Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-27
Ready
.ToAdd Police
In ; Months
Increase Of 100-150
On District Force
Set Under New Bill
By MIRIAM GUTENBERG

Police Chief Robert v. Murray
today unveiled plans to put be-
tween 100 and $50 more police
men on Washington streets with
in three months.
The bill for a police force of
not fewer than $500 men cleared
Congress yesterday and now
awaits the Presidents signature.
Funds to pay some $50 additional
men are expected to be approved
by July /.
Some District and congress
sional officials. recalling previous
police recruiting difficulties, had
assumed it would take six months
to a year to get the extra men.
But Chief Murray said he has
nearly 500 applicants, who have
already taken their civil service
examinations. From this man
power reservoir, he expects 80
| per cent, or $50, will be found
acceptable after the tests are
graded and physical examina-
lions and character investiga-
lions are completed.
More Protection Demanded
The drive to get men on the
street as fast as possible reflects
repeated public demands for
more police protection and Chief
Murray'S warnings that he can
not make further inroads into
crime without more men.
Here are highlights of the
program readied in preparation
for approval of the 2,500-man
force and of funds to finance it:
/. Swift processing of the
present applicants.
2. A mass recruiting drive east
of the Mississippi by the Police
Department and the Civil Serv-
ice Commission.
8. Doubling the number of re-
IcruitS going through the Police
Training School at a time.
4. Using all the additional
men exclusively for uniformed
duty on the streets.
Chief Murray said all units
of the department-the youth
aid division, detective bureau
and traffic division particular
Ily-have asked for men out OF
the prospective new pool. He
said he has refused all requests
and earmarked the new men fol-
street duty because that was the
lpromise he made the citizens
IgroupS which supported him and
the members of Congress who
pushed the 2,50O-man force bill
through the House and Senate
Inspector Archie M. Winfree
said he had been negotiating
with the Civil Service Commits
sion and the District Board OF
Police and Fire Surgeons and
had agreements from both that
they will speed the processing of
applicants. He said the Civil
Service Commission had agreed
to give more frequent examina-
tons if enough men apply.
On recruiting, Inspector Win
free said he will send out 2,50C
pamphlets to sheriffs, military
separation centers and United
States Employment Service cen
tiers. The mailing will start in
surrounding counties and fan oul
to further points.
Handicapped in Training
Inspector Winfree, who heacs
the police training division, sale
the Civil Service Commission
plans to send out thousands Of
pamphlets, too. They will go tt
poStmaSterS as soon as the bill
clears the White House. This j;
the first blanket recruiting drive
by police since 1852.
On training, Inspector WinfreC
said he would double the size o.
the class in July. The ultimate
goal is to get men into training
as soon as they join the force.
For the past three years, mer
in the training school have beer
repeatedly jerked out to COPE
with emergencies. Right now
they are going to school three
days instead of five. The other
two days are spent on the street
during the hours of greatest Incl.
dence of crime.
There are 43 in the school now
They have been on the force a
year, but will not finish theil
theoretically l2-week training
course until May ID.
81 in Precincts
Another 81 men were put out
in the precincts after spending
a week in the school to learn the
police manual and the laws Of
arrest. Forty-four of them will
form the next class in the train.
ing school.
Chief Murray said he will moi
put SO men into the training
school at time until the fol.
lowing class, which will begin ir
July. He said he could not spare
them from street duty until thu
new crop OF men joins the force
He emphasized the nontraineC
men are assigned to work witt
police veterans in the precinc
land do profit by the practica
experience, although he agree
with Inspector Winfree tina
classroom training should b.
completed as soon as possible.