Evening star., 1952-07-19
4.7% Increase
InCriinleHerein in
1851 Reported
Solution Rote Higher;
Second Precinct Is
Called Trouble Spot

Serious crime in the District
showed AZ per cent increase last
year, but police solved a higher
percentage Of the crimes COM
mitted.
This was noted yesterday by the
Washington Criminal Justice As
sociation in It's 18th annual
analysis Of District crime.
Pinpointed in the report was
crime in the congested second
precinct. There, 20.9 per cent of
the serious offenses were COM
mitted last year.
The second precinct, with So, $50
people crowded into 1.25 square
miles, IS bounded by K, s and Fiji
teenth streets NV. and Second
street NE.
The association reported that
this precinct had 31.8 per cent of
the city's aggravated assaults;
1858 per cent of the murders and
manSlaughters; Is per cent of the
rape and carnal knowledge cases;
22.6 per cent of the robberieS;
1913 per cent Of the cases Of car
rying dangerous weapon; 44.8I
per cent Of the prostitution cases;
58.4 per cent Of the drug VIOLA
tions; 43.5 per cent of the liquor
violations.
Increases In Many Offenses.
Other highlights from the re-
port:
Throughout the city, increases
were noted in 1851 in cases of
aggravated assault, embezzlementl
and fraud. grand larceny, house.
breaking. rape and carnal know
ledge. other sex offenSes and re-
ceiving stolen property. |
There were fewer cases last
year Of homicide, robbery and
forgery and counterfeiting.
Since 1948. there has been q
steady increase in the percentage
of cases closed by the police and
this increase has been in cases
actually solved by arrest. Last year
police cleared 65.6 per cent Of the
serious crimes, compared with
62.3 per cent in 1850, with 59.8
per cent in 1949 and So per cent
In 1948.
A total of 1882 actual serious
offenses were reported to police
during 1851, compared with H.
COL reported in 1850. Police made
S,760 arrests for serious offenses
during 1851 compared with S,512
in 1850.
OF those arrested. 1873 per cent
were colored and 26.2 per cent
were white. This compared with
arrests the previous year when rs
per cent were colored and "a
per cent cent were white-show-
ing a 1851 increase in the per-
centage Of white persons involved
In serious crime.
Juvenile Percentage Drops.
The percentage of juvenile Of
tenders decreased from 20.9 per
cent in 1850 to 1873 per cent in :,
1851, but the association said this
decrease did not mean less juve-
nile delinquency but rather a
change in police procedure in re-
cording fiuvenie offenses. This
procedure is aimed at protecting
the juvenile from an official record
Of arrest.
At the end Of 1851, a total Of
4.244 cases of serious crime were
still open"
The association made these
comments:
THE District usually leads the
country in the volume of aggra-
vated assaults but that is because
the Metropolitan Police include
every assault where weapon is
used even if the victim is not
injured. The association favors
this type of comprehensive report
ing even though it makes the Dis
trict suffer in comparison with
other cities.
while a program Of prevention
Is an integral part of law enforce
ment, there are many offenses :
which can never be prevented by
police vigilance; the primary re-
sponSibility Of enforcement agen-
cies is the apprehension of per-
sons who violate the law" The
association believes crime preven-
ton is the responsibility of the
community.
Environment Emphasized.
OF the second precincts high
crime rate, the association said it
was apparent that the crimes COM
mitted there are "those associated
with personal Illustration, emo
tional tensions and insecurity ag-
gravated by substandard environ
ment."
This same area" added the
report, "iS extremely high in it's
rates Of venereal disease, tubercu-
! loSis, infant mortality and many
other socially undesirable phe-
i1omena.. Crime as well as disease
knows no geographic boundaries
and an infected area is of concernl
to the entire community.
"The human needs of this area
must be met If Washington's
crime problem is to be controlled. -