Evening star., 1952-05-23

Senators Are Sharp
In Criticism of Police
And Commissioners
Inspector Albert I. Bullock's
Of II don't know" and
II can't remember" brought
sharp criticism from Senators on
the District crime committee and
from Committee Counsel Arnold
Bauman.
The remarks came at the end
of a two-day closed hearing in
which the inspector and his wife
were quizzed about their personal
finances.
The remarks follow:
Mr.. Bauman-May say, Sem
ator. that my own personal re-
action as counsel of this commit
tee is exactly that as has been
expressed by various members Of
the committee this morning.
do not believe that this witness
has made an honest statement
before this committee.
It is my personal feeling and
Judgment that he has sought to
|evade the answering of questions
by the constant and repeated use,
over day and a half now. Of
II don't know" and, II don't re-
member"
1t is my feeling that he has done
this deliberately.
Accordingly. I want to recon-
mend, if may do so without be-
ing out of order, that the record
in this case be forwarded to the
Board of District Commissioners
for such disciplinary action az
they feel necessary.
The Chairman-That ought to
be done, and sent to the district
attorney as well. it occurs to the
chair. Do you have any COM
ments on the subject. Senator
Welker?
Welker Not Satisfied.
Senator Welker-Well, I GER
tainly agree with everything that
counsel has said. I hesitate to
prejudge man. I am not satis-
fled with his testimony. think
he has been evasive. He has
offered me the explanation that
he is not well. but I think what
we do with this file should be fully
discussed by the committee.
I am more impressed with tho
chairman's suggestion that it
might go to the grand jury than
I am to the District Commission
Iers. because I have felt. and I still
feel, that if there is malfeasance
linsthe police department here, the
fault of a lot of that malfeasance
lies right at the doorstep of the
District Commissioners. And after
lall of these long years, a gentle-
man by the name of Bauman from
New York. a Senator by the name
iof Nicely from West Virginia, Hunt
of wyoming, Pastore of Rhode
Island and Welker of Idaho must
come in here and clean up a mess
that should have been apparent
to the District Commissioners,
and do not care who they were.
That should have been apparent
long, long ago.
So I will do anything that Is
right and just in this matter. but
I think we should discuss it. AS
a matter of fact, I am not familiar
with yesterdays testimony. I
have not read it, but will by the
time we meet again.
The shocking example that has
been brought out here today. and
on prior days, may be very en-
barrassing for people who take
pride in the Metropolitan Police
Department.
Failed to Take Action.
The chairman-The chair con.
ours fully in the statement of the
distinguished Senator from the
State of Idaho, that the. Commis1
sioners of the District of Colum-
bia, during the period covered by
the Investigations that this COM
Imittee has made, certainly should
have known what was going on in
the Police Department and should
have taken, not only corrective
measures for what has occurred.
but also preventative measures to
assure the people of the District Of
Columbia and the world that
there would be no recurrence Of
misconduct such as has been
proved before this committee, be-
yond any shadow of a doubt.
The chair wants, and does voice
his complete confidence in the
lpresent Board of Commissioner
of the District Of Columbia.
That the Commissioners have
been derelict and highly repre-
lhensibly derelict in the matter Of
stamping out crime and prevent
ling crime in the District Of
Columbia is so apparent that it
lis difficult for the chairman Of
this committee to understand how
ANYONE could have any doubt
about the matter.
Senator Welker: I have one
more observation. In fairness to
Mr.. Chairman, to the witness Bull
lock, want to say that he is not
the only witness who is an insulter
Iof the intelligence Of every mem.
ber of this committee and the
staff. by coming before us and
passing the blame to his wife and
operating financially by ear, as I
might say. I say 1t is an insult to
the intelligence Of any one on this
committee. or the staff, because 1t
Ijust is not done that way, and I
want the record to show that. I
am not saying. Inspector. that you
are the only one to be criticized
but these officers who have come
|up here and said, We'll, my wife