Evening star., 1953-04-05
Capt. Thomas Sullivan Leaves
Police Force After 40 Years
Helped to Return
Scores of Runuwuys
With TV Program
By J. Theodore Grown

Capt. Thomas j. Sullivan, who
returned scores Of runaway chill
dren to their homes. has retired
from the police force after nearly
40 years Of service.
It was Capt. Sullivan who, as
head Of the Missing Persons
Squad, first went on television
locally on a regularly scheduled
program showing pictures and
giving descriptions of children
who had left home.
Some cases were just the wan
derluSt Of spring. some an urge
to go away with the circus. But
others were the result Of semi
tragic situations at home which
the police tried to fix up. They
weren't all children. Often it
was a grown daughter who had
eloped. Sometimes a mother
would slam the door and leave
children to fend for them
selves. Sometimes the lookouts
were for respondent persons who
might do away with themselves.
Program Was Effective.
Radio had been found to be
a big. help in locating the miss
ing, but television proved to be
much better, especially when
parents were able to supply a
recent picture Of the runaway.
Often, by the time Capt. Sulli-
van had returned to police head
quarters from the WNBW-TV
studios of the National Broad
casting Co. there would be a
telephone call stating where the
missing person could be found.
The program made Capt. Sui
Ivan, who was head Of the Spe-
ciaI Lssv~stigation detail as well
as the Missing Persons Squad.
one of the best-known policemen
in the Capitol.
He is one Of four brothers
whose entire careers have been
in the employment Of the Dis
trict government. His older
brother, Capt. jeremiah A. Sui
livan, retired two years ago from
the captaincy Of the End pre-
cinct. Another brother, William,
has retired from the Fire De-
partment. Richard Sullivan, a
third brother, is chief inspector
for the Alcoholic Beverage Con-
troll Board.
Thomas C. Sullivan, a nephew
(the son Of Jeremiah) is a lieu
tenant in the 4th precinct. His
wife, Mrs. Sullivan, is a clerk
in the Check and Fraud squad.
The Sullivans' father worked
for Is years in the District re-
pair shop. He was a wagon and
carriage maker.
Hobby Is Carpentry.
Capt. Thomas Sullivan, who
started out as a bricklayer and
whose hobby is carpentry. lives
at SOB Emerson street NV. He
retired on Tuesday. On Thurs
day, Police Chief Robert v. Muir
ray presented him with a gold
watch purchased by his fellow
officers in the Detective Bureau.
He and Mrs. Sullivan now are
planning a trip to Florida.
When Tom Sullivan started on
the police force in 1913, the sal
ary was $75 a month; the men
| worked seven days a week-walk-
ing the beat for eight hours every
day and on every other day re-
manning at the station house for
an additional eight hours on re-
serve duty. They bought their
own uniforms. The District gave
them a badge, gun and a key
for the patrol signal box. And
there always was a long list OF
men waiting to take the exami-
nation. The new policeman to-
day gets $3.50 month for a
five-day 40-hour week and it is
difficult to recruit men to take
the examination.
Capt. Sullivan started at No. Z,
the Georgetown precinct. He
finally was transferred to No. 2,
now the Women's Bureau on
Fifth street north of M, because
it took too long to go by street.
car from his home at North Cap
itol and Quincy place to the sta
ton house.
Protected Wilson.
During World War I, he was
assigned to help protect President
Woodrow Wilson at the White
House. Then he was made a
l