Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-09-22
FB| Reports 23%
Rise in Major
Crimes inCity
Findings Cover Time
When Senate Hearing
Was at Its Peak

Major crimes in the District
jumped % per cent during the
first six months Of 1862 period
when the Senate District crime
hearings were at their peak.
The Federal Bureau Of Investi-
cation reported the increase over
a similar period in 1851 in its
semiannual Uniform Crime Re-
ports" Nationally, the FBI said.
crime was up ga per cent.
The only crime classifications to
show a decrease here were MUIR
ders and non-negligent man
|slaughters. These dropped from
AZ to 20. All others listed-rob-
berry, aggravated assault, burglary,
thefts and auto thefts-were up
over the comparative six months
in 1851.
The biggest increase came in
burglaries. There were 1854 bur-
lglaries in the first six months Of
1851, and 2,708 in the same period
in 1952-an increase of Is per
cent.
Robberies Up 10 Pct.
Other classifications showed
these totals and per cent Of in
crease:
Robberies. 412, up Is per cent.
Aggravated assaults, 2.175. up
IL per cent.
Thefts, $50 and over, 1880, up
20 per cent.
Thefts. under $50, 1852, up Is
per cent.
Auto thefts. 1856. up 81 per
cent.
Washington bettered the Nation
only in murders and non-negli-
gent manSlaughters. This city's
number dropped more than 80
per cent while the national figure
was going up 3.4 per cent.
All other increases, however,
were sharper than those for tho
Nation as a whole, according to
the FBI's national estimates.
Boston Increase Light.
Boston. the city closest to WASH
ington in the 1850 population
count, had a crime increase Of
only 3.4 per cent compared with
the Districts % per cent increase.
During this January to June
period, the Metropolitan Police
Department had a force of 2,071
policemen to combat crime. This
represents 2.59 policemen for each
1000 population-above the ma
tional figure Of Its for each 1000
persons.
); The department feels. however,
that 1t still is about 200 police
short of the number it estimates
+ are needed to effectively wage war
on crime.
Boston. for example - which
was able to keep its crime in
!. crease well below the national
average-had 3.57 policemen for
each 1000 population. With about
5000 less population, Boston has
l746 more policemen.
Nationally. the FBI said. there
will be more than 2 million major
crimes in the United States this
year if the present rate con-
tinueS. More than a million were
reported for the first half of the
year.
Most Crimes Increase.
Substantial increases were re-
ported through the Nation in all
crimes except rape. Robberies
went up 1873 per cent, aggravated
assault 9.3 per cent, burglary 81
per cent, thefts, 4.8 per cent and
auto thefts, 8.8 per cent. The
smallest increase-3.4. per cent
was noted in the murder category.
The FBIS statistics and esti-
mates are based on reports from
police chiefs and Sheriffs through.
out the country.
The FBI also noted in its semi
annual report:
Police cleared 70 of each 100
crimes against the person in 1851,
but only "a of each 100 crimes
against property.
OF those arrested and formally
charged in 1851. II per cent were
found guilty.
A person was most likely to
be convicted in 1851 if he were
charged with liquor law viola
ton and most likely to go free
| if charged with negligent man
slaughter.
Arrests of women went up about
2 per cent; arrests of men re-
manned about the same.