Evening star., 1953-03-26
Rise in Crime
Is Attributed 10
Lack Of Police
Serious Offenses
Hit District Peak,
Justice Group Says

The city today had q picture
Of crime at an all-time high and
a police force spread too thin
to protect the city.
The Washington Criminal
Justice Associations 18th annual
report. showed:
/. Serious crime in the District
increased by 1914 per cent in 1852
to reach a record breaking total
of 1850 felonious offenses.
2. The number Of housebreak-
ings alone totalled 5.211 in 1852.
representing a 40 per cent in
crease in two years.
3. Delinquent acts known to
Juvenile Court showed a COS
per cent increase in 1852.
4. The number of children IL
years old or younger brought into
Juvenile Court as delinquents
showed 50.8 per cent increase
in 1852.
249 Foot Patrolmen.
The association linked these
crime statistics with this picture
Of police coverage:
With the present actual
strength of 1850 policemen.
there are 1.404 assigned to foot
patrol duty. Because the city
must be covered "a hours a day,
seven days week, there are only
249 available for foot patrol on
a daily average and these men
must be distributed over three
tours of duty.
There are many areas of the
District of Columbia in which
police coverage is at best ex-
tremely superficial most Of the
time," the association reported.
There are times when, because
of the heavy burden of assign
ments, there are no police off,
GERS performing actual patrol
duty throughout most of the
CITY,"
The association added that, as
a matter of practical administra-
ton, the precinct commanders
are faced with a situation in
which many foot beats are never
covered by a patrolman, or one
officer Is assigned several beats"
The association asserted that
the problem of police coverage
is directly related to the In
creased volume of offenses by
juveniles since the presence of a
policeman in the near vicinity
should help to control juvenile
delinquency.
Recommendations Drafted.
To cope with the problem Of
a greater volume of serious
crime. the association made
these recommendations:
The police force should be
increased to $500 with pay in
creaSes adequate to recruit and
maintain well qualified per-
sonnel.
Efforts should be made to re.
duce the number of police re-
quired to perform duties only
indirectly associated with crime
prevention so more police can
be assigned to the first line of
defense against crime.
Offenders with dangerous
weapons should be dealt with
more severely when involved in
assault cases. At present.
great number" of aggravated
assaults are dismissed, nolle
pressed or reduced to simple as.
sault when they come to court.
On coping with juvenile de-
linquency, the association said
1t was evident that the COM
munity is now "doing too little
too late" The youngster who
comes to the attention of police
or juvenile court has often gone
so far along the path of NAL.
adjustment, the report declared.
that rehabilitation become ex-
ceedingly difficult and lengthy
and the public institutions are
not adequately equipped with
personnel. program or physical
facilities to accomplish long
range treatment.
Program for Children.
To get the children before
they become community prob
lens, the association proposed:
More citizen support to ex-
pand the Board of Public Well
fares programs for aid to de-
pendent children, foster home
placement and counselling serv-
ice since the workers in these
programs are likely to have the
earliest contact with families in
danger of disintegrating.
More public and private rec
reational facilities for children.
including the possibility Of pro-
viding services beyond the pres
ent Saturday and Sunday closing
times.
An extension Of police service
in the Juvenile Squad and the
Women's Bureau to provide bet
ter supervision for school age
youngsters now wandering the
streets during school hours and
unreasonably late at night.