Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-18
Son of Units Founder Works
In Police Identification Bureau
By J. Theodore Grown


Half a century ago. the late
Fred Sandberg set out with his
camera in a horse-drawn buggy
to bring science to the detection
Of crime in Washington.
Today, when his son. 45-year-
old Sergt. Robert Sandberg. sets
out on the same errand, a mod
ern laboratory. applying the SCI
entif1c knowledge Of so years.
goes along.
The contrast depicts the steady
growth of the Police Depart
ment's Identification Bureau. It
has developed from the one-man
department of 1904 to today's
crime laboratory manned by IA
specialists in the scientific detec-
ton of crime.
The bureau deals in countless
thousands of f1ngerprints, blood
stains. photographs, footprints,
tire marks. ballistics reports. tool
marks and cards showing how
known criminals operate.
The bureaus rooms at the Mu-
nicipal Center is the place
where:
Sergt. Sandberg, who learned
f1ngerprinting at his fathers
knee, daily scans new finger
prints as they come into the bu-
reau, hoping eventually to find
prints which will fit patterns in
the unsolved Sayings of Robert
N. Selph, Sam Leo Hoyle, Sam
uel Cooperman and Miss Alma
H. Preinkert.
Civilian Technician.
Edward j. Dion, a civilian
technician who learned his fin
gerprinting with the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation, was one of
several who checked 100000
prints before those which
matched fragments found in the
investigation of the SCOTS Hotel
Staying of Miss Alyce o. Taggart
were found. He was the man who
found them, and that work won
him a promotion.
Corpl. Frederick w. Mcleod,
who learned about guns in the
Navy and Marines, studied bal
liStics and recently qualified in
District courts as a firearms
Identification expert.
Mrs. Mary Margaret Flanagan,
"a. already an expert in how
known criminals operate, can
listen to a victims story and re-
port. Sounds like-did it,"
And usually, She's right.
The bureaus work gets enthu-
siastic support from Chief Robert
" Murray, who is a firm believer
in the application of scientific
methods to police work. He feels
that it has been a big help in
cutting down crime here, and
hopes to get more men, higher
pay and more equipment for the
bureau.
1t is headed by an educated
cop"-Lt. Joseph B. Bohanna, a
45-year-old Texas native who
holds bachelors degree and q
masters degree in biological
chemistry from Georgetown Uni
versity. He did his college work
part time while serving as a
policeman.
Directly under him is Sergt.
Sandberg, and next in line comes
Corpls. Mcleod and John H.
Hayden, who is widely recognized
in police departments elsewhere
as an expert in solving safe
crackings through tool identifi-
cation. The corporal has de-
veloped tool Identification meth
DDS which are now in use in other
police departments.
100000 Fingerprints.
The bureau-which operates
under Deputy Chief Edgar E.
Scott, chief of detectives-takes.
Classics and files an average of
10000 f1ngerprints a year. That
file has been built through the
years so that now it approaches
100000 separate sets of finger
prints.
In its laboratories, chemical
tests are made to determine If
stains on clothing. wood, glass
or people are from blood. Micro
scopic comparison tests are made
of burglary tool marks and bull
let's.
In addition to the central
laboratory at police headquar-
tiers, the bureau has a completely
equipped travelling laboratory.
With this laboratory. it is pos
Sible to do at the scene of q
crime anything which can be
done in the downtown labora-
tory. except develop and print
photographs.
This mobile laboratory is
equipped with a large generator
and floodlights. so that work can
be done in remote spots at night.
New ways Of applying science
to crime investigation. After q
year Of experimenting, one major
new development is being put
into use. This involves the use