lack of complete data.
II The FBI cautioned as usual
c against comparing one city with
II another because of different Cir
: cumstances in each city and sug-
: gested instead that a city's record
should be compared with past
performance.
r Breakdown of Offenses.
q In Washington, here's how Of
n fenSes reported in the first half
: Iof 1851 compare with the same
It period last year:
Murder and non-negligent man
y slaughter-42 in 1851 compared
g with 81 in 1850 for an increase of
: 26.19 per cent.
q Robbery-352 in 1851 compared
with 435 in 1850 for a decrease of
1852 per cent.
Aggravated assault - 1886 in
a 1851 compared with 1911 in, 1850
4 for an increase of 1.24 per cent.
o Burglary or housebreaking-1,- =
854 in 1851 compared with 1,74o
in 1850 for an increase of 6,2 per
y cent.
Larceny of more than $50-856
in 1851 compared with 833 in 1850
:. for an increase of 2.68 per cent.
Larceny Increases.
d Larceny of less than $50-3, ,es8
in 1851 compared with 3,773 in
O 1850 for an increase of 5.62 per
, cent.
Auto theft-646 in 1851 COM
pared with 691 in 1850 for a de-
! crease of 6.51 per cent.
In examining national figures
' on the number of persons found
guilty of their crimes last year,
!, the FBI commented:
:. "A drunken driver arrested and
!, charged with driving while intoxi-
i Gated stands a greater chance of
being convicted in court than
does a person charged with any
J. other offense but, ironically