Evening star., 1953-05-24
Plan 10 Drop
Town S Police
5tirs County
Other Groups Fear
BIodensburg Proposal
Will Be Copied

- SPaSS
Town policemen all over Prince
Georges County are on edge
because Of a move in BIadens-
burg to abandon the town police
department.
Town officers in other COM
munities are concerned that If
Bladensburg drops its police
force, other towns will follow
suit.
Some municipalities, College
Park being the largest, already
count on the county police de-
partment to provide them with
virtually all police services.
The, issue Of abandoning the
four-mano BladenSburg police
force is still very much up in
the air, but already 1t has stirred
a tempest. PartiSans of the town
force have circulated a public
letter urging support for the de-
partment and plan to seek sig
natures on petition beginning
tomorrow
Proposed by 3 Groups.
The proposal was made by rep
resentativeS of three citizens as
sociationS at the town councils
budget meeting May IA. The citi-
ZenS' groups questioned the ad-
visibility Of spending $4,000 of
the proposed total budget of ST.
400 for next fiscal year for the
town police unit.
Mayor Otis L. Stevens, who
was elected May 4, said the coun-
Gil voted that night to approve
the budget with the understand
Ing that the police department
item would be investigated fur
ther and could be trimmed. Coun-
Gil members John P. Campbell
and Mrs. Susan Cristofane were
directed to find out whether
county police could serve the
town and how much it would
cost.
Since then County Police Chief
F. Allen Richards has reported
that it would cost the county
$14,235 to provide Bladensburg
with at least one man and one
squad car on duty at all times
there. That, of course, would not
be the amount it would actually
cost BfadenShurg to obtain the
extra county service since some
OF the county taxes Bladensburg
residents pay goes for police pro-
lection.
County Commissioner w.
Everett Marion has estimated
that the special service would
cost Bladensburg $4,000. Chief
Richards has said he believes it
might be lower than that.
County Chief Confident.
Chief Richards expressed con-
&1dence that his department
would be able to cover Bladens-
burg. He pointed out that his
department will increase from
70 to los men on July /.
The move. if it is adopted in
Bladensburg, would set a prece-
dent. College Park and the
other towns which now rely on
the county fer police protection
have no special group of officers
assigned to look after their in
terests exclusively, as is con-
templated in the Bladensburg
proposal.
The two Bladensburg Council
members investigating the cost
OF the proposal appear to stand
at opposite poles on the issue.
Mrs. Cristofane told a re-
porter:
For $18,000-one third of our
tax dollar-we are entitled to
better police protection and less
newspaper notoriety."
She referred to a series Of
recent incidents involving BIa-
densburg policemen. One of
them concerned the use of tear
gas to evict colored family who
had refused to move after the
Health Department had con-
demned their home. In addition,
some persons arrested by Bla-
densburg officers have charged
that blackjackS and brutality
were used unnecessarily.
In a letter circulated through
the community, Mr.. Campbell
referred to the incidents with
this statement: Its true the
BladenSburg police force has
been subject to ridicule in the
past due to elements of unusual
character (police officers clever
IN coverupS of shenanigans."
These officers, he added, have
since been forced out"
He said BladenSburg needs it's
police force to protect the town
and guard school children. "A
county policeman is county (not
town. conscious and you cannot
blame them" he wrote.
Mrs. Eileen Hopkins, 414 fifty
sixth avenue. who said she will
circulate a petition in support of
the town force, hopes to bring
the issue up at a town meeting
at pm. Wednesday in Bladens-
burg Senior High School.
But Mayor Stevens said the
issue is closed until Mrs. Cristo-
fame and Mr.. Campbell report at
the next council meeting June /
and he will not allow it to be
discussed at Wednesdays meet
ing. they try to bring it I'D
Mr.. Stevens said, I'll adjourn
the meeting"
"A AMMSm,o.