Evening star., 1952-10-29
D. {. Crime Clearance
By Police Reported at
Near Record Of 81

The Metropolitan Police De-
partment reported yesterday that
its record of crime clearance re.
manned high in the fiscal year
that ended last July. despite ar
increase in the number of offenses
and a sharp decline in personnel
The report to the Commits
lsioners stated that the number OF
serious offenses during the year
rose 11.8 per cent. from 20.19O to
l22, ,591. The number of less serious
offenses increased 4l2 per cent
to 11,967.
The police report stated that
Iof the l1,705 arrests made for
serious offenses last year, 78 per
cent were Negroes and % per cent
whites. OF the 203,9O8 total ar
rests, 81 per cent were white and
I39 per cent Negroes.
61.3% Cleared.
Although the number of police
men on the street was 10 per cent
below the departments authorized
strength. the police cleared 61.3
per cent of all offenses reported.
This is within one-half of a per-
|centage point of the 1851 record,
and far above the national aver
age, Chief Robert V. Murray said.
The statistics show the number
of murders dropped from 65 in
1851 to SO last year. A slight de-
crease in rape offenses was re-
ported.
The most significant increases
in serious crimes were in the cate
gories Of robbery. aggravated as
saults, housebreakings, larceny
and automobile thefts.
The police last year arrested
2O3,908 persons for all offenses.
including traffic cases, such as
illegal parking. The number OF
arrests is not correlated with OF.
fenses reported, however. The de-
partment pointed out that the
arrest of one individual may solve
several offenses; conversely, sew
Ieral persons may be arrested fol
a single offense. Some of those
arrested were charged with Of
lenses committed in previous
years.
More Juveniles Involved.
OF the 11.705 arrests for serious
oftenses, 27 per cent involved sus-
poets II years old or younger. In
1851. the percentage of this group
was "a per cent.
There were 1852 juvenile ar
rests in 1852 as compared with
2,4l4 juvenile arrests in 1951-an
increase of 30.6 per cent" the re-
port said.
This increase does not neces-
sarily indicate serious increase
in juvenile offenders, but rather
is the result of policy changes
within the department.
"On December 20, 1850, the
juvenile squad of this department
was reorganized and policies con-
cerning methods of handling juve-
nile offenders revised. The main
reason for revision of policy was to
preclude the establishment OF
criminal records for juveniles un-
less circumstances fully justified
such action.
Provides Consultation.
Under procedures established
at that time, the officer in charge
of the juvenile squad is authorized
to consult with the authorities of
the Juvenile Court concerning the
advisability of presenting individ-
val cases for court action or of
disposing of them by means of
hearings held in the Offices of the
Juvenile squad.
I'm addition. no member of this
department (other than the Wom-
ems Bureau may charge a juve-
nile on the arrest book until the
officer in charge of the juvenile
squad authorizes the charge"
The report said that. as a re-
suit of the policy change, the
number of juvenile apprehensions
officially recorded decreased in
1851. 1t added that the number
for 1852 is still below the total for
two years before. 1t also said the
increase last year can be attributed
partly to greater efficiency in the