Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-22
Budget Conferees Vote
$4,000 for Crime Fight
Fund Will Pay
For Additional
Night Patrols

A DID Tor $4,000 TO fight
the District crime wave has
survived a Senate-House con-
ference Of budget makers.
The money to put ia police
on extra night patrol duty was
left in a big supplemental
money package by conferees
late yesterday.
Their official report is due
to be filed in the House on
Monday by Chairman Cannon
of the House Appropriations
Committee. Congressional &C
ton is expected to clear the
proposal for the Presidents sig
nature before the weeks end.
It was learned unofflcially
that conferees also:
. Deleted $11,500 requested
to pay lawyers assigned to rep
resent allegedly insane persons
throughout lunacy proceedings
in the District. Some 1000 Of
these cases a year now are ham
died by lawyers and the money
has run out to pay them.
Study Item SIashed
. Slashed $4,000 of a
100000 request to complete a
Metropolitan Area mass trans
portation study. The National
Capital Planning Commission
said its study director. Keneth
Hoover, might have to resign
unless some money is forth
coming.
But the District Commission
ers' urgent plea for police funds
was given the most attention
by conferees.
This item did not arrive on
Capitol Hill in time for con-
sideration by the House APP
preparations unit. Robert E.
Mclaughlin, president of the
Board of Commissioners, made
an 11th-hour appearance be-
fore the Senate Appropriations
Committee in an effort to tack
the money on to the supple
mental bill.
He said the number of crimes
of violence during the night
hours in the District are more
than just seasonal" Many
conferences between Police
Chief Robert v. Murray and
the Commissioners resulted in
a decision that the $4,000
was a minimum. immediate
need. according to Mr.. Nc
Laughlin.
Work on Day Of
He said the money would be
used to pay ia men. now on
the force. for night work on
their days of. They would be
volunteers. not draftees for this
patrol duty, he emphasized.
They would receive straight
pay.
His plan is to continue plac-
ing these night patrolmen in
trouble spots throughout the
city. The ia began their work
in mid-February. and appropri-
alton of the money to continue
to pay them will assure their
being at trouble spots through
out the year, ending June 30.
In answer to lawmakers
queries about the types of crime
on the increase here. Mr.. Nc
Laughlin characterized them
as "robberies. muggings. crimes
of violence on the street and
pocketbook snatchings."
He attributed the rising
spiral of crime, in part, to the
reduction in employment. But
this reduction also has been
factor in aiding the police in
| recent recruitment efforts. &C
cording to Chief Murray.
Lag in Recruits
The authorized strength of
the Districts force is 2.508 men.
Actual strength runs close to
1900. because of the difficulty
of finding recruits. The Com
miSsioners have promised to
send a bill for increased police
pay to Congress shortly.
The separate item to pay
attorneys in lunacy cases was
inserted in the money bill by
the Senate Appropriations
Committee but not allowed by
the House. The Senate yielded
on this point in conference
mainly because the legislators
saw two possible alternatives
to granting an outright sum of
Federal money.
The District could include
the item in a local budget.
some conferees felt. Others
favored rewriting the local law
so all allegedly insane persons
would not need to have lawyers
throughout the lunacy cases.
Such persons did not need
lawyers, under the interpreta-
ton Of the local law, until last
May. Then. the u. S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Co
lumbia handed down a decision
requiring that an attorney be
on hand from the time the per-
son is brought before the Men,
tai Health Commission to test
his sanity.
Previous to the decision, a
lawyer was assigned only when
the commission referred the
case to court and a Jury trial
Potfld dnfarT1aiY1a SANITY