Evening star., 1954-12-29
Police Working
More on Crime,
Less on Tickets
Chief Murray Orders
Motorcyclists Shifted
To Night PotroIs


Police Chief Robert ". Murray
today announced he has ordered
his Traffic Divisions motorcycle
men to 60 to work on safe crack
ings. robberies and assaults at
night.
AT the same time, Inspector
William } Liverman of the Traf-
fic Division declared that q
number of motormen have been
transferred from daytime assign
ments to night duty.
The move was seen as part
of the police departments plan
to slow down the number of
tickets given for minor and
technical parking violations and
emphasize to the men that their
job is primarily the prevention
and detection Of serious crime.
The motormen, who have
made it their business to curb
traffic violations almost exclu-
sively, have been ordered to in
veStigate all suspicious matters
at night in an attempt to cut
down crime.
Already Pays of.
Already, Inspector Liverman
reported. the plan has become
effective. He named q recent
case in which motorcycle officers
nabbed q truckload Of stolen
meats early in the morning.
Chief Murray is also concerned
over the number Of complaints
received from persons who feel
they have been unjustly ticketed
for minor parking violations.
Because Of the publicity given
to the adjustment of tickets by
police captains and inspectors,
many officials refuse to take
such action now.
Chief Murray, however. EN-
phasized that he will back any
police official or police captain
to the last who takes any proper
police action including ticket
adjustment. II justified"
The chief expressed further
concern over the number Of
tickets for illegal parking that
have been given In the vicinity
Of the Crippled Children's Clinic
in the 1700 block of Massachu-
sets avenue NV.
"They should never be given
tickets" he declared. "It's not
common sense to ticket a car a.
a person helps a crippled child
into the building"
Rules Out Lectures.
The chiefals added that po-
lice officers have no right to
lecture violators.
"You can do your duty" he
said, without being abusive 10
people"
Municipal Court Chief Judge
Leonard F. Walsh agreed with
the chief and the inspector.
THE court does not like to see
minor cases come before it when
there is no reasonable justifica-
ton for the change" he said.
He concurred whole e-heartedly
with Chief Murray's directive to
police officers TO use common
sense when issuing parking
tickets.
Inspector Liverman empha-
sized that 1t is the duty of his
patrolmen to be friendly with
citizens and not make enemies.
I'VE will listen to anyone with
a complaint" he said. IF a per-
son comes in with a reasonable
excuse and the person has a
good record. will adjust 1t, warn
them or take other action"
Suggests More Warnings.
Chief Murray declared that
officers should issue more warn
ings and fewer tickets In minor
cases
With the advent of the new
Central Violations Bureau, the
burden Of adjusting tickets has
been lifted from the ticketing
officer and placed on his COM
manding officer The Corpora
tfon Counsel also may adjust
tickets.
Chief Murray. said the men
should not ticket cars unneces-
sarily. Warnings. he added, will
suffice If no hazard is created
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