Evening star., 1951-10-26
Traffic Arrest
Spurt Defended
BY Johnstone
Big Rise Explained
| In Answering Dugon,
Seeking His Custer

Decking tbs OuSteI
Nearly three times as many
motorists were arrested in Ar
lington last month as in April.
the month before Carlisle john
stone became director of the De-
partment of Public Safety.
Mr.. Johnstone said yesterday
there were 588 traffic arrests in
April and 1,540 in September.
Meanwhile, criminal arrests de-
clined from 295 to, 233.
The increase in the number Of
arrests since Mr.. Johnstone took
office has been cited by County
Board Member Daniel A. Dugan
as one of the reasons why the di-
rector should be removed from
office. Mr.. Dugan said Saturday
he will urge Mr.. Johnstone's dis
missal at the boards meeting to-
morrow.
Many in School Zones.
MANY of the September ar
rests" Mr.. Johnstone said yes
terday. were for speed violations
in school zones" He said that
250,000 vehicles travel Arlington
roads every day, and he believes
the percentage of arrests is not
unusually high when compared
with this figure.
Figures for the past six months
ION traffic arrests are: April, 588.
May. 906; June, 1887; July, 857:
August, 1,03S, and September.
$40.
MIR. Johnstone cited these rea-
sons for the rise:
! He takes the view that traffic
enforcement is serious business.
"a hours a day and 365 days a
year" He is convinced that a
strong, consistent enforcement
policy will in time reduce the
traffic accident rate.
Part of the increase is a result
of a rise in the number of vehicles
on county roads, as the popula-
tlon mas risen. There has been
a steady increase in the number
Iof traffic arrests for more than
10 years.
Police in Unmarked Car.
About 80 arrests a week in Sep
tember were made for violations in
school zones. Many of these ar
rests were made by policemen in
an unmarked car. The purpose
OF putting the unmarked car into
operation on September l, Mr..
IJohnstone said. was mot to sneak
up on motorists but to keep peo-
pie on the alert"
About the time Mr.. Johnstone
TOOK over his duties, the number
OF policemen in scout cars during
daylight was reduced from two
10 one. This means that now there
are 10 or II cars on the road
during the day, compared with
from four to six last winter.
rive department motorcycles
nave been equipped with radios.
/ thus increasing the efficiency of
these vehicles.
4 Opening of Shirley highway to
truck traffic has required in.
creased patroling there, Mr.. john
stone said.
The public safety director an
tlclpates a falling off in the num-
per OF arrests about the first of
the year,
said. "
No Early Decline Seen.
with winter weather approach
ing and many commuters driving
TO and from home in the dark.
no appreciable decline in the ac-
cldent rate can be expected soon.
BY spring, there should be a de-
cline. unless the volume of auto
and truck traffic shows a very
great increase.
The three Els of traffic safety
are engineering. education and
enforcement" Mr.. Johnstone saws.
"A good job is being done in en-
glneering and education in Ar
lington. It appeared that there
was a need for a gradual stepup
OF enforcement procedure"
Among the thousands of mo-
torlsts who use the county's high
ways every day is a small per-
centage Of Intentional violators
Mr.. Johnstone believes. The pub
lies principal protection against
these drivers. he contends, is en-
rorcement of traffic laws.