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POLICE AND FIREMEN PAY INCREASE
HEARINGS
BEFORE
SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 4
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NINETIETH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278, H.R. 11435 and
H.R. 13980
TO PROVIDE SALARY INCREASES FOR POLICE AND
FIREMEN
H.R. 6644 and ll.R. 11149
TO PROVIDE SALARY INCREASES AND RECRUITMENT
INCENTIVES FOR POLICEMEN
H.R. 13981
TO PROVIDE RECRUITMENT INCENTIVES FOR
POLICEMEN
AND
H.R. 13202
TO ABOLISH THE RANK OF DETECTIVE ANI) PROMOTE
DETECTIVES TO DETECTIVE SERGEANTS
JANUARY 23 AND 30, 1968
Printed for the use of JJ~e..coLuE1Iittee on the District of Columbia
c~OVERNMENT DEPosrroRy
* ~ T~E STATE UNWERSITy
~ OF SOUTH JERSEY LU3RARY
CAMDEN, N, J. 08102
2 ~ 3 / U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
88- 4 WASHINGTON : 1968 FE~ 1 4 1968
27rfr/7~(
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THOMAS G. ABERNETHY, Mississippi
WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Illinois
JOHN DOWDY, Texas
BASIL L. WHITENER, North Carolina
B. F. 515K, California
CHARLES C. DIGGS, JR., Michigan
G. ELLIOTT HAGAN, Georgia
DON FUQTJA, Florida
DONALD M. FRASER, Minnesota
BROCK ADAMS, Washington
ANDREW JACOBS, JR., Indiana
E. S. JOHNNY WALKER, New Mexico
JOHN DOWDY, Texas
B. F. SISK, California
G. ELLIOTT HAGAN, Georgia
DON FUQUA, Florida
BROCK ADAMS, Washington
ANCHER NELSEN, Minnesota
WILLIAM L. SPRINGER, Illinois
ALVIN E. O'KONSKI, Wisconsin
WILLIAM H. HARSHA, Ohio
CHARLES McC. MATHIAS, Ja., Maryland
FRANK J. HORTON, New York
JOEL T. BROYHILL, Virginia
LARRY WINN, JR., Kansas
GILBERT GUDE, Maryland
JOHN M. ZWACH, Minnesota
SAM STEIGER, Arizona
COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JOHN L. McMILLAN, South Carolina, Chairman
JAMES T. CLARK, Clerk
CLAYTON S. GASQTJE, Staff Director
HAYDEN S. GABBER, Counsel
SUBCOMMITTEE No. 4
BASIL L. WHITENER, North Carolina, Chairman
WILLIAM H. HARSHA, Ohio
JOEL T. BROYHILL, Virginia
GILBERT GUDE, Maryland
SAM STEIGER, Arizona
(ir)
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CONTENTS
HR. 10761 (McMillan), H.R. 11278 (Mathias), H.R. 11435 (Machen),
and H.R. 13980 (Broyhill), to provide salary increases for police and Page
firemen, adjust pay alinement, and for other purposes 6
H.R. 6644 (Steiger) and H.R. 11149 (Adams), to provide salary increases
for police and firemen, recruitment incentives for policemen, and for
other purposes 9
H.R. 13981 (Broyhill), to provide recruitment incentives for policemen_. 11
Staff Memorandum, comparison of House bills with proposal of D.C.
Government 2
STATEMENTS
Adams, Hon. Brock, Representative in Congress from the State of
Washirgton 31
Broyhill, Hon. Joel T., Representative in Congress from the State of
Virginia 23
District of Columbia Government:
Washington, Hon. Walter E., Commissioner 33
Fletcher, Hon. Thomas W., Deputy Commissioner 33
Murphy, Hon. Patrick V., Director of Public Safety 33
Wilson, Jerry V., Deputy Chief, Metropolitan Police Department~_ 33
Weitzel, William C., Assistant Chief, Fire Department 33
Moyer, Thomas F., Assistant Corporation Counsel 33
Eaton, John, Personnel Office 33
Dreschler, Sgt. Carl. W 83
Fire Fighters Association, District of Columbia:
Beller, Edwin J., Treasurer 88
Kefauver, Alden C., President 88
Raeder, Albert 0., Secretary 88
McMillan, Hon. John L., Representative in Congress from the State of
South Carolina, Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia - - - 22, 61
Machen, Hon. Hervey G., Representative in Congress from the State of
Maryland 25
Multer, Hon. Abraham J., Justice, New York State Supreme Court, former
Representative in Congress from the State of New York 28
National Zoological Park Police, American Federation of Government Em-
ploynes, Lodge 185:
Jordan, Norman E., President 93
Van Tassel, Charles H., Secretary-Treasurer 93
Policemen's Association of the District of Columbia:
Beatty, Sergeant Carl W., President 85
Finzel, William J., member, Legislative Committee 85
Givens, Royce L., Executive Secretary 85
Sullivan, John L., Chairman, Legislative Committee 85
U.S. Park Police, Walter W. Lange, Chief 85
Whitener, Hon. Basil L., Representative in Congress from the State of
North Carolina, Chairman, Subcommittee No. 4 32, 79
` ~1I )
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Iv
MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
Amendments proposed:
District of Columbia Government: Page
Tobriner, Hon. Walter N 14, 18
Washington, Hon. Walter 37, 42, 48-61
Dreschler, Sgt. Carl W 84
Fire Fighters Association_ 90,91
Machen, Hon. Hervey G 26
Multer, Hon. Abraham J 29
Policemen's Association 86,87
District of Columbia Government:
Tobriner, Hon. Walter N., President, Board of Commissioners:
Letter dated February 9, 1967 to The Speaker of the House,
submitting draft of legislation to increase police salaries, etc.
(subsequently introduced as H.R. 6644 and H.R. 11149)
Letter dated October 10, 1967 to Chairman McMilan, reporting
on and analyzing H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278 and H.R. 11435, and
submitting a new bill to be considered in lieu thereof 11
Washington, Hon. Walter, Commissioner:
Letter dated January 22, 1968 to Chairman McMfflan, reporting
on H.R. 13980, and submitting a new bill as an amendment to
the draft of October 10, 1967, to be considered in lieu of all the
pending bills 34
Letter dated January 22, 1967 to Chairman McMlllan, reporting
on H.R. 13981 46
Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia, John R.
Immer, President, letter dated January 23, 1968 to Chairman McMillan,
and enclosures 93
Kalorama Citizens Association, Inc., iVirs. Jewell B. Smith, President,
letter dated January 22, 1968 to Chairman McMillan 96
APPENDIX CONTENTS
H.R. 13203 (Multer), a bill to amend the District of Columbia Police and
Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to abolish the rank of detective in the
Metropolitan Police force, and to promote persons with such rank to the
rank of detective sergeant 99
STATEMENTS
Detectives, Metropolitan Police Department:
Banta, Ronald M., Homicide Squad 101
Burwell, Harold H., Robbery Squad 101
Dunphy, George M., Robbery Squad 101
Wilson, George B., Robbery Squad 101
District of Columbia Government:
Moyer, Thomas E., Assistant Corporation Counsel 117
Wilson, Deputy Chief Jerry V., Metropolitan Police Department - 117
Policemen's Association of the District of Columbia:
Stickley, Lt. Samuel W., President 114
Sullivan, Inspector John L., Chairman, Legislative Committee 114
MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
District of Columbia Government:
Layton, Chief John B., 1~Ietropolitan Police Department, Mem-
orandum dated June 26, 1967 ~- 126
Washington, Hon. Walter E., Commissioner, letter dated November 8,
1967., reporting on H.R. 13203 100
Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia, Mrs.
Ernest W. Howard, Chairman, Police and Fire Committee, letter dated
January 31, 1968 to Chairman McMillan 131
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POLICE AND FIREMEN PAY INCREASE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1968
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE No. 4 OF THE
COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, D.C.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m. in room 1310,
Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Basil L. Whitener (chairman
of the subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives McMillan (chairman of full committee),
Whitener (chairman of subcommittee), Dowdy, Fuqua, Adams,
Nelsen, Broyhill, and Gude.
Also Present: James T. Clark, clerk; Hayden S. Garber, counsel;
Sara Watson, assistant counsel; Donald Tubridy, minority clerk; and
Leonard 0. hider, investigator.
Mr. WHITENER. The subcommittee will come to order. We will pro-
*ceed with hearings on legislation relating to the pay of police and
firemen of the District of Columbia. Among those bills are H.R. 10761,
H.R. 11278, H.R. 11435, HR. 13980, HR. 6644, H.R. 11149, and
H. R. 13981. We will not deal at this hearing with H. R. 14430 or H. R.
14448, bills relating to the establishment of a Commissioner of Police
for the District of Coumbia. Those matters will be considered in
separate hearings at a later date.
Briefly, the cost estimates of the bills before us are as follows:
HR. 10761 (McMiI1an~, HR. 11278 (Mathias), HR. i143) (Machen), HR.
13980 (Brovhill to iacrea nay of nolice and firemen by 8.7 percent (cost: $4.4
million on a full year basis; $4.1 million excluding vacancies.)
HR. 11149 (Adams), Hit. 6644 (Steiger) to increase pay of police privates
(Cost: $1.2 million) ; provmde recruitment incentives, travei to 1) .C., resettlement
cash allowance (cost: $127,000 yearly).
1-i.R. 13981 (Broyhill) to provide recruitment incentives as above (cost:
8127,000 yearly).
Modified Conirnissioner's bill to increase pay of police and firemen, provide
recruitment incentives, etc. (cost: $3.3 million, excluding vacancies).
I note that under PubliO Law 89-810, approved Nov. 13, 1966,
but which became effective July 3, 1966, Congress provided the last
pay increase (9.9 percent) for District of Columbia police and firemen.
So, we are now engaged in a study to determine what amount of pay
increase for these public servants would be warranted and equitable.
(The staff comparison and various bills referred to follow):
(1)
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H.R. 10761 (McMillan)
H.R. 11278 (Mathias)
H.R. 11435 (Machen)
H. R. 13980 (Broyhill)
Section 1-Salaiies
a. Provides a schedule of rates aver-
aging 8.7% increase for estimated
annual cost of $4.1 million, excluding
vacancies.
b. Provides a beginning salary of
$7500 (in lieu of $6700 present law)
with $340 increments between steps for
Classes 1 through 4.
NOTE: H.R. 11435 combines all
Police, Fire and Detective Ser-
geants in subclass 4(a) using sub-
class 4(b) rates as provided by
H.R. 10761, H;R. 11278 and HR.
13980 for Detective Sergeants only.
c. Provides $428 increments between
steps for Classes 5 and 6, and $535 in-
crements between steps for Classes 7
through 10.
Comments:
Starting salary is the same in Class 1
in the House bills and D.C. proposal.
Beginning step of Class 2 in D.C. pro-
posal, $160.00 less; beginning steps of
Classes 3 and 4 in D.C. proposal $200.00
less with the exception of Class 4(a) of
D.C. proposal which is $710 less when
compared to Class 4(a), H. R. 11435.
Increments in Classes 1 through 4 of
D.C. proposal are $40.00 less than H.R.
bills. All salaries at the various steps in
Classes 5 through 10 are identical in the
House bills and D.C. proposal.
Section 1-Salaries
a. Provides a schedule of rates aver-
aging 7% increase for estimated annual
cost of $3.3 mfflion, excluding vacancies.
b. Provides a beginning salary of
$7500 (in lieu of $6700 present law) with
$300 increments between steps for
Classes 1 through 4. (This results in a
range of rates in these classes which are
lower than in the H. R. bifis.)
STAFF C0MPA1U50N o~' H.R. BILLS WITH D.C. PROPOSAL FOR POLICE AND
FIREMEN PAY INCREASES 1
D.C. Proposal
c. Same as H.R. bills.
`Prepared by the Classification Division of D.C. Personnel Office-Oct. 23, 1967, as revised Jan. 22, 1968s
(Comments added.)
(2)
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3
Section 2
H.R. 10761 (McMillan)
11.11. 11278 (Mathias)
H.R. 11435 (Machen)
H.R. 13980 (Broyhill)
a. Provides for application of new
schedule rates.
b. Provides for the payment of $500
per annum additional to the pay for the
Police Executive Officer who is also
assigned as one of the Assistant Chiefs
of Police, with such additional com-
pensation being subject to retirement
benefits. No other man to receive this
when present Executive Officer is
separated from the service.
Comments:
Officers and members in all classes
and steps will receive the new rate of pay
corresponding to their class and step.
Additionally, officers and members in
Classes 1 through 4, service step 6 and
longevity steps 7 and 8 having 3 years
service (reduced from 4 years service in
present law) in step will be given the
next higher longevity step rate with any
excess service time credited toward next
allowable longevity step.
Also, a private upon completion of 10
years, 13 years or 16 years of service will
be advanced to longevity steps, 7, 8 or 9
respectively.
Also, officers and members in Classes
5 through 10, service step 4 or longevity
step 7 having 3 years service (reduced
from 4 years in present law) in step will
be given the next higher longevity step
rate with any excess time credited
toward next allowable longevity step.
Section 3.-Educational Incentive
House bills (except H. R. 13980)
provide that upon completion of one
year probation, a payment of $600 will
be made for completion of thirty college
credit hours, and $1200 for completion
of sixty or more college credit hours to
all Police Department officers and
members below Deputy Chief. HR.
13980 provides for the same compensa-
tion for educational attainment for Po-
lice and Fire and also designates the need
for credit hours in law enforcement or
administration or fire science or ad-
ministration.
The D.C. Commissioners to develop
regulations as to qualifications for
Metropolitan Police, Secretary of Treas-
ury for White House Police and Secre-
tary of Interior for Park Police. The
Commissioners and Secretaries shall
standardize qualifications to the fullest
extent.
D.C. Proposal
Section 2
a. Essentially the same as H. R. bills.
b. Same as H. R. bills but provides
that the additional amount of compen-
sation should be subject to insurance
benefits as well as retirement benefits.
Comments:
D.C. proposal includes similar appli-
cation and service time benefits as House
bills through use of different phraseology
and without specifying numerical desig-
nations for longevity step increases.
Revision to existing law proposed in
Section 4 of House bills and Section 5 of
D.C. proposal does not include any
numerical designation for longevity step
increases.
Section 3-Educational Incentive
Provides for similar compensation for
educational attainment for both Police
and Fire. Kinds of subjects, number of
semester hours required, and amount of
applicable compensation will be deter-
mined by i).C. Council for Metropolitan
Police and Firemen; and Secretary of
Treasury, and Secretary of Interior, for
the White House and Park Police re-
spectively and embodied in regulatory
issuanees standardized to the fullest
extent between concerned agencies.
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Section 5.-Thirty Years Service
Provides for advancement of all
officers or members except privates
to the highest longevity step in their
respective class or subclass upon com-
pletion of 30 years' continuous service.
No similar provision. However Sec-
tion 6 of D.C. proposal provides for
the repeal of Section 105 of P.L. 88-575,
which allows the advancement of
Deputy Chiefs to their highest longevity
step upon completion of 30 years'
service.
4
T1.R. 10761 (McMillan)
H.R. 11278 (Mathias)
H.R. 11435 (Machen)
H.R. 13980 (Broyhill)
D C Pronosal
~
Comments:
House bills refer to the Board of
Commissioners which is no longer appli-
cable to the administration of the D.C.
Government.
Comments:
D.C. proposal contemplates deter-
mination of compensation on a percent-
age basis which initially would result in
the same amounts as designated in
House bills.
Section 4.-Recr uitment Incentives
No such provisions in House bills, Provides recruitment inducements:
with the exception of HR. 13981, which (1) Pay pre-employment inter-
in its entirety covers the recruitment view expenses.
inducements in the same manner as (2) Pay recruits relocation allow-
provided by Section 4 of D.C. proposal. ances not to exceed $250 and per
diem allowance not to exceed $7.50
for up to 90 days.
(Applies to Police Dept. only.)
Section 4.-Longevity Step Increase
Deletes longevity steps 7, 8 and 9 from
schedule with retention of three longev-
ity step increases for Privates through
Sergeants and two longevity step in-
creases for Lieutenants through Deputy
Chief with reduction from four to three
years between such increases.
Comments:
Sec. 4. Longevity Step-long and
faithful service-
#1. One longevity step increase for
each 156 calendar weeks of service after
having reached the maximum service
step.
#2. Only three longevity step in-
creases, Classes 1 thru 4; only two steps
in Classes 5 thru 9.
#3. Longevity step increase equal to
the step increase in the class or subclass
in which officer or member is serving.
#4. Date increase to begin: first pay
period following completion of each 156
calendar weeks.
Section 5 of D.C. proposal is same as
Section 4 of HR. bills.
~
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5
H.R. 10761 (McMillan)
H.R. 11278 (Mathias)
H.R. 11435 (Machen)
H.R. 13980 (Broyhill)
D.C. Proposal
Section 6-Reorganization
H.R. 13980 provides salary saving
provisions for Police and Fire Tech-
nicians I and II and Police Station
Clerks who may lose such assignment
because of any reorganization of these
Departments.
No such provision.
No such provision in House bills.
Section 7.-Probationary Period
D.C. proposal provides for dismissal
proceedings for probationary policemen
without formal charges before a police
trial board.
No such provision in House bills.
Section 8.-Retroactive Provisions
Provides retroactive compensation or
salary for individuals in service on date
of enactment and for service rendered
by Policemen and Firemen who retired
or died between the retroactively ef-
fective date (the first day of the first
pay period beginning on or after
12/31/67) and the date of enactment.
No such provision in House bills.
Section 9.-Life Insurance
Provides for any changes in amounts
of life insurance to be effective on date~
of enactment.
Comments:
This provision necessary to designate
date of any change in rates effeèting
life insurance and to avoid deductions
from an individual's pay for insurance
premiums covering on already elapsed
period of time bet~veen the retroactive
effective date and date of enactment.
Section 6 of H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278
and H.R. 11435 provides for the ef-
fective date to be the first day of the
first pay period on or after enactment
date.
Section iO.-E~ffective date
D.C. proposal provides for the ef-
fective date to be retroactive to the
first day of the pay period which began
on December 31, 1967.
Section 7
hR. 13980 provides for the effective
date to be the first day of the first pay
period which begins on or after the first
day of October, 1967.
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6
(H.R. 10761, 90th Cong., 1st sess., by Mr. McMillan, on June 12, 1967; H.R.
11278 by Mr. Mathias on June 29, 1967; HR. 11435 by Mr. Machen on July
13, 1967: and H.R. 13980 by Mr. Broyhall on Nov. 13, 1967)
A BILL To amend tbe District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended,
to increase salaries, adjust pay alinement, and for other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Stales of
America in Congress assembled, That section 101 of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 (D.C. Code, sec. 4-823) as amended,
is amended to read as follo~a 5:
`SEc. 101. The annual rates of basic compensation of the officers and mem-
bers of the Metropolitan Police force and the Fire Department of the District
of Columbia shall be fixed in accordance with the following schedule of rates:
PROPOSED SALARY SCALE FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA POLICEMEN AND FIREMEN
Salary and class
Class 1:
Subclass (a)
Fire private.
Police private
Subclass (b): Private assigned as technician I, plainclothes-
man
Subclass (c): Private assigned as technician II, station clerk,
motorcycle officer
Class 2:
Subclass(a): Fire inspector
Subclass (b): Fire inspector assigned as technician I
Subclass (c): Fire inspector assigned as technician II
Class3
Assistant marine engineer.
Assistant pilot.
Detective.
Class 4:1
Subclass (a)
Fire sergeant
Police sergeant
Subclass (b): Detective sergeant
Subclass (c): Police sergeant assigned as motorcycle officer~ -
Salary class and title
Class 4:
Subclass (a)
Fire sergeant
Police sergeant
Detective sergeant
Subclass (b): Police sergeant assigned as motorcycle
officer
Service step
1 2 3 4 5 6
$7, 500 $7, 840 $8, 180 $8, 520 $8, 860 $9, 200
7,790 8,130 8,470 8,810 9,150
8, 080 8,420 8,760 9,100 9,440
8,860 9,200 9,540 9,880
9,150 9,490 9,830 10,170
9,440 9,780 10, 120 10,460
9,490 9,830 10, 170 10,510
9,490
9,780
9,775 10,115 10,455 10,795
10,285 10,625 10,965 11,305
10,355 10,695 11,035 11,375
1 HR. 11435 provides the following proposed salary schedule for Class 4, combining subclasses (a) and (b) to give
fire sergeants, police sergeants and detective sergeants the same pay under a new subclass (a); and continues the separate
classification of police sergeant assigned as motorcycle officer, in subclass (b):
Service step
1 2 3 4 5 6
10,285 10,625 10,965 11,305
10,355 10,695 11,035 11,375
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7
Salary class and title
-
Servic
e step
1
2
3
4
Class 5
First lieutenant.
$11,200
$11,628
$12,056
$12,484
Police lieutenant.
Detective lieutenant.
Class6
Marine engineer.
Pilot.
12,270
12,698
13,126
13,554
Class 7
Fire captain.
Police captain.
Detective captain.
Class 8
Battalion fire chief.
13,340
15, 490
13,875
16, 025
14,410
16, 560
14,945
17, 095
Police inspector.
Class 9
Subclass (a):
Deputy fire chief.
Deputy chief of police.
Subclass (b)
Assistant fire chief.
18, 165
19, 236
18,700
19, 771
19,235
20, 306
19,770
20, 841
Assistant chief of police.
Commanding officer of the White House Police.
Commanding officer of the U.S. Park Police.
Class 10
Fire chief.
23,500
24,035
24,570
25,105"
Chief of police.
SEc. 2. The rates of basic compensation to officers and members to whom the
amendment made by section 1 of this Act applies shall be adjusted in accordance
with this section. Such rates of basic compensation shall be adjusted as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), (3), or (4), each officer and
member receiving basic compensation immediately prior to the effective date of
this Act at one of the scheduled service rates of a class or subclass in the salary
schedule in section 101 of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary
Act of 1958 shall receive a rate of basic compensation at the corresponding rate
in effect on and after the effective date of this Act.
(2) Each officer or member receiving basic compensation immediately prior to
the effective date of this Act at one of the scheduled longevity steps 7, 8, or 9, as
the case may be, in classes 1 through 4, respectively, of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended, shall receive a rate of basic
compensation derived for his longevity step by the application of an additional
step increase (to be known as a longevity step increase) beyond the maximum
scheduled service step (as provided by section 1 of this Act) for each of the three
longevity steps as heretofore scheduled and included in classes 1 through 4,
respectively, of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958,
as amended: Provided, That each officer or member serving in a maximum sched-
uled service step, or longevity step 7, or longevity step 8, as the case may be, as
heretofore included in classes 1 through 4, respectively, of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended, shall receive additionally a
longevity step increase if he has completed one hundred and fifty-six calendar
weeks of continuous active service, including service in the Armed Forces of the
United States but excluding any period of time determined not to have been satis-
factory service, in the step in which he was serving immediately prior to the effec-
tive date of this Act: Provided further, That any active service which each such
officer or member has rendered in excess of the one hundred and fifty-six calendar
weeks of active service in the maximum service step, longevity step 7, or longevity
step 8, as the case may be, in which he was serving immediately prior to the effec-
tive date of this Act will be credited to him for the next longevity step increase
under the provisions of section 401 of the District of Columbia Police and Fire-
men's Salary Act of 1958, as amended.
(3) Each private in service step 6, longevity step 7, or longevity step S in any
subclass in class 1, upon completing a minimum of sixteen years of continuous
service as a private, including service in the Armed Forces of the United States
but excluding any period of time determined not to have been satisfactory service,
shall be advanced to longevity step 9 in class 1, and receive the appropriate
scheduled rate of basic compensation for such step in the subclass in which he
is serving.
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8
~ ~4*) ~ Eachprivate in~ervicestep6~or longevitystep Tin class 1, npwi completing
a minimumof thirteen years of continuous service as a private, including service
iit~ the Armed Forces Of theIJnited States but excluding any period of time de-
termined not to have been satisfactory service, shall be advanced to longevity
step 8 in class 1, and receive the appropriate scheduled rate of basic compensation
for such step in the subclass in which he was serving.
(5) Each officer or member receiving basic compensation immediately prior
to the effective date of this Act at one of the scheduled longevity steps 7 or 8, as
the case may be, in classes 5 through 9, respectively, of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended, shall receive a rate of basic
compensation derived for his longevity step by application of an additional step
increase (to be known as a longevity step increase) beyond the maximum scheduled
service step (as provided by section 1 of this Act), for each of the two longevity
steps as heretofore scheduled and included in classes 5 through 9, respectively, of
the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Sala.ry Act of 1958, as amended:
Provided, That each officer or member serving in a maximum scheduled service
step or longevity step 7, as the case may be, as heretofore included in classes 5
through 9, respectively, of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary
Act, of 1958, as amended, shall receive additionally a longevity step increase if
he has completed one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous active
service, including service in the Armed Forces of the United States, but excluding
any period of time determined not to have been satisfactory service, in the step in
which he was serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act~ Provided
further, That any active service which each such officer or member has rendered in
excess of the one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of active service in the
maximum service step or longevity step 7, as the case may be, in which he was
serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act wifi be credited to him
for the next longevity step increase under the provisions~ of section 401 of the
District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended.
(5) The officer assigned as Police Executive Officer and who is receiving basic
compensation as such immediately prior to the effective date of this Act at the
scheduled longevity step 8, class 9, subclass (b), shall receive ~a corresponding
rate of basic compensation as an kssistant Chief of Police as established by section
1 of this Act and as provided for other officers and members in longevity step 8
of class 9, subclass (b) by subsection 3 of this section: Proinded, That such officer
shall receive $500 per annum additionally so long as he is assigned in the dual
capacity of Police Executive Officer and Assistant Police Chief, and that such
additional amount of compensation is to be included in any basic computation
f or retirement purposes under the Policemen and Firemen's Retirement and
Disability Act (D.C. Code, sec. 4-527(1)): Provided .further, That upon termina-
tion of the service of such officer, the provisions of this subsection are not to b&
applied to any other officer or member assigned as Assistant Chief of Police.
SEC. 3. (1) Any member upon entering the Police Department with a mini-
mum of thirty college credit hours and upon the completion of one year probation
will be entitled in addition to the scheduled salary as set forth in section 1 of
this Act, an amount equal to $600, which will be considered a part of the basic
salary: Provided, That any officer or member below the rank of Deputy Chief
who has completed the one year probation with thirty college credits will be
entitled to the additional compensation as set forth in paragraph (1) of this
section.
(2) Any member upon entering the Police Department with sixty or more
college credit hours and upon the completion of one-year probation will be entitled
in addition to the scheduled salary as set forth in section 1 of this Act, an amount
equal to $1,200.00, which will be considered a part of the basic salary: Provided,
That any officer or member below the rank of Deputy Chief of Police who has
completed the one-year probation with sixty or more college credit hours wifi be
entitled to the scheduled salary as set forth in section 1 of this Act, an amount
equal to $1 200 00 which will be considered a part of the basic salary
(3) The qualifications which a person must possess prior to the receipt of the
additional compensation set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section shall be
determined by and embodied in regulations adopted and promulgated by the
Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia in the case of the Metropoli-
tan Police force, the Secretary of the Interior in the óase of the United States Park
Police force, and the Secretary of the Treasury in the case of the White House
Police force: Provided, That the said Commissioners and the said Secretaries shall
standardize such qualification requirements to the fullest extent possible.
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SEC. 4. (a) Section 401(a) of the T)istrict of Columbia Police and Firemen's
Salary Act of 1958, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 401. (a) In recognition of long and faithful service, each officer and
member shall receive an additional step increase (to be known as a longevity step
increase) beyond the maximum sheduled service step rate for the subclass in which
he is serving, or for the class in which he is serving if there are no subclasses in his
`class for each one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous service
completed by him following the effective date of this Act at such maximum rate
or at a rate in excess thereof, without change to a higher class, subject to all of the
following conditions:
"(1) No officer or member shall receive more than one longevity step increase
for any one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous service, and in
order to be eligible therefor he shall have a current performance rating of `satis-
factory' or better.
"(2) Not more than three successive longevity step increases may be granted
to any officer or member in classes 1 through 4, nor more than two successive
longevity step increases may be granted to any officer or member in classes 5
through 9.
"(3) Each longevity step increase shall be equal to one step increase of the class
or subclass in which the officer or member is serving.
"(4) Each longevity step increase shall begin on the first day of the first pay
period following completion of each one hundred and fifty-six weeks."
SEC. 5. Section 105 of the Act approved September 2, 1964 (76 Stat. 1239), is
amended to read as follows:
"(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this or any other law, each officer
or member above the rank of private of the Metropolitan Police force and of the
Fire Department of the District of Columbia shall, upon completion of thirty years
of continuous service on the police force or fire department, as the case may be,
including service in the Armed Forces of the United States, but excluding any
period of time determined not to have been satisfactory service, be placed in, and
receive basic compensation at, the highest longevity step in the class or subclass
to which his position is assigned in the schedule of rates established by section 101
of this Act. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the payment
of any retroactive compensation."
SEc. 6. This Act shall become effective on the first day of the first pay period
which begins on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
(H.R. 11149, 90th Cong., 1st sess., by Mr. Adams on June 26, 1967, and
H.R. 6644 by Mr. Steiger on March 6, 1967)
A BILL To amend the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to increase salary rates
and provide certain benefits for purposes of recruitment and retention of privates in the Metropolitan
Police force, to establish the rank of master patrolman, to change the titles of certain Metropolitan Police
officials, and for other purposes
Be it enacted by fhe Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in' Congress assembled, That the rates of basic compensation in class 1,
`subclasses (a), (b), and (c), of the salary schedule in section 101 of the District of
Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 (D.C. Code, sec. 4-823), as
amended, are amended to read as follows:
"SALARY SCHEDULE
"Salary class and title
Class 1:
Service step
- ----
1 2 3 4 5 6
Longevity step
---`-----------
7 8 9
Subclass (a):
Fire private
Police private
Subclass (b):
Fire private assigned as:
Technician I
Police private assigned as:
Technician I
Plainclothesman
Subclass (c):
Fire private assigned as:
Technician II
Police private assigned as:
Techsician II
Station clerk
Motorcycle officer. - --
$6,700
7, 500
6,990
7,790
7, 790
7,280
8,080
8, 080
8, 080
$7,040
7, 700
7,330
7,990
7, 990
7,620
8,280
8, 280
8, 280
$7,380 $7,720
7, 900 8, 100
7,670 8,010
8,190 8,390
8, 190 8, 390
7,960 8,300
8,480 8,680
8, 480 8, 680
8, 480 8,680
$8,060
8, 300
8,350
1,590
8, 590
8,640
8,880
8, 880
8, 880
$8,400
8, 500
8,690
8,790
8, 790
8,980
9,080
9, 080
9, 080
$8,740 $9,080 $9,420
8, 740 9, 080 9, 420
9,030 9,370 9,710
9,030 9,370 9,710
9, 030 9, 370 9,710
9,320 9,660 10,000
9,320 9,660 10,000
9, 320 9, 660 10, 000
9, 320 9, 660 10, 000'.
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SEC. 2. Each private receiving basic compensation immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act at one of the scheduled service or longevity rates of
subclass (a), (b), or (c) in class 1 of the salary schedule in section 101 of the
District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, and to whom the
amendment made by the first section of this Act applies, shall receive a rate of
basic compensation at the corresponding scheduled service or longevity step
in effect on and after the effective date of this Act.
SEC. 3. There is hereby established, in class 3 of the salary schedule in section
101 of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as
amended, the rank of master patrolman. The qualifications which a person must
possess prior to assignment to, and receipt of the rate of compensation for, the
rank of master patrolman, shall be determined by and embodied in regulations
adopted and promulgated by the Board of Commissioners of the District of
Columbia in the case of the Metropolitan Police force, the Secretary of the In-
terior in the case of the United States Park Police force, and the Secretary of
the Treasury in the case of the White House Police force: Prmnded, That the
said Commissioners and the said Secretaries shall standardize such regulations
to the fullest extent possible.
SEC. 4. (a) The titles in subclass (b) of class 9 of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended, are amended to read as
follows:
Subclass (b):
"Assistant Fire Chief
"Assistant Chief of Police
"Commanding Officer of the White House Police
"Commanding Officer of the United States Park Police".
(b) The title of police executive officer now included in subclass (b) of class 9
of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended,
shall be changed to the title of assistant chief of police, and the officer assigned
as the police executive officer immediately prior to the effective date of this Act
shall be assigned as an assistant chief of police at his corresponding rate of com-
pensation, as provided by subclass (b), class 9, of the District of Columbia Police
and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended.
SEC. 5. (a) The Commissioners are authorized, under regulations prescribed
by them, to-
(1) pay or reimburse an individual, as provided for civilian officers and
employees by title 5, chapter 57, subchapter I, United States Code, for the
expenses of travel, including per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses, in
traveling between his home or place of business and the District of Columbia,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether he is qualified for appointment to the
position of private in the Metropolitan Police force;
(2) pay to a person newly appointed as a private in the Metropolitan
Police force, who is required to relocate his place of residence in order to come
within the area of residence for such employees prescribed by the Commis-
sioners, in addition to any other payments authorized by law-
(i) a cash resettlement allowance not to exceed $250, and
(ii) a per diem allowance not to exceed $7.50 per day for a period
not to exceed ninety days beginning with the date of his appointment:
Provided, That allowances authorized by this subsection shall not be
allowed unless the person selected shall agree in writing to remain a
member of the Metropolitan Police force for twenty-four months follow-
ing his appointment unless separated for a reason which is (1) beyond
his control, and (2) which is acceptable to the Commissioners. In case
of violation of such agreement, any moneys expended by the District of
Columbia on the allowances authorized by this subsection shall be re-
coverable from the individual concerned as a debt.
(b) Unobligated balances of applicable current appropriations are hereby made
available to carry out the purpose of this section.
SEC. 6. This Act shall become effective on the first day of the first pay period
which begins on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
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(H.R. 13981, 90th Cong., 1st sess., by Mr. Broyhill on November 13, 1967)
A BILL To authorize the District of Columbia government to pay travel expenses, per diem to persons
traveling between their home or place of business to the District of Columbia to ascertain whether he is
qualified for appointment to the Metropolitan Police Department, and for other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, (a) The Commissioner of the District of Columbia
is authorized, under regulations prescribed by the 1)istrict of Columbia Council,
to-
(1) pay or reimburse an individual, as provided for civilian officers and
employees by title 5, chapter 57, subchapter 1, United States Code, for the
expenses of travel, including per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses, in
traveling between his home or place of business and the District of Columbia,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether he is qualified for appointment to
the position of private in the Metropolitan Police force;
(2) pay to a person newly appointed as a private in the Metropolitan
Police force, who is required to relocate his place of residence in order to
come within the area of residence for such employees as prescribed by the
Act of Congress (T. 4, Sec. 132a), in addition to any other payments author-
ized by law-
(i) A cash resettlement allowance not to exceed $250, and
(ii) A per diem allowance not to exceed $7.50 per day for a period
not to exceed ninety days beginning with the date of his appointment:
Provided, That allowances authorized by this subsection shall not be
allowed unless the person selected shall agree in writing to remain a
member of the Metropolitan Police force for twenty-four months follow-
ing his appointment unless separated for a reason which is (1) beyond
his control, and (2) which is acceptable to the Commissioner. In case of
violation of such agreement, any moneys expended by the District of
Columbia on the allowances authorized by this subsection shall be
recoverable from the individual concerned as a debt.
(b) Unobligated balances of applicable current appropriations arc hereby made
available to carry out the purpose of this section.
SEC. 2. This Act will become effective immediately upon approval.
GOVERNMENT OF THE 1)IsTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
Washington, Octobtr 10, 1967.
Hon. JOHN L. MCMILLAN,
Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. MCMILLAN: The Commissioners of the District of Columbia desire
to report on H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278, and H.R. 11435, 90th Congress, indentical bills
"To amend the District of Columbia Police arid Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as
amended, to increase salaries, to adjust pay alinement, and for other purposes."
The first section of these bills provides for a salary increase for police and fire-
men averaging 8.7% estimated to cost $4.4 million for a full fiscal year. The
remaining sections contain a number of personnel provisions affecting police and
firemen which are discussed in Exhibit A (attached), an analysis of the bills and
the Commissioners' recommendations.
The Commissioners recognize there is urgent need for an increase in the salaries
of policemen and firemen. A study of this riced is presented in Exhibit B (attached).
In view of this study, the Commissioners are proposing the pay plan and other
personnel provisions for policemen and firemen set forth in a draft bill, Exhibit C
(attached). They therefore recommend that these bills be amended in their
entirety by substituting the provisions of the Commissioners' proposed bill,
arid that one of such bills, as so amended, he enacted in lieu of HR. 6644 or
H.R. 11149. These latter bills were introduced upon the recommendation of the
Commissioners in their letter of February 9, 1967, to the Speaker of the House.
The Commissioners' proposed bill provides for a salary increase for policemen
and firemen averaging approximately 7%, at an estimated annual cost of $3.6
million. The Commissioners' proposal also contains several of the provisions now
contained in hR. 10761, hR. 11278, H.R. 11435, H.R. 6644, and HR. 11149,
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12
as discussed in the attached analysis and study. In the belief that the passage of
H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278, or H.R. 11435, if amended as the Commissioners pro-
pose, is vital to the recruitment and retention of policemen and firemen, the
Commissioners urge enactment of one of these bills.
However, no funds are available to finance such an increase at this time.
Enactment of this pay increase together with other possible salary increases for
teachers and school officers will require additional funding. Consequently, if pay
increases are to be approved, local revenue legislation must also be enacted to
provide funds sufficient to meet the costs of such increases.
The present Board of Commissioners is certain that the new D.C. Government
will wish to cnsider the matter of pay increases and appropriate revenue measures
and submit its proposals to the Congress at an early date.
The Commissioners have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that, from
the standpoint of the Administration's program, there is no objection to the sub-
mission of this report to the Congress.
Sincerely yours,
WALTER N. TOBRINER,
President, Board of Commissioners, D.C.
Attachments (3).
ExHIBIT A
ANALYSIS OF H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278, AND H.R. 11435
These bills provide for (1) an increase in salaries; (2) deletion of the scheduled
longevity steps 7, 8, and 9, with retention of three longevity step increases for
Privates through Sergeants and two longevity step increases for Lieutenants
through Deputy Chief, with three years between each such increase; (3~ pay-
ment of $500 per annum additional to the pay for the Police Executive Officer
who is assigned as one of the Assistant Chiefs of Police; (4) payment of $600
to any officer or member below the rank of Deputy Chief in the Police Depart-
ment who has a minimum of thirty college credit hours and has served one year
probation; (5) payment of $1200 to any officer of member below the rank of
Deputy Chief in the Police Department who has 60 or more college credit hours
and has served one year probation; and (6) advancement of all officers or mem-
bers except privates to the highest longevity step in their respective class or
subclass upon completion of thirty years of continuous service in the police force
or in the Fire Department. The salary increases provided by the bills average 8.7%
and the estimated cost for a full fiscal year is $4,400,000.
The Commissioners concur in the provisions of these bills relating to the change
in longevity step increases, additional pay for the Police Executive Officer, and
pay incentive for educational attainment. However, (1) the additional pay for
the Police Executive Officer should be subject to insurance benefits in addition
to retirement benefits, and (2) the pay incentive for educational attainment should
be applicable to firemen as well as policemen and rather than to indicate a stated
amount of compensation for educational attainment, the Commissioners believe
it more practical to provide for administrative application of such compensation
through regulatory issuances according to changes which may occur in basic
salary rates.
The Commissioners do not consider appropriate the provision in these hills
concerning the advancement of all officers and members except privates to the
highest longevity step of their respective class or subclass upon completion of
thirty years service. The Commissioners were strongly opposed to a similar pro-
vision which was considered by the Congress in August 1964 for Deputy Chiefs
and subsequently enacted into law as a provision of P.L. 88-575, approved
September 2, 1964, because of the inequities which it created and because of its
conWct with the concept of longevity pay for compensatory recognition of long
service in the same class or grade. Also, since the basic salary rate is used for
retirement pay purposes, this provision which allows attainment of the top rate
in a class or subclass after thirty years service might encourage early retirement of
those officers and members who had not yet reached the mandatory retirement age.
Otherwise such officers and members might continue their employment and the
Police and Fire Departments would benefit from their long experience and knowl-
edge. Additionally, no other salary system in the District Government permits an
employee to automatically jump to his top rate because of a long period of service.
1 Subsequent to this letter, the Appropriations Committees established for the current fiscal year a reserve
of $1.6 million to defray the estimated cost of increasing the pay of police and firemen, assuming that itwould
be effective on and after January 1, 1968.
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ExHIBIT B
STUDY ON PAY ADJUSTMENTS FOR D.C. POLICE AND FIREMEN
For purposes of recruitment for and maintenance of police and firefighting
services, a study has been made concerning the need for any pay adjustment
and related benefits. The need for this study was especially emphasized because
of the difficulties being encountered in the filling of vacancies particularly iii
the Metropolitan Police Force and to a lesser extent in the 1). C. Fire Department.
Policy
In order to accomplish a more a dequate and meaningful program of crime
prevention and detection, preservation of peace and good order and protection
of lives and property, it is essential to provide the means whereby the D.C.
Government is able to attract and retain sufficient qualified recruits in both
the Police and Fire 1)epartments. Accordingly-
(1) Rates of pay for police and firemen should be in a favorable com-
petitive position with the other major cities having over 500,000 population,
especially with those cities in the eastern half of the United States which
constitute the primary labor market for recruitment of I).C. police and
firemen. In addition, Washington, D.C., by reason of its national and inter-
national prominence which places special emphasis on the various com-
munity services required, should rank at least in the top quarter of the
other major cities;
(2) Rates of pay for police and firemen should be in reasonable alignment
with rates of pay for classified employees of the Federal and District Govern-
ments, not only on the basis of comparable duties and responsibilities, but
also with due consideration of the hazards inherent in large urban police and
fire activities; and
(3) Rates of pay for police and firemen should be very favorable in relation
to rates of pay for police and firemen in the Washington Metropolitan area.
This is necessary so that the D.C. Government may compete with advantages
enjoyed by the surrounding suburban communities such as less travel time
and costs, availability of parking facilities, and lower crime incidence with
less hazardous conditions.
Comparison With Other Major Cities and Nearby Communities
Attached exhibits show a comparison of minimum and maximum rates for
Police and Firemen respectively, in the major cities having over 500,000 popula-
tion, and in the nearby communities.
As a result of an average increase of 11.2% in the recruiting rates for police
privates by 17 of the 20 other major cities, and an average increase of 10.7% in the
recruiting rates for fire privates by 18 of these 20 major cities since the last pre-
vious study made in mid-1966, Washington, with a recruiting rate of $6,700 ap-
proved in November 1966, has dropped in relative standing from 5th to 12th
place for police private and from 5th to 11th place for fire private.
The nearby communities have also increased their rates averaging 10.7% for
police and 7.9% for firemen. The recruiting rates paid police by these communities
either exceed or are within a few hundred dollars of the D.C. Government's
recruiting rate of $6,700 for policemen. Rates for firemen are somewhat lower
than rates for policemen in Fairfax, Prince Georges, and Montgomery Counties,
due primarily to the manner in which such services heretofore have been accom-
plished; i.e., mainly through volunteer services or fire tax district arrangements.
However, these communities are developing their firefighting activities on a direct
County payroll basis which will in all probability require the establishment of
rates closely paralleling their rates for police services. At the present time, Alex-
andria has the same rate for both police and fire privates, and Fairfax is con-
templating the same rate for both services.
Classification Act Employees
Increases for Federal and District employees under the Classification Act have
been recommended for consideration by the Congress. A bill reported by the
House Post Office and Civil Service Committee provides for a pay increase of
approximately 11% in three stages for classified employees. The first stage, a
4.5% increase, is to be effective this year. The amount of increase is meaningful
insofar as police and fire employees are concerned, because it adds substance to
other categories of positions from a more attractive competitive recruitment
viewpoint.
88-574-68-2
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Private Business and Industry
Other occupations in the community currently are being paid rates which
when compared to the existing rates for police and firemen pose a more desirable
attraction, especially in view of the qualification and physical requirements,
hazardous and other work conditions as are present in police and fire occupations.
One of these occupations is that of local bus driver which has a salary rate of
$7,000, requiring that a person have good health, valid driver's permit, clear
police record, be at least 21 and no older~ than 45 years of age, have a minimum
height of 5'-6" with a maximum of 6'-4", and proportionate weight.
Also, according to the United States Employment Service, one of the most
consistent sources of employment in the Washington Metropolitan area for
a person with little or no experience is with construction operations. Based on
current prevailing rates published by the United States Department of Labor,
following are some of the typical local construction jobs and their rates of pay:
Occupation
Hourly rate
Annual Rate
Line Construction Groundman
Laborer
Marble Setters Helper
Plumbers Helper
Truck Driver (Medium-Heavy)
Tile Setters Helper
$3. 00
3.125
3. 175
3. 20
3. 35
3. 475
$6, 240
6,500
6, 604
6,656
6, 968
7, 228
Vacancies
A crucial problem of recruiting continues in the police and fire services. The
following table shows the trend in vacancies:
1-1-67
2-1-67
3-1-67
4-1-67
Police
307
304
308
317
Fire
37
35
41
35
5-1-67
6-1-67
7-1-67
9-29-67
Police
313
333
348
376
Fire
34
45
38
28
While the vacancy problem in the Fire Department is not as acute as it is in
the Metropolitan Police force, there is still a need to fully man both forces to
carry out these vital services in the District of Columbia. It is therefore essential
that effective action be taken with respect to pay and recruiting benefits and
techniques so as to enable the District Government to fully staff these forces.
Recommendations
The improved competitive position of the nearby communities due to their
increased rates, comparison to rates for other occupations within the District of
Columbia which have less demanding working conditions and requirements than
do police and firemen, and the lowering of the District's relative standing with
other major cities in the rates paid police and firemen, fully substantiate a need
to increase the rates for D.C. Government police and fire forces.
Using $7,500 as the entrance salary for police and fire privates as previously
recommended for police privates by the Commissioners on February 9, 1967, to
Congress, a proposed schedule of rates has been developed as a measure to insure
salaries that would both attract and retain qualified personnel. The proposed
increase which averages approximately 7% (costing an estimated $3.6 mfflion for
a full fiscal year) would improve considerably the District's competitive salary
position both locally and nationally, by assuring the continuation of the District's
first place ranking with nearby communities, and raising the recruiting salaries
for District police and firemen from 12th to 5th and 11th to 5th respectively among
the 20 other major cities.
In addition to the proposed increase, the CommissiOners also propose to elimi-
nate the longevity steps from the salary schedule but retain the principle of
longevity step increases with a reduction of time between three such increases
from four to three years. This would permit a private to reach the maximum
salary rate in sixteen years rather than in nineteen years as is now the case.
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The same reduction in the number of years between longevity step increases would
apply to all the other officers and members except the Fire Chief and Police Chief
who would not receive the benefit of any longevity step increase.
For the improvement of both the police and fire services, the Commissioners
propose to provide additional compensation to those officers and members who
have served their first year probationary period and who complete or have com-
pleted courses of study in law enforcement or fire science subjects at an accredited
college or university. The proposed form of compensation would be 8% of their
rate of pay (i.e., $600 in the case of a private) upon completion of thirty hours
of such subjects and 16% of their rate of pay (i.e., $1,200 in the case of a private)
upon completion of sixty hours of such subjects. The Commissioners consider this
approach to recognition of academic attainments to be more feasible than the Use
of the "Master Patrolman" concept as originally recommended by the Crime
Commission and which was included in the proposed bill concerning increase in
rates of pay for police and related recruitment benefits submitted by the Corn-
missioners in February 1967 for Congressional consideration. This concept, as
proposed, is that a person before being eligible for a rate of pay which is higher
than the regular base pay for a police or fire private, should have at least a year of
police or firefighting experience in addition to having the required college credits.
Also from a morale standpoint of the present forces, the Commissioners believe
it inadvisable to appoint a person as a master patrolman or master firefighter, as
the case may be, without his having gone through a period of basic on-the-job
training and experience. In addition, the provision of added compensation as
proposed for completing thirty credit hours and sixty credit hours provides an
incentive to personnel already on the force to achieve such additional education.
Also, the Commissioners believe the objective of attracting persons with more
than a high school education to the police or firefighting forces will be served by
having an initial recruiting rate of $7,500 with the added incentive of $600 or
$1,200 additional salary at the end of the first year of employment.
The Deputy Chief assigned as Police Executive Officer has also been assigned
as one of the Assistant Police Chiefs. In recognition of this dual assignment, the
Commissioners propose that this police officer should receive an additional rate of
compensation in the amount of $500.
The Commissioners also propose to include recruitment inducements as previ-
ously endorsed in their February 1967 proposal introduced as HR. 6644 and HR.
11149. These recruitment inducements include payment of transportation expenses
to prospective police privates to come to the District of Columbia for interviews,
and resettlement cash allowances not to exceed $250 and an initial ninety-day per
diem allowance of $7.50 per day to new appointees who have to move into the
Washington Metropolitan area.
Additionally, the Commissioners propose the repeal of the provision of P.L.
88-575 approved September 2, 1964, which allows a Deputy Chief to advance to
the top step of his class upon completion of thirty years of service. This provision
is a benefit applying to Deputy Chiefs only. Should it remain, it is the view of the
Departments and Associations and of the members that a similar provision
should apply to all members of the forces. As a matter of principle and sound pay
administration, it is the opinion of the Commissioners that such provision should
be deleted from present legislation.
POLICE MINIMUM SALARY RATES IN NEARBY COMMUNITIES
Pvt. Sgt. Lt. Capt. Asst. or Chief
Dep. Chief
PrinceGeorges $6,853 $8,561 $10,026 $10,912 $13,447
Arlington 6,677 8,091 8,902 9,818 10,546
Fairfax 6,672 8,118 8,940 10,344 11,976
Montgomery 6, 671 7, 724 8, 517 10, 355 13, 879
Alexandria 6, 510 7,910 8, 725 10, 100 10, 605
$20,000
14,123
14,556
15, 302
12, 280
POLICE MAXIMUM SALARY RATES IN NEARBY COMMUNITIES
Prince Georges $9,010 $10,717 $11,797 $13,861 $16,987
Fairfax 8,520 10,860 11,976 13,860 16,056
Montgomery 8,517 10,355 11,417 13,879 18 602
Arlington 8,486 10,317 11,378 12,542 13,458
Alexandria 8,310 10,100 11,140 12,895 13,540
$20,000
19,512
20 510
18 013
15,675
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PAGENO="0023"
19
`Salary Schedule
"Salary class and title - --
1 2
Servic
e Step
--
4
5 6
3
Class 1:
Subclass (a) $7,500 $7,800 ~8,100 $8,400 $8,700 $9,000
Fire Private
Police Private
Subclass (b) 7,790 8,090 8,390 8,690 8,990 9,290
Private assigned as:
Technician I
Plainclothesman
Subclass (C) 8,080 8,380 8,680 8,980 9,280 9,580
Private assigned as:
Technician II
Station clerk
Motorcycle officer
Class 2:
Subclass (a) 8,700 9,000 9,300 9,600
Fire Inspector
Subclass(b) 8,990 9,290 9,590 9,890
Fire Inspector assigned as Technician I
Subclass (c) 9,280 9,580 9,880 10,180
Fire Inspector assigned as Technician II
Class 3 9,290 9,590 9,890 10,190
Assistant marine engineer
Assistant pilot
Detective
Class 4:
Subclass (a) 9, 575 9, 875 10, 175 10, 475
Fire sergeant
Police sergeant
Subclass (b) 10,085 10,385 10,685 10,985
Detective sergeant
Subclass(c) 10, 155 10,455 10,755 11,055
Police sergeant assigned as Motorcycle
officer
Class 5 11,200 11,628 12,056 12,484
Fire lieutenant
Police lieutenant
Class 6 12,270 12,698 13,126 13,554
Marine engineer
Pilot
Class 7 13,340 13,875 14,410 14,945
Fire captain
Police captain
Class 8 15,490 16,025 16,560 17,095
Battalion fire chief
Police Inspector
Class 9:
Subclass (a) 18, 165 18,700 19,235 19,770
Deputy fire chief
Deputy chief of police
Subclass (b) 19, 236 19, 771 20, 306 20, 841
Assistant fire chief
Assistant chief of police
Commanding officer of the White House
Police
Commanding officer of the U.S. Park Police
Class 10 23,500 24,035 24,570 25, 105
Fire chief
Chief of~Police"
SEc. 2. The rates of basic compensation of officers and members to whom the
amendment made by section 1 of this Act applies shall be adjusted as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise hereinafter provided in this section, each officer
and member receiving basic compensation immediately prior to the effective
date of this Act at one of the scheduled service rates of a class or subclass in
the salary schedule in section 101 of the District of Columbia Police and
Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 shall receive a rate of basic compensation at
the corresponding rate in effect on and after the effective date of this Act.
(2) Each private receiving basic compensation at service step 6 in any
subclass in class 1, immediately prior to the effective date of this Act, and
who has completed a minimum of ten years of continuous service as a private,
including service in the Armed Forces of the United States, but excluding
any period of time determined not to have been satisfactory service shall,
in addition to receiving the corresponding rate provided for service step 6
by section 1 of this Act, receive a step increase (to be known as a longevity
step increase) in an amount equivalent to the amount of increment between
PAGENO="0024"
20
the service step rates provided by section 1 of this Act for his subclass in
class 1: Provided, That any active service which each such private has ren-
dered in excess of the ten years of continuous service wifi be credited to him
for the next longevity step increase under the provisions of section 401 of
the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1938.
(3) Each private receiving basic compensation immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act at scheduled longevity step 7. longevity step 8, or
longevity step 9 in any subclass of class 1, as the case may be, of the District
of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive a rate
of basic compensation comprised of the rate provided for service step 6 in
the respective subclasses in class 1, by section 1 of this Act, pins an amount
derived for his longevity step by the application of a step increase for each
of the three longevity steps in an amount equivalent to the rate of salary
increment between the service steps in class 1 as provided by section 1 of
this Act: Provided, That each such private serving in longevity step 7 or
longevity step 8 of class 1, as the case may be, immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act, and who completes thirteen years or sixteen years
of continuous service as a private, including service in the Armed Forces
of the United States, but excluding any period of time determined not to
have been satisfactory service, shall receive additionally a step increase (to
be known as a longevity step increase) upon completion of the thirteen-year
period and also upon completion of the sixteen-year period in an amount
equivalent to the amount of increment between the service step rates pro-
vided by section 1 of this Act for his subclass in class 1: Provided further,
That any active service which each such private has rendered in excess of
thirteen but less than sixteen years of continuous service will be credited
to him for the next longevity step increase under provisions of section 401
of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958.
(4) Each officer or member receiving basic compensation immediately
prior to the effective date of this Act at scheduled longevity step 7, longevity
step 8, or longevity step 9, as the case may be, in classes 2 through 4, respec-
tively, of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958,
shall receive a rate of basic compensation comprised of the rate provided for
service step 4 in the respective classes 2 through 4 by section 1 of this Act,
plus an amount derived for his longevity step by application of a step increase
for each of the three longevity steps in an amount equivalent to the rate of
salary increment between the service step rate in the respective classes 2
through 4 as provided by section 1 of this Act: Provided, That each officer or
member serving in a maximum scheduled service step, longevity step 7, or
longevity step 8, a~ the case may be, in classes 2 through 4, respectively, of the
District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive
additionally a longevity step increase if he has completed one hundred and
fifty six calendar weeks of continuous active service, including service in the
Armed Forces of the United States but excluding any period of time deter-
mined not to have been satisfactory service, in the step in which he was
serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided further,
That any active service which each such officer or member has rendered in
excess of the one hundred and fifty six calendar weeks of active service in the
maximum service step, longevity step 7, or longevity step 8, as the case may
be, in which he was serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act
will be credited to him for the next longevity step increase under the provi-
sions of section 401 of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary
Act of 1958.
(5) Each officer or member receiving basic compensation immediately
prior to the effective date of this Act at scheduled longevity step 7 or
longevity step 8, as the case may be, in classes 5 through 9, respectively,
of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall
receive a rate of basic compensation comprised of the rate provided for service
step 4 in the respective classes 5 through 9, by section 1 of this Act pins an
amount derived for his longevity step by application of a step increase for
each of the two longevity steps in an amount equivalent to the rate of salary
increment between the service step rates in the respective classes 5 through
9 as provided by section 1 of this Act: Providçd, That each officer or member
serving in a maximum scheduled service step or longevity step 7, as the case
may be, as heretofore included in classes 5 through 9, respectively, of the
District of Columbia Police twd Firemen's salary Act of 19!i~, ~tuill receive
additionally a longevity step increase if he has completed one hundred and
PAGENO="0025"
21
fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous active service, including service in the
Armed Forces of the United States, but excluding any period of time deter-
mined not to have been satisfactory service, in the step in which he was
serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided further,
That any active service which each such officer or member has rendered in
excess of the one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of active service in the
maximum service step or longevity step 7, as the case may be, in which he was
serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act will be credited to
aim for the next longevity step increase iiiider the provisions of section 401
of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958.
(6) The officer assigned as Police Executive Officer arid who is receiving
basic compensation as such immediately prior to the effective date of this
Act at the scheduled longevity step 8, class 9, subclass (b), shall receive a
corresponding rate of basic compensation as an Assistant Chief of Police as
established by section 1 of this Act arid as provided for other officers and
members in longevity step 8 of class 9, subclass (h), by subsection (5) of
this section and such officer shall receive $500 per annum additionally so
long as he is assigned in the dual capacity of Police Executive Officer and
Assistant Police Chief. Such additional amount of compensation is to be
included in any basic computation for retirement purposes under the Police-
men and Firemen's Retirement and Disability Act (1).C. Code, title 4, chap-
ter 5) and for the purpose of determining the amount of insurance for which
an individual is eligible under title 5, chapter 87, United States Code: Pro-
vided, That upon termination of the services of such officer, the provisions
of this paragraph are not to be applied to any other officer or member assigned
as Assistant Chief of Police.
SEc. 3. Each officer or member in class 1 through class 8 who has completed
one year of probation and who has completed or completes courses of study in
law enforcement or fire science subjects as the case may be at an accredited
college or university, shall receive additional compensation subject to the kind
of law enforcement or f~re science subjects, the number of semester hours of
study required, and amount of such additional compensation to be paid as de-
terrnined and embodied in regulations adopted and promulgated by the District
of Columbia Council in the case of the Metropolitan Police I)epartment and the
District of Columbia Fire I)epartnient, the Secretary of the Tnterior in the case
of the lJnited States Park Police force, and the Secretary If the Treasury in the
case of the White [louse Police force: Provided, That the said Council and the
said Secretaries shall standardize such requirements a1I~ compensation to be
paid to the fullest extent possible for the respective police forces and the District
of Columbia Fire Department.
SEc. 4. (a) The Commissioner of the District of Columbia is authorized, under
regulations prescribed by the District of Columbia Council, to-
(1) pay or reimburse an individual, as provided for civilian officers and
employees by title 5, chapter 57, subchapter 1, United States Code, for the
expenses of travel, including per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses, in
traveling between his home or place of business and the District of Columbia,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether he is qualified for appointment to the
position of private in the Metropolitan Police force;
(2) pay to a person newly appointed as a private in the Metropolitan
Police force, who is required to relocate his place of residence in order to
come within the area of residence for such employees prescribed by the
Council, in addition to any other payments authorized by law-
(i) A cash resettlement allowance not to exceed $250, and
(ii) A per diem allowance not to exceed $7.50 per day for a period
not to exceed ninety days beginning with the date of his appointment:
Provided, That allowances authorized by this subsection shall not be
allowed unless the person selected shall agree in writing to remain a
member of the Metropolitan Police force for twenty-four months follow-
ing his appointment unless separated for a reason which is (1) beyond
his control and (2) which is acceptable to the Commissioner. In case
of violation of such agreement, any moneys expended by the District
of Columbia on the allowances authorized by this subsection shall be
recoverable from the individual concerned as a debt.
(b) Unobligated balances of applicable current appropriations are hereby made
availabe to carry out the purpose of this section.
SEC. 5. (a) Section 401(a) of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's
Salary Act of 1958 is amended to read as follows:
PAGENO="0026"
22
"SEc. 401. (a) In recognition of long and faithful service, each officer
and member, except the Chief of Police and Fire Chief, shall receive an addi-
tional step increase (to be known as a longevity step increase) beyond the
maximum scheduled service step rate for the subclass in which he is serving,
or for the class in whicn he is. serving if there are no subclasses in his class
for each one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous service
completed by him following the effective date of this subsection at such
maximum rate or at a rate in excess thereof, without change to a higher class,
subject to all of the following conditions:
"(1) No officer or member shall receive more than one longevity step in-
crease for any one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous service,
and in order to be eligible therefor he shall have a current performance rating
of `satisfactory' or better.
"(2) Not more than three successive longevity step increases may be
granted to any officer or member in classes 1 through 4, nor more than
two successive longevity step increases may be granted to any officer
or member in classes 5 through 9.
"(3) Each longevity step increase shall be equal to one step increase
of the class or subclass in which the officer or member is serving.
"(4) Each longevity step increase shall begin on the first day of the
first pay period following completion of each one hundred and fifty-six
weeks."
SEC. 6. Section 105 of Public Law 88-575, approved September 2, 1964 (78
Stat. 882) is repealed.
SEC. 7. This Act shall become effective on the first day of the first pay period
which begins on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8. If on the date of enactment of this Act, Part IV of Reorganization Plan
No. 3 of 1967 (32 F.R. 11671 et seq.) has not taken effect, the functions vested by
this Act in the Commissioner or the Council shall be deemed to be vested in the
Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia until the effective date of
that Part IV and shall on the latter date vest in the Commissioner or the Council,
in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
Mr. WHITENER. Since the Chairman of the full committee is the
author of one of the pending bills and is with us here today, I at this
time recognize Chairman McMillan for his comments.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN L. McMILLAN, A REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, CHAIR-
MAN, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Mr. MCMILLAN. Mr. Chairman, as our first order of business, we
welcome Commissioner Washington and all our other visitors here
this morning. I would like to state to the Commissioner that we
welcome him at any time he would like to visit the House District of
Columbia Committee, either in executive session or at any other time.
We will be happy to have you.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you, sir.
Mr. MCMILLAN. We want to help you in every way we can. We
know some of the problems confronting you, I am delighted you do
not have some of the problems this committee has, but you have
enough.
I introduced this bill (H.R. 10761) to increase the salary of police
and firemen at the request of friends and representatives of the Police
and Fire Departments of the District of Columbia. I would like to state
that the recommendations made by the Commissioners in 1966 were
for a 6.7 percent increase. We increased the salaries by 9.9 percent.
We hope we can all get together on this legislation and take it before
the Congress as early as possible.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Broyhil of Virginia has introduced at least
two of the legislative proposals on our agenda, and we will be glad to
hear from him at this time.
PAGENO="0027"
23
STATEMENT OF HON. JOEL T. BROYHILL, A REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
Mr. BROYHILL. Mr. Chairman, I have a written statement which I
would like to submit for the record.
Mr. WHITENER. Without objection it will be made a part of the
record at this point.
(The statement follows:)
Mr. BROYHILL. Mr. Chairman, 1 wish to commend the Chairman
for holding these hearings today on the extremely vital subject of
salary increases for members of the Metropolitan Police Department
and the Fire Department of the District of Columbia. While time did
not permit action on this legislation durmg the first session of this
Congress, it is entirely appropriate that we give it the highest priority
for enactment during this session.
Among the several bills pending on this subject is II. R. 13980,
which I introduced on November 13, 1967. I should like to comment
briefly on the major provisions of this bill.
The most important provision of H. R. 13980 is a new salary scale
for officers and members of the Police and Fire Departments of our
Nation's capital. This scale would provide an overall average increase
of 8.7% in salaries, and it is estimated that it will cost some $4.4
million per year.
The bill would increase the starting salary for police and fire privates
from the present $6,700 to $7,500 per year. The maximum salary for
privates would become $10,200, attainable after 16 years of service,
compared to the present $9,420 which accrues after 19 years of service.
rfhe presently scheduled longevity steps 7, 8, and 9 would be deleted,
with retention of three longevity step increases for Privates through
Sergeants and two longevity step increases for Lieutenants through
Deputy Chief, with 3-year intervals between these increases as com-
pared to the present 4-year intervals between the scheduled longevity
steps.
Since the last salary increase for District of Columbia policemen and
firemen was enacted in November, 1966, there has been an average
increase of 11.2% in the recruiting rates for police privates by 17 of the
20 other major U.S. cities, and an average increase of 10.7% in
recruiting salaries for fire privates in 18 of those 20 major cities. These
actions have dropped the District of Columbia from 5th to 12th 1)lace
among these cities in starting salaries for l)olice privates, and from
5th to 11th place in recruiting salary for fire privates. The salary scale
proposed in H.R. 13980 will restore both of those vitally important
starting salaries to 5th place among those in the 20 largest U.S. cities.
Also, since 1966 the recruiting rates for police privates have in-
creased by an average of 10.7%, and those for fire privates by an
average of 7.9%, in the other jurisdictions in the Washington metro-
politan area. The salary scale in this proposed legislation will also
improve the District's competitive position with respect to these
neighboring communities.
With the incidence of major crime in the District at an all-time high
and increasing steadily each month, and with the Nation's capital
acquiring a nation-wide reputation of being unsafe for visitors, the
necessity for recruiting and retaining a capable, well-trained police
force in this city cannot be overestimated.
PAGENO="0028"
24
Today, there are 304 vacancies in the ranks of the Metropolitan
Police force, with an authorized strength of 3,100 men. The force has
not been at full strength since February of 1964. While the number of
vacancies has been reduced somewhat in the past several weeks by the
most arduous recruitment efforts, the force remains dangerously
understaffed.
The problem with respect to recruitment in the Fire Department is
less acute, but is serious nonetheless. I am informed that in recent
years the D.C. Fire Department has been obliged to accept increasing
numbers of recruits who have barely achieved the minimum passing
score on the mental examination for candidates, in order to fill its
vacancies. With firefighting becoming ever more technical in nature,
and with the Department's in-training becoming more demanding as
a consequence, this poses a serious problem.
I realize that salaries alone do not constitute the sole cause of the
acute problem of recruitment and retention of well-qualified personnel
for these forces. However, I am convinced that the salary schedule
proposed in this bill, particularly as it is weighted in favor of the lower
salary classes, will have .a highly salutary effect on this situation. And
in these times when the safety of the citizens of this city, and of its
millions of visitors each year, is in serious jeopardy, then it is incum-
bent on the Congress to provide every possible assistance to the solu-
tion of the problem.
Andther provision of this bill would authorize additional compensa-
tion to officers and members of the D.C. Police and Fire Departments,
below the rank of Deputy Chief, who acquire college credits in subjects
which will enhance their value to the organization. A member acquiring
30 semester hours of credit in law enforcement or administration in the
case of a policeman, or in fire science or administration in the case of a
fireman, will receive $600 of additional salary per year, and a member
obtaining 60 semester hours of such credit will be entitled to an
additional $1,200 per year.
HR. 13980 also includes a "grandfather clause", to assure that
certain members of these forces who may be reassigned because of
reorganization within the Departments may not be reduced in salary
as a result of such reassignment.
The Deputy Police Chief presently assigned as Police Executive
Officer has also been assigned as one of the Assistant Chiefs. My bifi
would provide this officer $500 of additional compensation per year
as long as he acts in this dual capacity.
Mr. Chairman, the classified employees of the Federal and District
of Columbia governments were granted a salary increase of 4.5% as
of October 1, 1967. In addition, these employees have been granted a
prospective additional increase to take effect July 1, 1968. It is re-
grettable that time did not permit consideration of increases at that
time for policemen, firemen, and teachers in the District of Columbia.
Now, however, we are properly engaged in the consideration of legis-
lation to compensate these dedicated public servants for this delay.
For this reason, my bill H.R. 13980 would make these salary increases
and other benefits for District of Columbia police and firemen retro-
active to October 1, 1967, which I feel strongly to be necessary in
fairness to these members.
PAGENO="0029"
25
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this opportunity to express my views
on this vital subject, and urge prompt and favorable action on this
measure.
The Chairman pointed out that we will have separate hearings on the
other bills listed on the agenda, including one I cosponsored for the
establishment of a Commissioner of Police.
I notice on the agenda the notation that HR. 13980, introduced by
me, would increase the pay of police and firemen by 7 percent at a cost
of $3.6 million. I believe this is in error, because the bill I have intro-
duced is similar to the one the Chairman introduced which would
provide an over-all average increase of 8.7 percent at an estimated cost
of $4.4 million per year. it would increase the starting salary for police
and fire privates from $6,700 to $7,500 per year. The maximum salary
for privates would become $10,200, attainable after 16 years of service.
I have no pride of authorship. I am cosponsor of this legislation with
other Members.
I think we are all in accord that it is extremely necessary that we do
whatever is possible to bring the salaries of members of the Police
and Fire Departments of the District of Columbia to a proper level.
Since the last salary increase for District of Columbia policemen and
firemen was enacted in November of 1966, there has been an average
increase of 11.2 percent in the recruiting rates for police privates by
17 of the 20 other major cities of the United States, and we have no
choice but to get on with this task before us and be sure we provide
adequate salaries and incentives for the men to seek these jobs as a
career.
Another provision of this bill would authorize additional compeiisa-
tion for officers and members of the Police and Fire Departments,
below the rank of Deputy Chief, who acquire college credits in sub-
jects which will enhance their value to the organization. A member
acquiring 30 semester hours of credit in law enforcement or admin-
istration in the case of a policeman, or in fire science or administration
in the case of a fireman, would receive $600 of additional salary per
year, and a member obtaining 60 semester hours of such credit would
be entitled to an additional $1200 per year. We want to do what we
can to help lower the crime rate of this city. it is certainly something
that is within our jurisdiction, and we hope the committee will be
prompt in considering this legislation.
Mr. WHITENER. Thank you very much, Mr. Broyhill. We also have
a prepared statement from Representative Hervey G. Machen of
Maryland, which will be made a part of the record at this point if
there is no objection.
STATEMENT OF HON. HERVEY G. MACHEN, A REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND
Mr. MACHEN. Mr. Chairman and members of this distinguished
committee, I am Hervey G. Machen and I represent Maryland's
Fifth Congressional District. I am testifying on behalf of H .R. 11435
which I introduced on July 13, 1967, to give badly-needed pay raises
to members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the D.C.
Fire Department.
PAGENO="0030"
26
In all respects but one my bill is identical to H.R. 10761 which
was introduced on June 12, 1967, by Chairman McMillan. The differ-
ence between the two bills is the result of a problem that was brought
to my attention by a member of the White House Police force who is
a constituent. In effect, the problem is that the 1966 amendment to
the public salary schedule placed all police privates with 19 years of
service in longevity at lower pay.
In order to correct this inequity, I have offered a slightly different
salary scale in H. R. 11435. What I have done is to eliminate Subclass
(c) under Class 4 and to combine Subclass (a) and (b) under Class 4,
thus giving fire sergeant, police sergeant and detective sergeant the
same pay under a new Subclass (a), Class 4, and to continue the sepa-
rate classification of "police sergeant assigned as motorcycle officer,"
but as Subclass (b) of Class 4 at the same proposed salary.
In working out this solution to the inequity I corresponded with
Chief Layton who suggested that in effect I increase all rates for Class
4, Subclass (a) sergeant so that the maximum rate for private would
not exceed the minimum rate for sergeant. Under my bill, H.R.
11435, the maximum rate for private is $9,780 and the minimum rate
for sergeant is $10,285. This was accomplished by combining Sub-
classes (a) and (b) Class 4 into a single subclass and by applying the
present rates for detective sergeants to both grades.
According to a letter of July 14, 1967, from Chief Layton, this
change in my bill "would not only eliminate any possible inequity
between the rates for sergeants and privates, but would also accom-
plish the goal of this department to eliminate the existing, unjustified
separation of salary rates between police sergeants and detective ser-
geants." IVIr. Chairman, the entire text of Chief Layton's letter is
attached to my testimony and I request that it be included in the
record of the hearing.
Mr. Chairman, on the overall question of increasing the salaries
for these dedicated public servants, I believe that this legislation
*is entirely justified and badly-needed. Certainly the Congress is
trying to do everything in its power to strengthen the front lines
against crime and we must have the forces, and they must be equi-
tably compensated, in order to conquer crime in the District.
By the time the 90th Congress finally closes its doors later this
year it is my hope that we will have enacted a comprehensive package
of anti-crime legislation not only for the District but the nation as
well. The administration has pointed to many proposed programs for
the District as "models." There is no reason why the District cannot
be a model community in peace and tranquility and in the guarantee
that every citizen can move about as he pleases in complete safety
in mind and body. The Omnibus District Anti-Crime Act is a definite
step in this direction. So will be the enactment of this legislation to
provide equitable salaries for our policemen and firemen who daily
defend our rights against criminals and violence.
Mr. Chairman, I respectfully urge that this distinguished Com-
mittee give a favorable report to this legislation with a view toward
early passage in the second session of the 90th Congress.
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27
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT,
July 14, 1967.
Hon. FIERVEY G. MACHEN,
House of Representatives,
Washington. D.C.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN MACHEN: This is in reply to your letter inquiring about
an apparent inequity in the 1966 amendment to the District of Columbia Police
and Firemen's Salary Act.
It is true that, as indicated in the material accompanying your letter, when the
1966 amendment to our salary schedule placed all police privates with 19 years
service in longevity step 9 at an annual salary of $9,420, it left some police
sergeants, who also had 19 years service, in service step 2 of sergeant at an annual
rate of $9,315. Therefore, until those sergeants advance to service step 3 (which
they do after two years in service step 2), police privates with approximately the
same years of service as they have will be earning a slightly higher rate of pay. I
would emphasize, however, that this disparity is temporary, as the police privates
in the $9,420 rate are at their maximum salary rate, whereas the sergeants can
continue to higher service and longevity steps to a maximum rate of $11,015.
In connection with this complaint which you have received, I think that you
will b~e interested to know that H. R. 10761, which was introduced June 12, 1967,
will accentuate this problem even further. That bill will reduce from 19 years ~to
16 years the time required for a private to reach his maximum longevity rate,
which is set by that bill at $10,220, and will move into that rate all privates with
16 years or more years service, while your complainant will continue in service
step 2 of sergeant, set in that bill at $10,115, until he has earned additional service
and longevity step increases through time in grade as a sergeant.
Since 1953, when Congress first provided service and longevity step increases for
policemen, we have experienced problems such as this, where, because of various
attempts to adjust salary rates to correct old inequities, new inequities were
created. One of the major problems with a service step and longevity step salary
system is the not infrequent occurrence of a subordinate earning a higher salary
rate then his superior; even though the superior may have more total government
service. I firmly believe that this problem is going to be with us so long as we con-
tinue to have a salary schedule which provides service and longevity step increases
based on a combination of time in service and time in grade; such inequities can be
completely eradicated only by change to a salary schedule such as that provided
by the military, where longevity step increases are based on total time in service
without regard to time in grade.
I am enclosing a table which indicates, as you requested, the number of ser-
geants now on this department who would be affected by your proposed amend-
ment to the salary schedule. As we read your proposed amendment, it would
not have a direct effect on any of our privates.
I would personally recommend against a provision such as that proposed in
the attachment to your letter as a correction of this inequity. It has been our
experience that whenever an attempt has been made to correct old inequities
by shifting selected groups about in the salary schedule, the net effect has been
to generate new disparities. Instead, I would suggest to you that a simple solu-
tion, short of a change to a flat time-in-service longevity systemS.., would be to
increase all rates for the Class 4, Sub-class (a.) Sergeant so that the maximum
rate for private would not exceed the minimum rate for sergeant. This could
be done without affecting the relationship between the basic rates for sergeants
and the basic rates for lieutenants by simply combining Sub-class (a) for police
sergeant, and Sub-class (b) for detective sergeant into a single sub-class, apply-
ing the present rates for detective sergeants to both grades. This change would
not only eliminate any possible inequity between the rates for sergeants and
privates, but would also accomplish the goal of this department to eliminate
the existing, unjustified separation of salary rates between police sergeants and
detective sergeants.
Sincerely yours,
JOHN B. LAYTON, Chief of Police.
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28
POLICE PERSONNEL IN CLASS 4
July 14 1967
10 years
13 years
16 years
Sergeants:
Stepi
Step 2
Step 3
10
17
1
6
12
Total
10
17
19
Detective Sergeant:
Stepi
Step 2
Step 3
2
1
16
Total
2
17
Motorcycle Sergeants:
Step I
Step 2
Step 3
2
Grand Total
12 17
41
Mr. WHITENER. We also have a statement from a former member
of this Committee, Honorable Abraham J. Multer, now of the New
York State Supreme Court, which we will make a part of the record
at this point unless there is objection.
STATEMENT OF HON. ABRAHAM J. MULTER. JUSTICE, NEW
YORK STATE SUPREME COURT, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Mr. MULTER. Mr. Chairman I appreciate the opportunity to
submit my views to the Committee concerning an amendment to the
legislation before you to increase the salaries of Policemen and Firemen
in the District of Columbia.
On September 23, 1967, while still serving in this body I introduced
H.R. 13203, which would abolish the rank of detective in the Metro-
politan Police Force and promote detectives to detective sergeants.
On November 9, 1967, Subcommittee #2, which I had the honor to
chair, conducted a public hearing on this bill. The Subcommittee
heard at that time representatives of the detectives directly concerned
in the proposed legislation and the leadership of the Metropolitan
Police Force. We also had the benefit of a report on the bill from the
Commissioner of the District of Columbia and his recommendations.
Mr. Chairman, the results of my investigations into this matter
and my conclusions based upon conversations with the District of
Columbia government, the Metropolitan Police Department and the
men involved, have led to only one course of action: an amendment
to the legislation before you to protect the more than 130 men pres-
ently serving as detectives from the bureaucratic ineptitude of those
who have blindly accepted the recommendations of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police.
What the reorganization of the Police Force proposes to do is
simply lump together all detectives and anyone else on the force
who wishes to become an "investigator" and put them on the same
footing. Thus the man with fifteen years experience seeking the new
designation (which he does not want anyway, but which he would be
PAGENO="0033"
29
forced to take) is going to compete with the man with two or three
years of experience. What has happened to the merit system here?
Where is the principle of fair play? These men have not devoted
their lives to police work only because they get paid for it. They are
dedicated public servants; they take justifiable pride in their work
and the status in society which it affords them. They devote long
hours in overtime-much of it unpaid volunteer overtime-to solving
serious crimes committed in the Nation's Capital. This is no easy
task; the sharply rising crime rate in Washington does not permit
nine to five workdays for those who must cope with it. In my view
nothing we can do for these men can adequately compensate them
for the tremendous job they are doing against very substantial
odds. But, we can see that they will not have their hard-won status
taken from them. I submit that it is your responsibility as legislators
to see that this does not happen.
Following the hearing which my Subcommittee held on HR. 13203
I and other Members of this Committee held discussions directed at
arriving at a fair and equitable solution. The administrative officials
involved offered a compromise in Commissioner Washington's letter
to me of November 30, 1967. A copy of that letter is attached to
my statement and I ask that it be made a part of the hearing record
at the end of my statement.
As a result of this offer of compromise I would like to suggest the
following amendment to the salary bill which would protect the
present members of the force holding the rank of Detective:
PROPOSED NEWT SECTION TO BILL PRovIDING SALARY INCREASES
FOR OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE METROPOLITAN POLICE FORCE
SEC. -. The Commissioner of the District of Columbia (or his
delegate) may not as a part of any reorganization of the Metropolitan
Police force or through any other administrative action-
(1) change the title of the positions of Detective and Detective
Sergeant in salary classes 3 and 4, respectively, of the salary
schedule contained in section 101 of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 (D.C. Code, sec. 4-823),
(2) change the job description or duties of such positions as
in effect on , or
(3) deny any individual serving in the position of Detective
on - every opportunity to advance to the position
of Detective Sergeant, or transfer such individual without his
consent to any other position,
so long as any individual serving in the position of Detective on
is serving in such position.
Everyone I have spoken with on this matter is agreed, I believe,
that this language will solve the problem. I am informed that the
District Government will do this in any case, but I believe that it
is in the best interests of all concerned if the language is written into
the law.
rFI1anI~ you.
SS-574-6S------3
PAGENO="0034"
30
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, D.C., November 30, 1967.
Hon. ABRAHAM J. MULTER,
Chairman, Subcommittee 2, Committee on the District of Columbia,
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. MULTER: On November 9, 1967 Assistant Corporation Counsel
Thomas F. Moyer and Deputy Police Chief Jerry V. Wilson testified before your
subcommittee on H. R. 13203, a bill "To amend the District of Columbia Police
and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to abolish the rank of detective in the Metro-
politan Police Force, and to promote persons with such rank to the rank of de-
tective sergeant." They presented the position of the District Government as set
forth in my letter of November 8, 1967 to the Honorable John L. McMillan, and
made a part of the hearing record. In that latter, I opposed the bill on the grounds
(1) that there is no basis to automatically promote to the rank of detective ser-
geant all of the detectives in the Metropolitan Police force, as provided by the
bill, and (2) that such automatic promotions would compound the present in-
balance of supervisor-subordinate ratio in the Criminal Investigation Division.
At the hearing you asked Assistant Corporation Counsel Mover and Deputy
Chief Wilson if the District's position would be different if the bill were amended
to provide for smaller increases in compensation for the detectives upon their
automatic promotion to the rank of detective sergeant. The total estimated
annual cost of the increases provided by the bill, as presently writter~, is $75,000.
If the bill were amended to provide for the smaller increases, the estimated cost
would be $31,000. I attach a chart indicating the breakdown of the increases
under the present bill and those if the bill' were amended to provide for such
smaller increases.
However, a smaller increase in the compensation of the detectives upon their
automatic promotion to the rank of detective sergeant would not obviate the
primary objections of the District Government to this bill; i.e., that there is no
basis for this automatic promotion, by legislation, of detectives to a higher grader
and such promotions would compound the present imbalance of supervisor-
subordinate ratio in the Criminal Investigation Division. I therefore reiterate my
opposition to the enactment of the bill, regardless of whether it be amended as
has been proposed.
As the District witnesses testified during the hearing, the Pollee Department
does not propose to reduce any of the existing detectives in rank, compensation,
or status, nor does it propose to establish another grade of criminal investigator
which would be equal in rank or compensation to the existing grade of detective.
The Chief's policy, quoted in my letter of November 8, 1967, includes extending
the opportunity to the existing detective force to take an examination for detective
sergeant in 1969.
The Chief of Police and I are informed that during the hearing you expressed
the view that the District should continue the detective sergeant examinations
as long as the incumbents remain in the grade of detectives. As Deputy Chief
Wilson testified during the hearing, the 1969 cutoff for detective sergeant exami-
nations was established with the assumption that by the time those registers are
exhausted in 1971, few if any of the incumbent detectives will stifi be in that
grade. However, this cutoff decision would be subject to review based on the
number of incumbents actually remaining in the detective grade in 1971. Should
the Subcommittee, as an alternative to HR. 13203, recommend that the optional
opportunity for promotion to detective sergeant be continued in promotional
examinations so long as any incumbent remains in the grade of detective, the
Chief of Police and I would have no objection to adopting such a policy.
Sincerely yours,
WALTER E. WASHINGTON,
Commissioner of the District of Columbia.
PAGENO="0035"
31
[Attachment]
No. in Step From Detective To Detective
Step 66 Sergeant Step ~
Increase
Cost
6 1 $8,690 1 $9,485
21 2 $9,030 1 $9,485
34 3 $9,370 2 $9,825
52 4 $9,710 3 $10,165
8 7 $10,050 4 $10,505
9 8 $10,390 7 $10,845
8 9 $10,730 8 $11,185
$795
455
455
455
455
455
455
$4,770
9,555
15 470
23 660
3640
4095
3,640
Subtotal
Cost of pension increases
64,830
10,170
Estimated cost
$75,000
PROPOSED REVISED SCHEDULE
6 1 $8,690 1 $9,485
21 2 $9,030 I $9,485
34 3 $9,370 1 $9,485
52 4 $9,710 2 $9,825
8 7 $10,050 3 $10,165
9 8 $10,390 4 $10,505
8 9 $10,730 7 $10,845
$795
455
115
115
115
115
115
$4 770
9,555
3 910
5,980
920
1 035
920
Subtotal
Cost of pension increases
27,090
3,910
Estimated cost
$31, 000
Mr. DOWDY. Mr. Chairman, in connection with Mr. Multer's
statement, may I say that in the past session Mr. Multer's Subcom-
mittee No. 2 held a hearing on this question of retaining detectives,
in which I and other Members participated, and I request that for the
information of this subcommittee, the earlier hearing be included in
the record of these proceedings.
Mr. WHITENER. Unless there is objection, we will make that hear-
ing a part of this record.
(The testimony referred to appears in the appendix hereto, pp. 97-131.)
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Gude, do you have a statement you would
like to make at this time?
Mr. GTJDE. No, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Adams.
STATEMENT OF HON. BROCK ADAMS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Mr. ADAMS. Mr. Chairman, I, also, want to welcome Mr. Wash-
ington.
In prior bills pending before this coirnnit~ee, we have dealt with the
special problem of the recruitment of men at the lower levels of the
Police Department, and at that time we all recognize the problem was
severe. We hope this will be included in a larger package because we
feel this recruitment is very necessary.
Secondly, I hope we will have an opportunity to implement some of
the recommendations made by the International Association of Chiefs
of Police relating to new positions and so on.
PAGENO="0036"
32
Many of us are extremely pleased and want to take this opportunity
to compliment you, Mr. Washington, and your new Director of Public
Safety, Mr. Murphy, on the steps you are taking to attack the crime
problem. Many of us feel Washington, D.C. is a place where we should
create a model-type Police Department that other Police Departments
in the United States can learn from and copy, and I hope from these
hearings and the later hearings that wifi be held we will be able to
accomplish this.
STATEMENT OF HON. BASIL WHITENER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAIRMAN
OF SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 4.
Mr. WHITENER. May I say I appreciate very much the attitude of
the members of the Police and Fire Departments of the District of
Columbia. Last year many of them talked to members of this Commit-
tee about the pay legislation, and we were a little concerned that we
were not able to act upon it at that time. Chairman Mc~vfffian and I
assured them that early in this session we would proceed with hearings
and give expeditious consideration to their situation.
Their attitude has been one of dignity. We have not had marches
to the Capitol and picketing and hollering. I, as one member of the
committee, appreciate this attitude and I feel it will pay off in the
long run. We on this Committee have always had a special place in
our affections for members of the Police and Fire Departments, not
only in the field of pay but in the field of working conditions and taking
some of the shackles off the law enforcement people. We have not always
had the fullest cooperation at various levels in some of the efforts we
have made. Notwithstanding that, the police, particularly, who have
been involved more than the Fire Department in these matters, have
been most patient.
We are hoping we have a different attitude now on some of these
matters and that the community will give more support to the men
in uniform who serve their community night and day.
We are delighted to have with us representatives of the District
of Columbia Government, headed by Commissioner Walter E.
Washington. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Thomas W. Fletcher,
is with us; also Mr. Patrick V. Murphy, the Director of Public Safety;
our good friend, Deputy Police Chief Wilson; Assistant Fire Chief
William C. Weitzel; John Eaton of the Personnel Office; and Mr.
Thomas F. Moyer of the Office of the Corporation Counsel.
So, Commissioner Washington, if you. would come forward and
bring with you as many of these other gentlemen as you would like
to have sitting with you here, we shall hear you.
PAGENO="0037"
33
STATEMENT OF HON. WALTER E. WASHINGTON, COMMISSIONER
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ACCOMPANIED BY THOMAS
W. FLETCHER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER; PATRICK V. MURPHY,
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY; JERRY V. WILSON, DEPUTY
CHIEF, METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR CHIEF
JOHN B. LAYTON; WILLIAM C. WEITZEL, ASSISTANT FlEE
CHIEF FOR CHIEF HENRY A. GALOTTA; THOMAS F. MOYER,
ASSISTANT CORPORATION COUNSEL; AND JOHN EATON,
PERSONNEL OFFICER
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to say that Chief Layton is attending a meeting of public
officials from across the Nation at Airlie House or he would be here
this morning; he wanted to come. And Chief Galotta is ill this morning.
He has just gotten out of the hospital and was unable to come.
I want to say, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, that
I appreciate so much the reception you have given me. This is my first
appearance before the committee. I have tried to get around and meet
some of you individually and intend to do more of this in line with
Chairman McMillan's suggestion that I meet with you both in execu-
tive session and otherwise. He is most gracious, and Mr. Nelsen was
also most gracious in having me up to meet some of the members of
the committee on the Republican side.
I Want to say to you and assure you that my attitude is one of trying
to do the very best I can for the City of Washington, D.C. I love this
city; it has been very good to me and to my family; and I would like
to think I can work in this background so that everyone might have
an opportunity and be able to live safely in the city and on the streets
and that our forces and personnel serving this town can work in dignity
and can work in peace. I know that this is a great obj ective of this
committee, and I want you to know that it is my full intention to
work as hard as I can to achieve the goals that we talk about in making
this a model city, a city where all people can survive and thrive and
raise their families in decency and that the streets will be peaceful
enough that all can walk on them in dignity. You have my solemn
pledge that this is the basis on which I intend to go after my job and
do my work.
I certainly concur with the statements that have already been
made that our policemen and firemen who are rendering great service
to this city should be given every incentive and that we should make
every possible means available to them to improve the service and to
strengthen the service and strengthen the conditions under which
they labor.
I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss
the relevant bills which concern proposed salary increases and other
benefits for policemen and firemen in the District of Columbia. There
is an urgent need for an increase in the salaries of policemen and
firemen.
At this time, I ask ~liat there be incorporated in the record of the
hearing the letter of October 10, 1967 from the District of Columbia
Government, transmitting a report on the first t hree cited bills
including a recommendation that they be amended in their entirety
PAGENO="0038"
34
by substituting the provisions of the District's proposed bill, and
that one of such bills as so amended, be enacted in lieu of H.R. 6644
and H.R. 11149. These latter bifis were introduced upon the recom-
mendation of the District Government in a letter to the Speaker of
the House dated February 9, 1967.
A recent study completed by the D.C. Personnel Office has empha-
`sized the need for a more comprehensive pay adjustment for both
police and firemen, rather than just the modification of the first six
step rates for a Police Private as initially recommended in H. R. 6644
and H.R. 11149.
In addition, I ask that there be incorporated in the record my report
on H.R. 13980, recommending the amendment of H.R. 13980 in its
entirety by substituting the provision of my proposed legislation
(which is an updated version of the District Government's proposed
legislation accompanying report of October 10, 1967) and that H.R.
13980 as so amended be enacted in lieu of H.IR. 10761, H.R. 11278,
H.R. 11435, 13981, H.R. 6644, and H.R. 11149.
Mr. WHITENER. We will make those items a part of the record at
this point.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you.
(The reports referred to follow:)
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, Januarl,s 22, 1968.
Hon. JOHN L. MCMILLAN, -
Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. MCMILLAN: The Government of the District of Columbia has for
report H. R. 13980, 90th Congress, a bill "To amend the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, as amended, to increase salaries, to
adjust pay alinement, and for other purposes."
The first section of H. R. 13980 provides for a salary increase for police and
firemen averaging 8.7% estimated to cost $4.4 million for a full fiscal year. The
remaining sections contain a number of personnel provisions affecting police and
firemen which are discussed in Exhibit A (attached), an analysis of the bill, and
the District Government recommendations.
The District Government recognizes there is urgent need for an increase in the
salaries of policemen and firemen. A study of this need is presented in Exhibit B
(attached). In view of this study, the District is proposing the pay plan and
other personnel provisions for policemen and firemen set forth in a draft bill,
Exhibit C (attached). We therefore recommend that H. H. 13980 be amended in
its entirety by substituting the provisions of the District Government's proposed
bill, and that H. R. 13980, as so amended, be enacted in lieu of H. R. 10761, H. R.
11278, H. R. 13980, H. R. 6644, or H. R. 11149, the last two of which were intro-
duced upon the recommendation of the Board of Commissioners in its letter of
February 9, 1967, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The District Government's proposed bill provides for a salary increase for
policemen and firemen averaging approximately 7%, at an estimated annual cost
of $3.6 million. The District's proposal also contains several of the provisions now
contained in H.R. 13980, H.R. 6644, and H.R. 11149 and discussed in the
attached analysis and study. In the belief that the passage of H. R. 13980, if
amended as the District of Columbia Government proposes, is vital to the
recruitment and retention of policemen and firemen, we urge its enactment.
The funds required to meet the cost of the District Government's proposal
for a police and firemen's pay increase for the last six months of fiscal year 1968
have been reserved in the 1968 District Appropriation Act. However, if H.R.
13980 were enacted with its October 1967 effective date, the cost for fiscal year
1968 would be approximately $3.3 million, for which additional revenues would
be required. In view of other District needs, the Government of the District of
Columbia cannot support an increase of this size at this time and therefore reiter-
ates its recommendation that the attached draft bill be enacted, in lieu of H. R.
13980.
PAGENO="0039"
35
I have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that, from the standpoint of
the Administration's program, there is no objection to the submission of this
report to the Congress.
Sincerely yours,
THOMAS W. FLETCHER,
Assistant to the Commissioner,
(For Walter E. Washington, Commissioner).
{Attachmentsl
EXHIBIT A-ANALYSIS OF H.R. 13980
HR. 13980 provides for (1) an increase in salaries; (2) deletion of the scheduled
longevity steps 7, 8, and 9, with retention of three longevity step increases for
Privates through Sergeants and two longevity step increases for Lieutenants
through Deputy Chief, with three years between each such increase; (3) payment
of $500 per annum additional to the pay for the Police Executive Officer who is
assigned as one of the Assistant Chiefs of Police; (4) payment of $600 to any
officer or member below the rank of Deputy Chief in the Police and Fire Depart-
ments who has a minimum of thirty college credit hours in law enforcement or
administration or in fire science or administration respectively, and has served
one year probation; (5) payment of $1,200 to any officer or member below the
rank of Deputy Chief in the Police and Fire Departments who has 60 or more
college credit hours in law enforcement or administration or in fire science or
administration respectively, and has served one year probation; (6) advancement
of all officers or members except privates to the highest longevity step in their
respective class or subclass upon completion of thirty years of continuous service
in the police force or in the Fire Department; and (7) salary saving provisions
for members of the Police and Fire Departments assigned as Technician I, Tech-
nician II, or Station Clerk, as the case may be, who may lose such an assignment
only because of the reorganization of the Police or Fire Department. The salary
increases provided by the bill average 8.7% and the estimated cost for a full
fiscal year is $4,400,000.
The District Government concurs in the provisions of HR. 13980 relating to
the change in longevity step increases, additional pay for the Police Executive
Officer, pay incentive for educational attainment, and salary protection for
Technicians and Station Clerks. However, (1) the additional pay for the Police
Executive Officer should be subject to insurance benefits in addition to retirement
benefits, and (2) rather than to indicate a stated amount of compensation for edu-
cational attainment, the District Government believes it more practical to pro-
vide for administrative application of such compensation through regulatory
issuances according to changes which may occur in basic salary rates.
The District Government does not consider appropriate the provision in H.R.
13980 concerning the advancement of all officers and members except privates to
the highest longevity step of their respective class or subclass upon completion of
thirty years service. The former Board of Commissioners was strongly opposed
to a similar provision which was considered by the Congress in August 1964 for
Deputy Chiefs and subsequently enacted into law as a provision of P.L. 88-575,
approved September 2, 1964, because of its conflict with the concept of longevity
pay for compensatory recognition of long service in the same class or grade.
Also, since the basic salary rate is used for retirement pay purposes, this provision
which allows attainment to the top rate in a class or subclass after thirty years
service might encourage early retirement of those officers and members who had
not yet reached the mandatory retirement age. Otherwise such officers and mem-
bers might continue their employment and the Police and Fire Departments
would benefit from their long experience and knowledge. Additionally, no other
salary system in the District Government permits an employee to automatically
jump to his top rate because of a long period of service.
The District of Columbia must also oppose the provision of section 7 of H.R.
13980 making the legislation effective on the first day of the first pay period
which begins after the first day of October, 1967. As indicated previously, the
District cannot support a retroactive increase of this size at this time and there-
fore recommends the substitution of the attached draft bill (Exhibit C).
PAGENO="0040"
36
EXHIBIT B-STUDY ON Px~ ADJUSTMENTS FOR D.C. POLICE AND FIREMEN
For purposes of recruitment for and maintenance of police and firefighting
services, a study has been made concerning the need for any pay adjustment and
related benefits. The need for this study was especially emphasized because of the
difficulties being encountered in the filling of vacancies particularly in the Metro-
politan Police Force and to a lesser extent in the D.C. Fire Department.
POLiCY
In order to accomplish a more adequate and meaningful program of crime
prevention and detection, preservation of peace and good order and protection of
lives and property,. it is essential to provide the means whereby the D.C. Govern-
ment is able to attract and retain sufficient qualified recruits in both the Police
and Fire Departments. Accordingly-
(1) Rates of pay for police and firemen should be in a favorable competitive
position with the other major cities having over 500,000 population, especially
with those cities in the eastern half of the United States which constitute
the primary labor market for recruitment of D.C~ police and firemen. In
addition, Washington, D.C., by reason of its national and international
prominence which places special emphasis on the various community services
required, should rank at least in the top quarter of the other major cities;
*(2) Rates of pay for police and firemen should be in reasonable alignment
with rates of pay for classified employees of the Federal and District Govern-
ments, not only on the basis of comparable duties and responsibilities, but
also with due consideration of the hazards inherent in large urban police and
fire activities; and
(3) Rates of pay for police and firemen should be very favorable in relation
to rates of pay for police and firemen in the Washington Metropolitan area.
This is necessary so that the D.C. Government may compete with advan-
tages enjoyed by the surrounding suburban communities such as less travel
time and costs, availability of parking facilities, and lower crime incidence
with less hazardous conditions.
COMPARISON WITH OTHBR MAJOR CITIES AND NEARBY COMMUNITIES
Attached exhibits show a comparison of minimum and maximum rates for
Police and Firemen respectively, in the major cities having over 500,000 popula-
tion, and in the nearby communities.
As a result of an average increase of 11.2% in the recruiting rates for police
privates by 17 of the 20 other major cities, and an average increase of 10.7% in
the recruiting rates for fire privates by 18 of these 20 major cities since the last
previous study made in mid-1966, Washington, with a recruiting rate of $6,700
approved in November 1966, has dropped in relative standing from 5th to 12th
place for police private and from 5th to 11th place for fire private.
The Hearby communities have also increased their rates averaging 10.7% for
police and 7.9% for firemen. The recruiting rates paid police by these communities
either exceed or are within a few hundred dollars of the D.C. Government's
recruiting rate of $6,700 for policemen. Rates for firemen are somewhat lower than
rates for policemen in Fairfax, Prince Georges, and Montgomery Counties, due
primarily to the manner in which such services heretofore have been accom-
plished; i.e., mainly through volunteer services or fire tax district arrangements.
However, these communities are developing their firefighting activities on a direct
County payroll basis which will in all probability require the establishment of
rates closely paralleling their rates for police services. At the present time, Alex-
andria has the same rate for both police and fire privates, and Fairfax is contem-
plating the same rate for both services~
CLASSIFICATION ACT EMPLOYEES
Increases for Federal and District employees under the Classification Act have
recently been enacted by the Congress. The legislation provides for a pay increase
of approximately 11 % in three stages for classified employees. The first stage, a
4.5% increase, was effective in October 1967. The amount of increase is meaning-
ful insofar as police and fire employees are concerned, because it adds substance to
other categories of positions from a more attractive competitive recruitment
viewpoint.
PAGENO="0041"
37
PRIVATE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Other occupations in the community currently are being paid rates which when
compared to the existing rates for police and firemen pose a more desirable attrac-
tion, especially in view of the qualifications, physical requirements, and hazardous
work conditions present in police and fire occupations. One of these occupations is
that of local bus driver which has a salary rate of $7,000, requiring that a person
have good health, valid driver's permit, clear police record, be at least 21 and no
older than 45 years of age, have a minimum height of 5'-6" with a maximum of
6'-4", and proportionate weight.
Also, according to the United States Employment Service, one of the most
consistent sources of employment in the Washington Metropolitan area for a
person with little or no experience is with construction operations. Based on current
prevailing rates published by the United States Department of Labor, following
are some of the typical local construction jobs and their rates of p~ay:
Occupation
Hourly Rate
Annual Rate
Line Construction Groundman
Laborer
Marble Setters Helper
Plumbers Helper
Truck Driver (Medium-Heavy)
Tile Setters Helper
$3.00
3.125
3.175
3.20
3. 35
3. 475
$6,240
6,500
6,604
6,656
6, 968
7, 228
VACANCIES
A crucial problem of recruiting continues in the police and fire services. The
following table shows the trend in vacancies:
1-1-67
2-1-67
3-1-67
4-1-67
Police
307
304
308
317
Fire
37
35
41
35
5-1-67
6--1-67
7-1-67
9-29-67
Police
313
333
348
376
Fire
34
45
38
28
While the vacancy problem in the Fire Department is not as acute as it is in the
Metropolitan Police force, there is still a need to fully man both forces to carry
out these vital services in the District of Columbia. It is therefore essential that
effective action be taken with respect to pay and recruiting benefits and tech-
niques so as to enable the District Government to fully staff these forces.
RECOMMENDATION S
The improved competitive position of the nearby communities due to their
increased rates, comparison to rates for other occupations within the District of
Columbia which have less demanding working conditions and requirements than
do police and firemen, and the lowering of the District's relative standing with
other major cities in the rates paid police and firemen, fully substantiate a need
to increase the rates for D.C. Government police and fire forces.
Using $7,500 as the entrance salary for police and fire privates as previously
recommended for police privates by the Commissioners on February 9, 1967, to
Congress, a proposed schedule of rates has been developed as a measure to insure
salaries that would both attract and retain qualified personnel. The proposed
increase which averages approximately 7% (costing an estimated $3.6 million
for a full fiscal year) would improve considerably the District's competitive salary
position both locally and nationally, by assurisig the continuation of the District's
first place ranking with nearby comlnunities, and raising the recruiting salaries
for District police and firemen from 12th to 5th and 11th to 5th respectively
among the 20 other major cities.
PAGENO="0042"
38
In addition to the proposed increase, the District also proposes to eliminate the
longevity steps from the salary schedule but retain the principle of longevity step
increases with a reduction of time between three such increases from four to three
years. This would permit a private to reach the maximum salary rate in sixteen
years rather than in nineteen years as is now the case. The same reduction in the
number of years between longevity step increases would apply to all the other
officers and members except the Fire Chief and Police Chief who would not receive
the benefit of any longevity step increase.
For the improvement of both the police and fire services, the District proposes
to provide additional compensation to those officers and members who have served
their first year probationary period and who complete or have completed courses
of study in law enforcement or fire science subjects at an accredited college or
university. The proposed form of compensation would be 8% of their rate of pay
(i.e., $600 in the case of a private) upon completion of thirty hours of such subjects
and 16% of their rate of pay (i.e., $1,200 in the case of a private) upon completion
of sixty hours of such subjects. The District considers this approach to recognition
of academic attainments to be more feasible than the use of the "Master Patrol-
man" concept as originally recommended by the Crime Commission and which
was included in the proposed bill concerning increase in rates of pay for~ police
and related recruitment benefits submitted by the Board of Commissioners in
February 1967 for Congressional consideration. This concept, as proposed, is that
a person before being eligible for a rate of pay which is higher than the regular
base pay for a police or fire private, should have at least a year of police or fire-
fighting experience in addition to having the required college credits. Also from a
morale standpoint of the present forces, the District of Columbia believes it
inadvisable to appoint a person as a master patrolman or master firefighter, as the
case may be, without his having gone through a period of basic on-the-job training
and experience. In addition, the provision of added compensation as proposed for
completing thirty credit hours and sixty credit hours provides an incentive to
personnel already on the force to achieve such additional education. Also, the
District believes the objective of attracting persons with more than a high school
education to the police or firefighting forces will be served by having an initial
recruiting rate of $7,500 with the added incentive of $600 or $1,200 additional
salary at the end of the first year of employment.
The Deputy Chief assigned as Police Executive Officer has also been assigned
as one of the Assistant Police Chiefs. In recognition of this dual assignment, the
District of Columbia Government believes that this police officer should receive
an additional rate of compensation in the amount of $500.
The District also proposed to include recruitment inducements as previously
endorsed in the February 1967 proposal introduced as HR. 6644 and H.R. 11149.
These recruitment inducements include payment of transportation expenses to
prospective police privates to come to the District of Columbia for interviews,
and resettlement cash allowances not to exceed $250 and an initial ninety-day
per diem allowance of $7.50 per day to new appointees who have to move into the
Washington Metropolitan area.
Additionally, the District proposed the repeal of the provision of P.L. 88-575,
approved September 2, 1964, which allows a Deputy Chief to advance to the top
step of his class upon completion of thirty years of service. This provision is a
benefit applying to Deputy Chiefs only. Should it remain, it is the view of the
Departments and Associations and of the members that a similar provision should
apply to all members of the forces. As a matter of principle and sound pay admin-
istration, it is the opinion of the Government of the District of Columbia that
this provision should be deleted from existing law.
And, finally, the District of Columbia proposes an amendment to existing law
relating to the probationary year of police privates. A recent District Court
decision interpreted existing law as requiring that a police private must be retained
for the full probationary year unless formal charges are brought against him
before a police trial board. This procedure is inconsistent with that applicable to
probationary firemen and all other District employees, who are subject to dismissal
for unsatisfactory performance at any time during the probationary year. The
requirement that a probationary policeman with unsatisfactory service be retained
for the full probationary year reflects unfavorably on the efficiency and economy
of the Police Department and is not in the best interest of the District Govern-
ment in terms of public safety. A provision is therefore included in the attached
proposed substitute bill to bring dismissal proceedings for probationary poheemen
in line with those of all other District employees.
PAGENO="0043"
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PAGENO="0046"
42
EXHIBIT C
A BILL To amend the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's SalaryAct of 1958,as amended, to increase
salaries, to adjust pay alignment, and for other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That section 101 of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 (D.C. Code, sec. 4-823) is amended to
read as follows:
"SEc. 101. The annual rates of basic compensation of the officers and members
of the Metropolitan Police force and the Fire Department of the District of
Columbia shall be fixed in accordance with the following schedule of rates:
"SALARY SCHEDULE
Service
"Salary class and title
1 2 3
Step
4 5 6
Class 1:
Subclass (a)
Fire Private.
Police Private.
Subclass (b)
Private assigned as:
Technician I.
Plainclothesman.
Subclass (c)
Private assigned as:
Technician II.
Station clerk.
Motorcycle officer.
Class 2:
Subclass (a)
Fire Inspector.
Subclass (b)
Fire Inspector assigned as technician I.
Subclass (c)
Fire Inspector assigned as technician II.
Class 3:
Assistant marine engineer
Assistant pilot.
Detective.
Class 4:
Subclass (a)
Fire sergeant.
Police sergeant.
Subclass(b)
Detective sergeant.
Subclass(c)
Police sergeant assigned as motorcycle
officer.
Class 5
Fire lieutenant.
Police lieutenant.
Class6
Marine engineer.
Pilot.
Class 7
Fire captain.
Police captain.
Class 8
Battalion fire chief.
Police Inspector.
Class 9:
Subclass (a)
Deputy fire chief.
Deputy chief of police.
Subclass (b)
Assistant fire chief.
Assistant chief of police.
Commanding officer of the White House
Police.
Commanding officer of the U.S. Park Police
Class 10
Fire chief.
Chief of Police."
$7, 500
$7, 800
$8, 100
$8, 400
$8, 700
$9, 000
7,790
8,090
8,390
8,690
8,990
9,290
8,080
8,380
8,680
8,980
9,280
9,580
8,700
9,000
9,300
9,600
8,990
9,290
9,590
9,890
9,280
9,580
9,880
10, 180
9,290
9, 590
9,890
10, 190
9,575
9,875
10,175
10,475
10, 085
10,385
10,685
10,985
10, 155
10,455
10,755
11,055
11,200
11,628
12,056
12,484
12,270
12,698
13,126
13,554
13,340
13,875
14,410
14,945
15,490
16,025
16,560
17,095
18, 165
18,700
19,235
19,770
19, 236
19, 771
20,306
20, 841
23, 500
24, 035
24, 570
25, 105
SEc. 2. The rates of basic compensation of officers and members to whom the
amendment made by section 1 of this Act applies shall be adjusted as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise hereinafter provided in this section, each officer
and member receiving basic compensation immediately prior to the effective
date of this Act at one of the scheduled service rates of a class or subclass in
PAGENO="0047"
43
the salary schedule in section 101 of the District of Columbia Police and
Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 shall receive a rate of basic compensation at the
corresponding rate in effect on and after the effective date of this Act.
(2) Each private receiving basic compensation at service step 6 in any
subclass in class 1, immediately prior to the effective date of this Act, and
who has completed a minimum of ten years of continuous service as a private,
including service in the Armed Forces of the United States, but excluding
any period of time determined not to have been satisfactory service shall,
in addition to receiving the corresponding rate provided for service step 6
by section 1 of this Act, receive a step increase (to be known as a longevity
step increase) in an amount equivalent to the amount of increment between
the service step rates provided by section 1 of this Act for his subclass in
class 1: Provided, That any active service which each such private has rendered
in excess of the ten years of continuous service will be credited to him for the
next longevity step increase under the provisions of section 401 of the District
of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958.
(3) Each private receiving basic compensation immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act at scheduled longevity step 7, longevity step 8,
or longevity step 9 in any subclass of class 1, as the case may he, of the
District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive a
rate of basic compensation comprised of the rate provided for service step 6
in the respective subclasses in class 1, by section 1 of this Act, plus an amount
derived for his longevity step by the application of a step increase for each
of the three longevity steps in an amount equivalent to the rate of salary
increment between the service steps in class 1 as provided by section 1 of
this Act: Provided, That each such private serving in longevity step 7 or
longevity step 8 of class 1, as the case may be, immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act, and who completes thirteen years or sixteen years
of continuous service as a private, including service in the Armed Forces
of the United States, but excluding any period of time determined not to
have been satisfactory service, shall receive additionally a step increase
(to be known as a longevity step increase) upon completion of the thirteen-
year period and also upon completion of the sixteen-year period in an amount
e'iuivalent to the amount of increment between the service step rates pro-
vided by section 1 of this Act for his subclass in class 1: Provided further,
That any active service which each such private has rendered in excess of
thirteen but less than sixteen years of continuous service will be credited
to him for the next longevity step increase under provisions of section 401
of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958.
(4) Each officer or member receiving basic compensation immediately prior
to the effective date of this Act at scheduled longevity step 7, longevity step 8,
or longevity step 9, as the case may be, in classes 2 through 4, respectively, of
the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive
a rate of basic compensation comprised of the rate provided for service step
4 in the respective classes 2 through 4 by section 1 of this Act, plus an amount
derived for his longevity step by application of a step increase for each of the
three longevity steps in an amount equivalent to the rate of salary increment
between the service step rate in the respective classes 2 through 4 as provided
by section 1 of this Act: Provided, That each officer or member serving in a
maximum scheduled service step, longevity step 7, or longevity step 8, as
the case may be, in classes 2 through 4, respectively, of the District of Colum-
bia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive additionally a
longevity step increase if he has completed one hundred and fifty six calendar
weeks of continuous active service, including service in the Armed Forces of
the United States but excluding any period of time determined not to have
been satisfactory service, in the step in which he was serving immediately
prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided further, That any active service
which each such officer or member has rendered in excess of the one hundred
and fifty six calendar weeks of active service in the maximum service step,
longevity step 7, or longevity step 8, as the case may be, in which he was
serving immediately prior to the effective date of this Act will be credited to
him for the next longevity step increase under the provisions of section 401
of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958.
(5) Each officer or member receiving basic compensation immediately
prior to the effective date of this Act at scheduled longevity step 7 or longevity
step 8, as the case may be, in classes 5 through 9, respectively, of the District
PAGENO="0048"
44
of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive a rate of
basic compensation comprised of the rate provided for service step 4 in the
respective classes S through 9, by section 1 of this Act plus an amount derived
for his longevity step by application of a step increase for each of the two
longevity steps in an amount equivalent to the rate of salary increment be-
tween the service step rates in the respective classes 5 through 9 as provided
by section 1 of this Act: Provided, That each officer or member serving in a
maximum scheduled service step or longevity step 7, as the case may be, as
heretofore included in classes 5 through 9, respectively, of the District of
Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958, shall receive additionally
a longevity step increase if he has completed one hundred and fifty-six
calendar weeks of continuous active service, including service in the Armed
Forces of the United States, but excluding any period of time determined not
to have been satisfactory service, in the step in which he was serving im-
mediately prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided further, That any
active service which each such officer or member has rendered in excess of
the one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of active service in the maximum
service step or longevity step 7, as the case may be, in which he was serving
immediately prior to the effective date of this Act will be credited to him for
for next longevity step increase under the provisions of section 401 of the
District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958.
(6) The officer assigned as Police Executive Officer and who is receiving
basic compensation as such immediately prior to the effective date of this
Act at the scheduled longevity step 8, class 9, subclass (b), shall receive a
corresponding rate of basic compensation as an Assistant Chief of Police
as established by section 1 of this Act and as provided for other officers and
members in longevity step 8 of class 9, subclass (b), by subsection (5) of
this section and such officer shall receive $500 per annum additionally so
long as he is assigned in the dual capacity of Police Executive Officer and
Assistant Police Chief. Such additional amount of compensation is to be
included in any basic computation for retirement purposes under the Police-
men and Firemen's Retirement and Disability Act (D.C. Code, title 4, chapter
5) and for the purpose of determining the amount of insurance for which
an individual is eligible under title 5, chapter 87, United States Code: Pro-
vided, That upon termination of the services of such officer, the provisions
of this paragraph are not to be applied to any other officer or member assigned
as Assistant Chief of Police.
SEC. 3. Each officer or member in class 1 through class 8 who has completed one
year of probation and who has completed or completes courses of study in law
enforcement or fire science subjects as the case may be at an accredited college or
university, shall receive additional compensation subject to the kind of law en-
forcement or fire science subjects, the number of semester hours of study required,
and amount of such additional compensation to be paid as determined and em-
bodied in regulations adopted and promulgated by the District of Columbia
Council in the case of the Metropolitan Police Department and the District of
Columbia Fire Department, the Secretary of the Interior in the case of the United
States Park Police force, and the Secretary of the Treasury in the case of the White
House Police force: Provided, That the said Council and the said Secretaries shall
standardize such requirements and compensation to be paid to the fullest extent
possible for the respective police forces and the District of Columbia Fire De-
partment.
SEC. 4. (a) The Commissioner of the District of Columbia is authorized, under
regulations prescribed by theDistrict of Columbia Council, to-
(1) pay or reimburse an individual, as provided for civilian officers and
employees by title 5, chapter 57, subchapter 1, United States Code, for the
expenses of travel, including per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses, in
traveling between his home or place of business and the District of Columbia,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether he is qualified for appointment to the
position of private in the Metropolitan Police force;
(2) pay to a person newly appointed as a private in the Metropolitan
Police force, who is required to relocate his place of residence in order to
come within the area of residence for such employees prescribed by the
Council, in addition to any other payments authorized by law-
(i) A cash resettlement allowance not to exceed $250, and
(ii) A per diem allowance not to exceed $7.50 per day for a period
not to exceed ninety days beginning with the date of his appointment:
Provided, That allowances authorized by this subsection shall not be
allowed unless the person selected shall agree in writing to remain a
PAGENO="0049"
45
reember of the Metropolitan Police force for twenty-four months follow-
ing his appointment unless separated for a reason which is (1) beyond
his control and (2) which is acceptable to the Commissioner. In case of
violation of such agreement, any moneys expended by the District of
Columbia on the allowances authorized by this subsection shall be
recoverable from the individual concerned as a debt.
(b) Unobligated balances of applicable current appropriations are hereby
made available to carry out the purpose of this sectioii.
SEC. 5. (a) Section 401(a) of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's
Salary Act of 1958 is amended to read as follows:
"SEc. 401. (a) In recognition of long and faithful service, each officer and mem-
ber, except the Chief of Police and Fire Chief, shall receive an additional step
increase (to be known as a longevity step increase) beyond the maximum scheduled
service step rate for the subclass in which he is serving, or for the class in which
he is serving if there are no subclasses in his class for each one hundred and
fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous service completed by him following the
effective date of this subsection at such maximum rate or at a rate in excess
thereof, without change to a higher class, subject to all of the following conditions:
"(1) No officer or member shall receive more than one longevity step
increase for any one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of continuous
service, and in order to be eligible therefor he shall have a current perform-
ance rating of `satisfactory' or better.
"(2) Not more than three successive longevity step increases may be
granted to any officer or member in classes 1 through 4, nor more than two
successive longevity step increases may be granted to any officer or member
in classes 5 through 9.
"(3) Each longevity step increase shall be equal to one step increase of the
class or subclass in which the officer or member is serving.
"(4) Each longevity step increase shall begin on the first day of the first
pay period following completion of each one hundred and fifty-six weeks."
SEC. 6. Section 105 of Public Law 88-575, approved September 2, 1964 (78
Stat. 882) is repealed.
SEC. 7. The paragraph relating to the probationary period for police privates
under the heading "Metropolitan Police" in the first section of the Act entitled
"An Act making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of
the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred
and nineteen, and for other purposes", approved August 31, 1918 (40 Stat. 938,
D.C. Code, sec. 4-105), is amended to read as follows:
"No person shall receive a permanent appointment who has not served the
required probationary period, but the service during probation shall be
deemed to be service in the uniformed force if succeeded by a permanent
appointment, and as such shall be included and counted in determining
eligibility for advancement, promotion, retirement, and pension in accordance
with existing law. If at any time during the period of probation, the conduct
or capacity of the probationer is determined by the Commissioner of the
District of Columbia, or his designated agent, to be unsatisfactory, the pro-
bationer shall be separated from the service after advance written notifica-
tion of the reasons for and the effective date of the separation. The retention
of the probationer in the service after satisfactory completion of the proba-
tionary period shall be equivalent to a permanent appointment therein."
SEC. 8. (a) Retroactive compensation or salary shall be paid by reason of this
Act only in the case of an individual in the service of the District of Columbia
government or of the United States (including service in the Armed ~ orces of the
United States) on the date of enactment of this Act, except that such retroactive
compensation or salary shall be paid (1) to an officer or member of the Metropoli-
tan Police force, the Nrc Department of the District of Columbia, the United
States Park Police force, or the White House Police force, who retired during the
period beginning on the first day of the first pay period which begins on or after
December 31, 1967, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act, for services
rendered during such period, and (2) in accordance with the provisions of sub-
chapter 8 of chapter 55 of title 5, 1~ nited States Code (relating to settlement of
accounts of deceased employees), for services rendered during the period beginning
on the first day of the first pay period which begins on or after IDecember 31, 1967,
and ending on the date of enactment of this Act, by an officer or member who dies
during such period.
8S-574-6S-----4
PAGENO="0050"
46
(b) For the purposes of this section, service in the Armed Forces of the United
States, in the case of an individual relieved from training and service in the
Armed Forces of the United States or discharged from hospitalization following
such training and services, shall include the period provided by law for the manda-
tory restoration of such individual to a position in or under the Federal Govern-
ment or the municipal government of the District of Columbia.
SEC. 9. For the purpose of determining the amount of insurance for which an
officer or member is eligible under the provisions of chapter 87 of title 5, United
States Code (relating to government employees group life insurance), all changes
in rates of compensation or salary which result from the enactment of this title
shall be held and considered to be effective as of the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 10. This Act shall take effect on the first day of the first pay period begin-
ning on or after December 31, 1967.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, January Pd2, 1968.
Hon. JOHN L. MCMILLAN,
Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia,
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. MCMILLAN: The Government of the District of Columbia has for
report H.R. 13981, a bill "To authorize the District of Columbia government to
pay travel expenses, per diem to persons traveling between their home or place
of business to the District of Columbia to ascertain whether he is qualified for
appointment to the Metropolitan Police Department, and for other purposes."
The bill provides recruitment inducements for the Metropolitan Police force
substantially similar to those recommended by the former Board of Commissioners
in its letter of February 9, 1967 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
and incorporated in H.R. 6644 and H.R. 11149. These recruitment inducements
were also recommended by the Board of Commissioners in its October 10, 1967
report to you on H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278, and H.R. 11435. The District of
Columbia Government reiterates the view that these inducements would be a
valuable aid in filling the vacancies on the Metropolitan Police force.
While it is believed that a salary increase will facilitate the recruitment of
applicants for the Metropolitan Police force, there is also a definite need to pro-
vide additional recruitment incentives to strengthen the District's ability to
obtain more qualified applicants. Even though definite emphasis is placed on
recruiting locally, the shortage of qualified police applicants in the District of
Columbia and the National Capital Region requires recruiting efforts beyond these
areas. In addition to attractive salaries, applicants are interested in compensation
for their expenses and such extra expenditures as may be required in accepting
employment as a police private in the District.
Accordingly, the following recruitment inducements provided in the bill can
be expected to aid in eliminating the present large number (304) of police vacancies:
1. The payment of transportation expenses to applicants who are requested
to travel to Washington, D.C. in order that certain determinations as to their
suitability and qualifications for appointment can be made. The estimated annual
cost to the District for these expenses is $25,000.
2. A resettlement cash allowance (not to exceed $250) and a 90-day per diem
allowance (not to exceed $7.50 per day) for newly-appointed privates who are
required to relocate their place of residence. Such allowances would be subject
to an agreement by the newly-appointed private to remain in the police service for
a period of two years, with a refund required if he left the service within such
period.
It would be necessary to establish regulations for the entitlement of resettle-
ment allowances. Dependent on the District's ability or inability to recruit qual-
ified policemen, it may be necessary to revise these regulations, but initially they
would provide that-
A. Payment of the resettlement cash allowance will be made on the basis
of $250 for a married appointee, or $100 for an unmarried appointee, to
provide for extra expenses incurred in relocating his place of residence. To
be eligible for such resettlement allowance, the appointee at the time of
appointment must live outside the limits of the area prescribed by the Dis-
trict of Columbia Council pursuant to statute, presently the territory within
a radius of twenty-one miles from the United States Capitol Building, and
be required to move into the prescribed area. The estimated annual cost
to the District for these allowances is $35,000.
PAGENO="0051"
47
B. The per diem allowance of $7.50 per day will be limited to 30 days
for unmarried policemen, and for married policemen will be limited to such
time as is required to relocate his family, but not in excess of 60 days, sub-
ject to change based on difficulty of recruiting, as indicated above. The
estimated annual cost for these allowances is $67,000.
Federal Government agencies such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, the
Atomic Energy Commission, and the Veterans Administration, have authority
to pay preemployment interview expenses. In a report on H. R. 9020, 89th Con-
gress, in June, 1965, concerning the payment of preemployment interviews
expenses of applicants for positions in the Federal Government, the United States
Civil Service Commission pointed out the need for payment of interview expenses
in order to compete with private industry. Also, in the report it was stated that it
has been the experience of Federal employers in recent years that inability to pay
these expenses was a governing factor in numerous declination of job offers.
A report issued March, 1962 by the Civil Service Commission on "Moving
Expenses of Federal Employees" pointed out some of the "above normal" living
or extra expenses incurred as the result of relocating. These extra expenses were
incurred by reason of requirements such as food and lodging of an employee while
maintaining his family at the old location; house-hunting visits to new locations;
temporary housing at the new location; return trips to the old place of residence
for visiting and moving employee's family; closing of the old residence and open-
ing the new permanent home, including forced sales, increases in rent, home pay-
ments, need for purchasing new household furnishings, and similar other needs.
The study showed that analysis of over 5,000 responses indicated that four out
of five employees lost money on their move. The average loss, counting only
expenses considered necessary and reasonable for such moves, was $558. (With the
$250 resettlement allowance plus the $7.50 per diem allowance not to exceed 60
days for a married policeman, the District could pay a maximum of $700.)
Heaviest losses were from closing costs on sale of old home, closing costs on new
home, above normal cost for employees reporting to new jobs ahead of their
families, and cost of temporary quarters for the family.
A study of industry practice in 1964 by the American Management Association
confirmed earlier studies by the National Industrial Conference Board and others
that the great majority of businesses having specific policies on transfer expenses
(generally the larger firms) do everything possible to ease the burden on employees
who are asked to move. Practically all underwrite temporary living expenses and
make allowances for assistance in disposing of homes and in meeting other
relocation expenses.
For the foregoing reasons, the Government of the District of Columbia strongly
urges the enactment of H.R. 13981 in order to make available for the use of the
District the Metropolitan Police recruitment inducements provided by the bill.
I have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that from the standpoint of
the Administration's program, there is no objection to the submission of this
report to the Congress.
Sincerely yours,
THOMAS W. FLETCHER,
Assistant to the Commissioner,
(For Walter E. Washington, Commissioner).
Mr. WHITENER. ELR. 13980 is a bill intrOduced by Mr. Broyhill on
November 13, 1967?
Mr. WASHINGTON. November 13, yes.
Mr. WHITENER. That is the one I believe Mr. Broyhill mentioned
a while ago and said there was some error?
Mr. BROYHILL. No, not an error in the bill. I stated that in the
agenda of the hearing there was an error as to what was included in
the bill. The agenda states that my bill would increase the pay of
police and firemen by an average of 7 percent, and I believe it would
increase the pay by 8.7 percent. Is that your understanding, Mr.
Commissioner?
Mr. WASHINGTON. Yes.
Mr. WHITENER. You may proceed, Commissioner Washington.
PAGENO="0052"
48
Su~IARY OF BILLS
Mr. WASHINGTON. In an analysis of these bills, Mr. Chairman, I
would like to submit the following statement: H.R. 10761. H.R.
11278, H.R. 11435, and H.R. 13980 provide for (1) a salary increase
for police and firemen averaging 8.7 percent estimated to cost $4.1
million, excluding vacancies for a full fiscal year, with H.R. 11435
combining all Sergeants including Detective Sergeants in one sub-
class rather than in separate subclasses as provided by H.R. 10761,
H.R. 11278, and H.R. 13980; (2) deletion of the scheduled longevity
steps 7, 8, and 9, with retention of three longevity step increases for
Privates through Sergeants and two longevity step increases for
Lieutenants through Deputy Chief, with three years between each
such increase; (3) payment of $500 per annum additional to the Police
Executive Officer who is assigned as one of the Assistant Chiefs of
Police; (4) payment of $600 to any officer or member below the rank
of Deputy Chief in the Police Department who has a minimum of
thirty college credit hours and has served one year probation (H.R.
13980 includes somewhat similar provision covering both Police and
Fire and designates the need for credit hours in law enforcement of
administration for police and fire science or administration for firemen);
(5) payment of $1200 to any officer or member below the rank of
Deputy Chief in the Police Department who has 60 or more college
credit hours and has served one year probation (H.R. 13980 includes
both Police and Fire in same manner as for 30 credit hour provision);
(6) advancement of all officers or members except privates to the
highest longevity step in their respectn e class or subclass upon com-
pletion of thirty years of continuous service in the police force or in
the Fire Department; and (7) H.R. 13.980 only provides for salary
saving provisions for members of the Police and Fire Departments
assigned as Technician I, Technician II, or Station Clerk, as the case
may he, who may lose such an assignment only because of the re-
organization of the Police or Fire Department. H.R. 13981 provides
only for police recruitment inducements covering pay for pre-employ-
ment interview expenses, relocation allowances not to exceed $250
and per diem allowance not to exceed $7.50 up to 90 days.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I concur in the provisions of these bills relating to the change in
longevity step increases, additional pay for the Police Executive
Officer, pay incentive principle for educational attainment for both
police and fire, and salary protection for Technicians and Station
Clerks. However, (1) the additional pay for the Police Executive
Officer should be subject to insurance benefits in addition to retire-
ment benefits, and (2) rather than indicate a stated amount of com-
pensation for educational attainment, I believe it more practical to
provide for administrative application of such compensation through
regulatory issuances according to changes which may occur in basic
salary rates, and changes in law enforcement and fire fighting tech-
nology.
I do not consider appropriate the provision in these bills concern-
ing the advancement of all officers and members except privates to
the highest longevity step of their respective class or subclass upon
completion of thirty years service. The District Government was
PAGENO="0053"
49
strongly opposed to a similar provision which was considered by the
Congress in August 1964 for Deputy Chiefs and subsequently enacted
into law as a provision of P.L. 88-575, approved September 2, 1964,
because of the inequities which it created and because of its conflict
with the concept of longevity pay for compensatory recognition of
long service in the same class or grade. Also, since the basic salary
rate is used for retirement pay purposes, this provision which allows
attainment of the top rate in a class or subclass after thirty years
service might encourage early retirement of those officers and members
who had not yet reached the niandatory retirement age.
And with our present problems, I might say parenthetically, with
recruitment, we certainly want to keep the officers who have reached
this kind of service.
Otherwise such officers arid members might continue their employ-
mnent and the Police and Fire Departments would benefit from their
long experience and knowledge. Additionally, no other salary system
in the District Government permits an employee to automatically
jump to his top rate because of a long period of service.
Although I recognize there is an urgent need for an increase in the
salaries of police and firemen, and for some of the benefits as provided
by these bills, I cannot support the pay schedule provided therein
nor the 30-year service advancement that I have just discussed. In
addition to those provisions of these bills with which I concur with
certain modifications, there is also need to include recruitment in-
centives similar to those provided in ll.R. 13981. At this time I
would like to comment on the need for legislation as well as the Dis-
trict's proposed bill which is recommended to be substituted for the
provisions of these bills.
NEED FOR LEGISLATION-VACANCIES
rfhe need for this proposed legislation is critical because of the
difficulties being encountered in the filling of vacancies particularly
in the Metropolitan Police force. The President has charged the Dis-
trict Government with responsibility for making the streets of Wash-
ington free of crime. In order to meet this responsibility, it is essential
that the police force be at full strength and manned with the best
qualified personnel available. As of January 18, 1968, the Metro-
politan Police Force had 308 vacancies as compared to 307 vacancies
on January 1, 1967. Also, the D.C. Fire Department has averaged 33
vacancies since January 1, 1967, with 39 vacancies as of January 18,
1968. While the vacancy problem in the Fire Department is not as
acute as it is in the Metropolitan Police Force, there is still a critical
need to fully man both forces to carry out these vital services in the
District of Columbia. It is therefore essential that effective action be
taken with respect to pay and recruiting benefits and techniques so
as to enable the District Government to fully staff these forces.
The District's proposed bill is designed to meet this need by includ-
ing a pay adjustment and recruitment incentives, as well as other
benefits to increase the quality and effectiveness of the Police and Fire
Departments.
In addition to the vacancies, statistics show that major crime in the
District of Columbia increased 34.3 percent during period from Janu-
ary through September 1967 as compared to same period during 1966,
With the national trend increase being 16 percent during same period.
PAGENO="0054"
50
And I might say, Mr. Chairman, that we are going to work very hard
on that problem. In 1966 the District of Columbia ranked 3rd highest
in number of crime offenses among sixteen cities with a population of
500,000 to 1,000,000. The number of fire alarms in the District of
Columbia has also increased approximately 19 percent in 1967 as
compared to the same period of time in 1966.
The District, in its recruitment efforts, continues its vigorous
efforts to recruit for the vacancies in the police and fire forces. We
now have, I might say, two recruitment mobiles on the streets of the
city in order to enhance recruitment. Continued contacts are also
being made in the District of Columbia and nearby community high
schools, colleges, citizens and other private groups, federal agencies
and other similar sources. Also cooperation of the Department of
Defense has been obtained for visiting military bases and early dis-
charge of servicemen for police recruitment purposes. We will have
another group out very shortly at seven more of the bases and it is
hoped that we will come very close, within the next 30 or 40 days, to
coming to full strength. Advertisements and posters- have been
placed in metropolitan area newspapers, periodicals, buses, post
offices and other available public facilities, together with spot an-
nouncements on radio and television. In addition the LT.S. Civil
Service Commission holds examinations in the District on the 2nd
and 4th Saturday and on the 1st Thursday night of each month for
the benefit of any walk-ins. Since October, 1967, a mobile recruiting
unit has been used in various locations in the District. I mentioned
that. We now have another one. Recruiting teams are also utilized in
visiting other cities in the eastern and middle states. During the
period January 1, 1967 through January 15,. 1968 these efforts have
resulted in the appointment of 272 policemen out of a total in excess
of 1200 applicants who passed the written examination.
The recruitment program for the Fire Department is essentially
conducted similar to that for the Police Department except that
recruiting teams to other cities are not used. During Fiscal Year
1967, 83 firemen were appointed out of 357 originally certified as
being eligible.
Despite these recruiting efforts and number of appointments made,
the vacancies continue to exist and, as in the case of the police depart-
ment, the high number of vacancies has not decreased.
COMPETITION WITH OTHER CITIES
In making a comparison with other major cities and nearby com-
munities, the study of pay adjustment needs indicated that as a result
of an average increase of 11.2 percent in the recruiting rates for police
privates by 17 of the 20 other cities having over 500,000 population,
and an average increase of 10.7 percent in the recruiting rates for fire
privates by 18 of these 20 major cities since the last previous study
made in mid-1966, Washington, with a recruiting rate of $6,700 ap-
proved in November, 1966, has dropped in relative standing from 5th
to 12th place for police private and from 5th to 11th place for fire
private.
Also, the study showed that the nearby communities have increased
their rates averaging 10.7 percent for police and 7.9 percent for firemen.
PAGENO="0055"
51
The recruiting rates paid police by these communities either exceed
or are within a few hundred dollars of the D.C. Government's recruit-
ing rate of $6,700 for policemen. Rates for firemen are somewhat lower
than rates for policemen in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties,
due primarily to the manner in which such services heretofore have
been accomplished; for example, mainly through volunteer services or
fire tax district arrangements. However, these communities are de-
veloping their fire fighting activities on a direct County payroll basis
which will in all probability require the establishment of rates closely
paralleling their rates for police services. At the present time, Alexan-
dria and Fairfax have the same rates for both police and fire privates.
CLASSIFICATION ACT EMPLOYEES
Increases to be given in three stages for federal and District
employees under the Classification Act have been approved by
Congress. The first stage, a 4.5 percent increase was made effective
retroactive to the beginning of the first pay period beginning on or
after October 1 for our Police and Firemen. If we can do this for our
Classified Service employees it would appear to me that we should
leave our police and firemen in the same position.
I would strongly urge that this be considered.
The second and third stages would become effective in 1968 and
1969 respectively, with increases given according to the salary
comparability needs of the Federal Government with private
enterprise.
The amount of increase is meaningful insofar as police and fire
employees are concerned, because it adds substance to other categories
of positions from a more attractive competitive recruitment viewpoint.
PRIVATE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Other occupations in the community currently are being paid rates
which when compared to the existing rates for police and firemen pose
a more desirable attraction, especially in view of the qualification and
physical requirements, hazardous and other work conditions as are
present in police and fire occupations. Exemples are: Bus Driver,
$7,000; Construction Laborer, $6,500; Plumber Helper, $6,656; Truck
Driver, $6,968; and Tile Setter Helper, $7,728.
PAY PROPOSAL
The improved competitive position of the nearby communities due
to their increased rates, comparison to rates for other occupations
within the District of Columbia which have less demanding working
conditions and requirements than do police and firemen, and the
lowering of the District's relative standing with other major cities in
the rates paid police and firemen, fully substantiate a need to increase
the rates for D.C. Government police and fire forces.
Using $7,500 as the entrance salary for police and fire privates as
previously recommended for police privates by the District Govern-
ment on Febrñary 9, 1967, to Congress, a proposed schedule of rates
has been developed as a measure to insure salaries that would both
attract and retain qualified personnel.
PAGENO="0056"
52
The proposed increase which averages approximately 7 percent
(costing an estimated $3.3 million excluding vacancies for a full fiscal
year) would improve considerably the District's competitive salary
position both locally and nationally, by assuring the continuation of
the District's first place ranking with nearby communities, and raising
the recruiting salaries for District police and firemen from 12th to 5th
and 11th to 5th respectively among the 20 other major cities.
Comparison of the recruiting and maximum rates for police and fire
privates with other major cities and nearby communities is shown in
Charts A through F provided to the Committee members.
(The charts follow:)
Ci~art A
COMPARISON OF POLICE PRIVATE MINIMUM SALARY RATES
CITIES OVER 500,000 POPULATION
-
$5~ 000 $6000 $7~ 000 S8~ 000 $9~000
San Francisco
Los Angeles
New York
San Diego
D.C. PROPOSED
Detroit
Seattle
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Chica go
Baltirnore*
D.C. PRESENT
Philadelphia
St. Louis
New Orleans
Pittsburgh
Houston
Dallas
Buffalo
Boston
San Antonio
~`Effective 9/1/67
p,~~j(Rank 5th pla ~ $7500
$6
- ~o r-j
~i$6780
iiiuuiuuia(Rank 12th place)nwIUlI$6700
$5963
$5946
$5904
* $5825
- $5772
-$4992
`U
8/T7~7
PAGENO="0057"
53
Chart C
COMPARISON OF POLICE PRIVATE MAXIMUM SALARY FATES
EXCLUDING LONGEVITY RATES~CITIES OVER 500, 000 POPULAT1ON
-~-~ -
~~0058000000~l00
San Francisco ~
Los Angeles ~ $051
San Diego = ___________________________
New York
0. C. PROPOSED w (Rank 5th place) ~ $9000
Milwaukee ~.................. $8700
Baltimore* -$8640
0. C * PRESE NT m.nuiau.t(Rank 7th pla c e)uiuim,uim,u~i4ft$ 8400
Detroit -~o35
Chicago ~
Cleveland
Seattle $8040
Cincinnati - $7921
St. Louis
Buffalo -- $7285
Boston ~ $7280
Pittsburgh ~$6900
Philadelphia ~ - -~$6879
New Orleans $6720
Houston .~-~---.----~-.--~ $6708
Dallas __________
San Antonio ~$5820
aEffective 9/1/67
8/1 / 67
PAGENO="0058"
54
Chart C
COMPARISON OF FIRE PRIVATE MINIMUM SALARY RATES
CITIES OVER 500, 000 POPULATION
_______________ $5_000 $6_000 $7_000 58.000 $9000
I I
$8124
- ~7Q_~7
$7572
~~-.~(Rank 5th plaCe)'' ~ $7500
$6840
- $6792
~$6780
San Francisco
Los Angeles
New York
San Diego
D.C. PROPOSEfl
Detroit
Seattle
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Chicago
Baltirnore*
D.C. PRESENT
Milwaukee
Philadelphia
St. Louis
New Orleans
Pittsburgh
Hou ston
Dallas
Buffalo
Boston
San Antonio
aEffective 9/1/67
*uiuuui.u( Rank 11th place)uu.u~flhI$670 0
~. $5940
$5772
8/1/67
PAGENO="0059"
DO
Chart 0
COMPARISON OF FIRE PRIVATE MAXIMUM SALARY RATES
EXCLUDING LONGEVITY RATES -CITIES OVER 500, 000 POPULATION
-
$6,000
$7,000
$8,000
$9,000 $10 000
I
~-
1
~
~$9564
~~$9564
....
Rank 5th plac e)~ r~ ~ $9000
- -_.~$8 640
uunuiusp(Rank 6th place).iiiiuiuiiun.iiu.,IIII $8400
San Francisco
Los Angeles
New York
San Diego
D.C. PROPOSED
Baltimore *
D.C. PRESENT
Detroit
Chicago
Cleveland
Seattle
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
St. Louis
Buffalo
Boston
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
New Orleans
Hon 5ton
Dallas
San Antonio
A
-~ 477 Rfl
$6879
~$67a0
_-J~ $6684
~ $6156
~$5424
Effective 9/1/67
8/1/67
PAGENO="0060"
56
Chart E
COMPARISON OF POLICE PRIVATE SALARY RATES WITH NEARBY COM\IUYITiE~
-
MINIMUM
$5,000 $6,000 $7,000 $8,00.Q__.
D. C.. PROPOSED
Prince Georges
D.C. PRESENT
Arlington
Fairfax
Montgomery
Alexandria.
I I I
~ $7500
- $6853
~uunwrniHhJ$67oo
-$6677
$6672
$700~
$6510
MAXIMUM (Excluding Longevity Rates)
$6 000 $7 000 $8000. . $~. 00 -
Prince Georges
D, C. PROPOSED
Fairfax
Montgomery
Arlington
U. C. PRESE NT
Alexandria
. $901
$900
$852a
$891i3
$8486
miiiuiuuiuur.mii.uimiuannuu..uuiuiuuiu.wi.Jlff $8400
~ $8310
~-~---------.
8/1/67
PAGENO="0061"
57
Chart F
COMPARISON OF ~ RATES WIT~~RBY COMMUNITICS
MINIMUM
-~ ..%~O00 ~ ~ 0
O C. PROPOSED ~~ar4 ~ $7500
D. C. PRESENT ~ mu ~ $6700
Prince Georges ~$6527
Alexandria $65l0
Montgomery
Arlington mui mm umwramsu~mmriTnmmm~mumr~I $6344
Fairfax ~ $~6672
~
~-
~-
MAXIMUM Excluding Longevity Rates
D. C. PROPOSED
Prince Georges
Montgomery
D.C. PRESENT
Alexandria
Fairfax
Arlington
97.000 $8~000
~ $9000
~-.----- $8581
~ $8517
~1 1111 1 *mrniuuumiuadflt. $8400
~ $8310
~-~- ~ ~ $8~20
~ $8091
8/1/67
Mr. WASHINGTON. In addition to the proposed increase, it is pro-
posed to eliminate the longevity steps from the salary schedule with
retention of the principle of longevity step increases. However, it is
proj)osed to reduce the time between such increases from four to three
years. This would permit a private to reach the maximum salary rate
in sixteen years rather than in nineteen years as is now the case. The
same reduction in the number of years between longevity step increases
would apply to all the other officers and members except the Fire
Chief and Police Chief who would not receive the benefit of any
longevity step increase. Proposed Recruitment Benefits:
PAGENO="0062"
58
RECRUITMENT INCENTIVES
I also propose to include recruitment inducements as previously
endorsed by the District Government in the proposed legislation
introduced as H.R. 6644 and H. R. 11149. While it is believed that
the salary increase as discussed will facilitate the recruitment of appli-
cants for the Metropolitan Police Force, there is also a definite need
to provide additional recruitment incentives to strengthen the
District's ability to obtain more qualified applicants.
Even though definite emphasis is placed on recruiting locally, the
shortage of qualified police applicants in the District of Columbia and
the National Capital Region requires recruiting efforts beyond these
areas. In addition to attractive salaries, applicants are interested in
compensation for their expenses and extra expenditures as may be
required in accepting employment as a police private in the District.
I would say here parenthetically that it would appear to me that
in other categories of employment we recognize this as a perfectly
valid position, and for the police and firemen I certainly believe that
we should close all the gaps that might even suggest that we have
less than the best for our police and fire forces.
Accordingly, the following recruitment inducements are proposed
in conjunction with recruitment salary increases to aid in eliminating
the large number of police vacancies:
1. The payment of transportation expenses to applicants who are
requested to travel to Washington, D.C. in order that certain deter-
minations as to their suitability and qualifications for appointment
can be made. The estimated annual cost to the District for these
expenses is $25,000.
2. A resettlement cash allowance (not to exceed $250) and a 90-day
per diem allowance (not to exceed $7.50 per day) for newly appointed
privates who are required to relocate their place of residence. Such
allowances would be subject to an agreement by the newly appointed
private to remain in the police service for a period of two years, with
a refund required if he left the service within such period.
It would be necessary to establish regulations for the entitlement of
resettl unent allowances. Dependent on the District's ability or in-
ability to recruit qualified policemen, it may be necessary to revise
these regulations, but initially they would provide that:
1. Payment of the resettlement cash allowance will be made on the
basis of $250 for a married appointee, or $100 for an unmarried
appointee, to provide for extra expenses incurred in relocating his
place of residence. To be eligible for such resettlement allowance, the
appointee at the time of appointment must live outside the limits of the
area prescribed by the District Government, which is presently the
territory within a radius of 21 miles from the United States Capitol
Building, and be required to move into the prescribed area. The
estimated annual cost to the District for these allowances is $35,000.
2. The per diem allowance of $7.50 per day will be limited to 30
days for unmarried policemen, and for married policemen will be
limited to such time as is required to relocate his family, but not in
excess of 60 days, subject to change based on difficulty of recruiting,
as previously indicated. The estimated annual cost for these allowances
is $67,000.
PAGENO="0063"
59
PRECEDENTS
Federal Government agencies such as the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Veterans Adminis-
tration, have authority to pay pre-employment interview expenses. In
a report on H. B. 9020, 89th Congress, in June, 1965, concerning the
payment of pre-employment interview expenses of applicants for
positions in the Federal Government, and in a report dated February
6, 1967 to the President of the Senateon the same subject, the U.S.
Civil Service Commission pointed out the need for payment of inter-
view expenses in order to compete with private industry. Also, in
the report it was stated that it has been the experience of Federal
employers in recent years that inability to pay these expenses was a
governing factor in numerous declinations of job offers.
A report issued March, 1962 by the Civil Service Commission on
"Moving Expenses of Federal Employees" pointed out some of the
"above normal" living or extra expenses incurred as the result of
relocating. These extra expenses were incurred by reason of require-
ments such as food and lodging of an employee while maintaining his
family at the old location; house-hunting visits to new locations;
temporary housing at the new location; return trips to the old place
of residence for visiting and moving employee's family; closing of the
old residence and opening the new permanent home, including forced
sales, increases in rent, home payments, need for purchasing new
household furnishings, and similar other needs.
The study showed that analysis of over 5,000 responses indicated
that four out of five employees lost money on their move. The average
loss, counting only expenses considered necessary and reasonable for
such moves, was $538. (With the $250 resettlement allowance plus
the $7.50 per diem allowance not to exceed 60 days for a married
policeman, the District could pay a maximum of $700.) Heaviest
losses were from closing costs on sale of old home, closing costs on
new home, above normal cost for employees reporting to new jobs
ahead of their families, and cost of temporary quarters for the family.
A study of industry practice in 1964 by the American Management
Association confirmed earlier studies by the National Management
Association confirmed earlier studies by the National Industrial
Conference Board and others that the great majority of businesses
having specific policies on transfer expenses (generally the larger
firms) do everything possible to ease the burden on employees who
are asked to move. Practically all underwrite temporary living ex-
penses and make allowances for assistance in disposing of homes and
in meeting other relocation expenses.
PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
For the improvement of both the police and fire services, it is
proposed to provide additional compensation to those officers and
members who have served their first year probationary period and
who complete or have completed courses of study in law enforcement
or fire science and administration subjects at an accredited college
or university. In the interest of facilitating the application of the
latest technological advances and techniques in police and firefighting
operations, it is proposed to meet such need by the issuance of regula-
tions regarding the subjects required and the amount of compensation.
PAGENO="0064"
60
It might be well parenthetically to point out to Congressman Nelsen
that even now in the new technical college (Washington Technical
Institute) we are in the process of working out some training courses
for both police and firemen that would be an integral part of the
curriculum of the new college. There has been a great deal of interest
in this development in recent days. Initially the proposed form of
compensation could be 8 per cent of their rate of pay (i.e., $600 in
the case of a private) upon completion of thirty hours of such subjects
and 16 per cent of their rate of pay (i.e., $1,200 in the case of a private)
upon completion of sixty hours of such subjects. This approach to
recognition of academic attainments is believed to be more feasible
than the use of the "Master Patrolman" concept as originally recom-
mended by the Crime Commission and which was included in the
proposed bills (i.e. H.R. 6644 and ILR. 11149) concerning increase
in rates of pay for police and related recruitment benefits submitted
in February 1967 for Congressional consideration. The concept,
as now proposed, is that a person before being eligible for a rate of
pay which is higher than the regular base pay for a police or fire
private, should have at least a year of police or firefighting experience
in addition to having the required college credits. Also from a morale
standpoint of the present forces, it is believed inadvisable to appoint
a person as a master patrolman or master firefighter, as the case
may be, without his having gone through a period of basic on-the-
job training and experience. In addition, the provision of added com-
pensation for completing thirty credit hours and sixty credit hours
provides an incentive to personnel already on the force to achieve
such additional education. Also, the objective of attracting persons
with more than a high school education to the police or firefighting
forces will be served by having an initial recruiting rate of $7,500
with the added incentive of $600 or $1,200 additional salary at the
end of the first year of employment.
ASSISTANTS CHIEFS OF POLICE
The rank of Assistant Chief of Police is proposed to permit appro-
priate recognition and compensation of those officers who report
directly to the Chief of Police and have been assigned responsibility
for a maj or function under the reorganization of the Metropolitan
Police Department, such an Assistant Chief for Field Operations,
Assistant Chief for Administrative Services, Assistant Chief for Tech-
nical Services, or Assistant Chief for Inspectional Services. The
present rank of "Deputy Chief assigned as the Police Executive
Officer" is proposed to be eliminated because the officer who had been
serving in this category has been also assigned as one of the Assistant
Chiefs of Police. In recognition of this dual assignment, I propose
that this police officer receive an additional rate of compensation in
the amount of $500.
DELETION OF 30-YEAR ADVANCEMENT PROVISION
Additionally, it is proposed to repeal the provision of P.L. 88-575
approved September 2, 1964, which allows a Deputy Chief to advance
to the top step of his class upon completion of thirty years of Service
in the department. This provision is a benefit applying to Deputy
PAGENO="0065"
61
Chiefs oniy. As a matter of principle which I discussed earlier in my
comments regarding the 30-year advancement provision for all officers
and members and in the interest of sound pay administration, this
provision should be deleted from the present legislation.
REVISION OF PROBATIONARY PERIOD REQUIREMENT
It is proposed to amend the existing law relating to the probationary
year of police privates. A recent District Court decision interpreted
existing law as requiring that a police private must be retained for the
full probationary year unless formal charges are brought against him
before a police trial board. This procedure is inconsistent with the
applicable to probationary firemen and all other District~ employees
who are subject to dismissal for unsatisfactory performance at any
time during the probationary year. rfhe requirement that a proba-
tionary policeman with unsatisfactory service be retained for the full
probationary year reflects unfavorably on the efficiency and economy
of the Police Department and is not in the best interest of the District
Government in terms of public safety. A provision is therefore included
in the proposed substitute bill to bring dismissal proceedings for
probationary policemen in line with those of all other District em-
ployees.
ESTIMATED Cos~ OF LEGISLATION
COST AND FUNDING
The estimated cost for the proposed pay raise is $3.3 million ex-
cluding vacancies, on a full year basis. However, I propose that the
proposed pay increase be effective retroactively to the first day of
the pay period which began on December 31, 1967-and I might
point out that this varies from. the earlier urging which I now reinstate
that this retroactive feature be made to become effective on October 1.
The problem that I have here is that the appropriated funds that
are a]ready allocated for this increase provide for a December 31 date.
I am urging upon this Committee consideration of the October 1,
1967, date to conform it with that of the Classified Pay Bill.
Therefore, the additional cost of the balance of Fiscal Year 1968
will be approximately $1.6 million. The funds required for Fiscal
Year 1968 to finance these pay raises have been reserved in the appro-
priation action for Fiscal Year 1968. The fiscal year 1969 Budget
makes provision for these proposed pay increases.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I have with me
technicians that can deal with any question that you might wish to
ask, and I would be glad to make myself available at this time for
any comments. I appreciate your patience in hearing us out.
Mr. WHITENER. Thank you~ very much, Commissioner Washing-
ton. Mr. McMillan.
Mr. MCMILLAN. Commissioner, I want to congratulate you on
your forthright and concise statement. You can rest assured that
your suggestions will be given every consideration by this committee.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I would like to ask a question. You suggest that
this legislation be made effective December 3 1st, 1967.
88--574-68-5
PAGENO="0066"
62
Mr~ WASHINGTON. This I think was contained in the provision
of the appropriation bill. I think that is how it got in there on the
Senate side.
Mr. MCMILLAN. But you want it retroactive to October 1, the
same as the classified employees.
Mr. WASHINGTON. That is what I was urging.
Mr. MCMILLAN. Do you have a person here who is in charge of the
Police Recruiting Service?
Mr. WASHINGTON. Most of our recruiting is done through the Office
of Deputy Chief Wilson who is here.
Mr. MCMILLAN. Chief Wilson, maybe you can enlighten the Com-
mittee as to just what troubles you are encountering in trying to
recruit for the Metropolitan Police force. Is it pay, or is it something
else?
Mr. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, we have not been able to determine
a real cause of the difficulty in recruiting. It is something that occurs
across the country. Police departments across the country have an
extreme difficulty in recruiting and have had for the past five or six
years at least. In fact, they have had some recruiting difficulties since
World War II.
It has been particularly acute in the last five or six years. The
studies generally show that most Police Departments have difficulty
and run about ten per cent vacancies. This is the trend across the
nation in all of the large cities. We are suffering along with the rest.
As we go out and send recruiting teams out into the field, we run into
recruiting teams from New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland. They
actually send teams from as far away as Oakland, California, to recruit
in this area, because there is an extreme shortage of people who are
willing to work the hours and do the job of a police officer.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I do not think the hours are too bad because when
I came to Congress the police worked 70 hours a week.
Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir, but in those days the tradesmen worked
60 hours a week. It is quite true, there has been a great deal of im-
provement in the working conditions largely as the result of the efforts
of this committee since I have come here. Stifi there has been a great
improvement in the working conditions of everyone and this is the
thing we have to compete with.
Mr. MCMILLAN. What we want to find out is just why we cannot
recruit people here. My file is full of letters from men who have quit
the Metropolitan police during the past ten years. Not once have they
stated they resigned on account of salary. I am in favor of this salary
bill and I think the starting salary should be more than $7500. But we
realize, and I am sure you do, that money is not going to cure all the
trouble unless you support recruits and present members of the Dis-
trict of Columbia Police. You remember when we held these hearmgs
last year as to why we could not get recruits or why policemen left
for other jobs, that people who testified stated that the main trouble
was that they did not have the backing of the top level people in
the District of Columbia or the District of Columbia government.
I want to know if that is being corrected.
I am sure Commissioner Washington will do everything he can to
correct the situation, but he has not been there long enough to find
out all the problems confronting the Police Department. I think you
have been there long enough to give us this information.
PAGENO="0067"
63
Mr. WILsoN. Mr. Chairman, I cannot say we have ever lacked back-
ing at the top. I will say that since Commissioner Washington has been
appointed he has done a great deal to stimulate support. He has done a
great deal to get support from all levels of Government for us. I do not
mean by this to imply there was a lack of support before, because I
cannot say that there was. However, he has received support direct
from the President in our recruiting efforts to help us with military
recruiting.
Commissioner Washington met, as you probably know, with Police
officers of the city at the request of the Policemen's Association, and
pledged his support to them. I think we have every indication that we
are getting full support from Commissioner Washington.
Mr. MOMILLAN. There was one instance that was well advertised
throughout the country when w,e had a carnival here a few years ago.
We had a so-called little riot. I think you remember it.
Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. McMILLAN. There were eight policemen injured and I under-
stand not one person was arrested. No one was convicted. Just recently
a man was arrested and placed in a paddy wagon and he kicked the
paddy wagon to pieces. Some of the policemen were brought before the
trial board. Those things are not very conducive to young men who
would like to join the force. They must have protection from those
higher up.
Mr. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, these are problems of being a police
officer in a big city these years. We have to approach it and look at
it and take a professional view of it and accept it as a part of the job.
I do not know that we have had, as I can recall, any police officer who
has been dismissed from our Department as a result of anything that
even appeared to be an unfounded complaint by police officers. As
you know, your committee found as a result of Mr. Harney's report
that complaints against police officers do concern the officers, and the
Department tries to show that it supports them. The only thing that
we can do in these cases is to stress that we are supporting the men
and are working with them and ask that they take a professional
view of the fact that complaints made by citizens have to be examined
and considered on their merits.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I have checked the 11th Precinct.
Are you giving Captain Davis full support? I understand he is
trying to do a real good job in that precinct. Is the Police Department
giving him full support from the top to the bottom?
Mr. WILsoN. Absolutely, sir. We have given Captain Davis full
support, and we have had full support from the Mayor with respect
to matters in the 11th Precinct.
Mr. MCMILLAN. How can hoodlums rock the whole police station
and throw bottles at the station, and these people were not even
arrested?
Mr. WILsoN. I could not testify on that, Mr. Chairman. I was
not at the scene, and I have not really studied the report fully enough
to testify precisely what took place there.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I hope we can get together, and I hope someone
connected with the Police Department can give the police some pro-
tection, from privates all the way up. We cannot expect men to join
the Metropolitan Police force and get hit and heads busted open with
no one to protect them.
PAGENO="0068"
64
There has been a tendency for several years to give the criminal
more protection than the policeman who is trying to carry out the
duties which are imposed upon him. I am for the Police Department.
I want to give them all the protection they need, and I think they
should be furnished with proper guns to protect themselves. I do not
know whether you will solve crime with some of the new methods or
not, but if we let it be known to a criminal that if he broke the laws
of the Nation's Capital he would be met with a bullet we would stop
some of this crime.
Mr. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, I agree with you that we must give
our police officers on the street support at all levels of government.
I would testify again that every indication I have seen, and I think
every officer I have heard speak to the subject has indicated that he
thinks Mayor Washington is doing that-he is giving us his support
and he is getting support.
Mr. MCMILLAN. He is just beginning. He will need the help of
everyone concerned. I think it is best to bring this out right now. I
don't think anyone objects to the District of Columbia spending
money for proper police protection.
Mr. WILsoN. I have never known this committee to be penurious
when it came to spending money for supporting police services in this
city.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I think the evidence proves that the city must
be a little soft here, or people like Gregory and Rap Brown and every
other type of criminal would not come to Washington to make their
home. We must not make it too comfortable for these people. I want
to bring these statements out while we have you all here before us. I
feel Mr. Murphy is just beginning, and he may have some ideas and
would like to say something on this subject.
Mr. MURPHY. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to
comment on the matter which you have raised. I do not think any
police department can be effective unless the individual police officer
has the strong conviction that he is supported. I think strong leadership
is an essential ingredient of any large police department.
In order to bring to every man in the Department the feeling that
he will be strongly supported from the Mayor's level and from my
level and from the level of the Chief of Police, we have begun to
look into this whole matter of supervision, this whole matter of
leadership at the precinct level and the District level as well as at the
headquarters level.
I think, Mr. Chairman, that is the kind of problem we must work at
every day. We cannot assume that the morale of a police officer will be
good, even with a salary increase. We must understand that society
imposes upon a police officer one of the most difficult tasks that are
imposed upon any public servant. He is the man we expect to be out
on the front line, facing the criminal, facing the violent person, facing
the disturbed individual. I think that that because he faces this
difficult task, and because he represents the law in doing it, he must be
a mature, calm, flexible individual. I think day after day we must
work at the problem of convincing him that we are supporting him.
At the same time lie will lose a case in court on occasion because he is
not an attorney. Mr. Hoover has demonstrated with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation for these many years the great value of having
well-educated men in the enforcement positions, even attorneys as
PAGENO="0069"
65
special agents. A police officer without the benefit of all that legal
training will on occasion have a case loss in court. I think he must be
mature enough and we must help him to understand it is no reflection.
upon him. But I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, that we must, and I.
pledge to you as my responsibility, I will do all I can to give that
support.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I certainly agree with your statement. I think if
we expect to keep the police we already have, we must give them some
assurance that they have the backing of the top level.
Mr. MURPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MCMILLAN. If necessary, they should explain some of their
actions to the men on the beat. I think there has been a time when
there was not enough communication between the top level and the
low levels in the department.
Mr. MURPHY. I think that is a very serious problem, Mr. Chairman,
and we are working on it.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I am certainly looking forward to seeing great
improvements along that line in the Nation's Capital.
Mr. MURPHY. rfhank you, sir.
Mr. MCMILLKN. I certainly agree with you that there is no other
city we can compare Washington with in the United States. We have
more than 100 embassies here, we have the Congress, we have the
Supreme Court, we have the White House, and we have seven or eight
million visitors to the Capitol every year. There is no other police
department in the world that has to meet that type of service. For that
reason you have to be selective in your recruitment. Just anybody will
not ff1 the requirement for the Nation's Capital I)Olice problem. That
is all, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. WHITENER. While we are discussing this p:roblem of support of
the police on the beat, recently I had a visit from some of the wives of
our police officers who gave detailed report upon what they construed
to be abuse of police officers by at least one member of the Judiciary
in the community. Of course, we know that a judge is appointed for a
fixed term of years.
I suppose there is not much you can do about it. What do you
propose as an answer to that if the allegation be true?
Mr. MURPHY. I propose, Mr. Chairman--
Mr. WHITENER. Their statement, if true, presented a rather ugly
picture of judicial abuse of police officers.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Chairman, I think it is Ifl~ responsibility to
indicate to every officer in this Police Department that I will stand
behind him. That is my firm resolve.
Mr. WHITENER. But you are not a judge.
Mr. MURPHY. I realize that, sir, and I realize that what I can dO
about a judge mistreating a police officer, if any judge should do that,
is quite limited. But within the limits of what would be appropriate
for me to do, sir, as far as a public statement might be concerned, or
my reassuring that officer of my support of him, I will do that. I
intend to do it.
Mr. WHITENER. If you make the public statement too strong, the
judge will have you down there for contempt of ~ourt.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the dangerous territory
which one could tread in commenting upon the actions of a member of
PAGENO="0070"
66
the Judiciary. I intended to imply that I would do what is appropriate
for me. I realize there is a line beyond which it would not be appro-
priate for me to act.
Mr. WHITENER. I am not going to give you legal advice but I
would hate to have a conference with you down in the lock-up.
Mr. MURPHY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Nelsen.
Mr. NELSEN. Dealing with your recruitment problems, several weeks
ago the Montgomery County Council moved to permit policemen
from other jurisdictions to join the force without a reduction in pay.
This is obviously competition for recruitment, is it not?
Mr. MURPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. NELSEN. Is there anything in your planning for the future that
would adopt a similar pattern for the District of Columbia?
Mr. MURPHY. I would like to have the opportunity to review that
whole area, Congressman. We do not have specific proposals prepared
at this time. I think we should attempt to be competitive. I think we
should study the possibility of giving credit for police experience in
another jurisdiction to a man who would transfer to the Metropolitan
Police Department. Unfortunately, I do not have a specific. proposal
in mind now but will study it.
Mr. NELSEN. How many vacancies do you now have in the Police
Department?
Mr. MURPHY. There are slightly less than 300.
Mr. WILSON. 295.
Mr. FLETCHER. Let us point out, if I may, that we have already
signed up 96 who will be coming on board from the military with the
biggest number by the first of March and some all the way into the
first of July.
Mr. NELSEN. In the Fire Department how many vacancies?
Mr. WEITZEL. Thirty-eight.
Mr. NELSEN. It has come to my attention that in one of the pro-
posals before us, sergeants on the police force would be hurt as far as
pay rates are concerned in that they would be getting less than they
are getting now if the schedule is changed, and less than the maxi-
mum rate for privates. Can anybody clear that up for me?
Mr. EATON. Mr. Chairman, as I understand the problem that is
probably going to be discussed later by the Associations, it involves
a reduction in the time of service for the privates from 19 years to 16
years. They figured out in some cases that a sergeant who was
promoted five years ago, would now be receiving less under the new
schedule than he would have received had he remained a private. I
think it is around $15 less. But we must consider also that he has been
getting more as a sergeant than he would have received as a private.
That is something we would hope to look at in the next go-around on
the pay.
Mr. NELSEN. I hope if there is any inequity as to salary that
recommendations will be made to correct it.
Mr. DOWDY. If the gentleman would yield, I understand this
inequity exists under present law.
Mr. EATON. I imagine there is. Any time you make a change it
seems there are some small inequities that occur.
Mr. DOWDY. Thank you.
PAGENO="0071"
67
Mr. NELSEN. I have one more question. How many separations
from the police and fire forces were there in 1967? Is this contained
in your report, Mr. Washington?
Mr. WASHINGTON. Yes, sir, it is in the schedule.
Mr. FLETCHER. The turn-over rate is 12 percent. That is on the
police force. It is about five percent in the Fire Department.
Mr. NELSEN. Mr. Chairman, I just want to mention to Mr. Wash-
ington that I appreciated his opening statement and that I wish him
well in his new responsibility. I believe all of us are hopeful that this
can be the model city. Recalling the testimony of Chief Layton at
past hearings, it seems to me that one of the problems that the Police
Department finds itself confronted with is Court-imposed restrictions
that appear to retard law enforcement. Court rulings are something,
of course, which we can do little about, but this Committee and the
Government of the District of Columbia must give the police all the
backing and moral support they need so that they can do the job.
I wish you well in your responsibility.
I have no more questions.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you. I certainly will follow that course.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Dowdy.
Mr. DOWDY. On the question of separations from the force, you said
12 percent for the police, and that would be 360 last year.
Mr. FLETCHER. Yes, sir, that includes retirement and voluntary
separation.
Mr. DOWDY. How many nf those were voluntary separations?
Mr. WILSON. For fiscal 1967, which I have readily available, we
had 149 resignations, 149 retirements, 24 transfers to the White
House, and 14 various minor reasons, military leave and died.
Mr. DOWDY. 149 retirements on account of age, fourteen died, or
otherwise.
Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. DOWDY. And 24 transferred to the White House. 149 just quit.
Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. DOWDY. Can you give me any indication of those 149 who just
quit? Do you have a breakdown of why they quit?
Mr. WILSoN. We get various reasons. Of course, you will under-
stand that we have to accept the reason that the man gives; 104 of
those went to other employment, 54 went to other police departments;
four went to the fire department; seven went to other District agencies;
five to the Federal Government; four to enter the armed services;
thirty for various associated other appointments; eleven quit to return
to their home state or to move to another state; seven resigned for the
good of the service. They resigned rather than being dismissed.
Mr. DOWDY. You requested seven to resign?
Mr. WILsoN. Yes, sir. Twenty-seven went for miscellaneous
reasons, seven for education, three for family reasons, two for fiscal
reasons, seven for personal reasons, two gave no reasons and seven to
st~mrt their owti business, which is a total of 27.
I can supply this for the committee record if you like. We have had
this for a number of years.
Mr. DOWDY. We will be glad to have that for the record.
(The material referred to follows:)
PAGENO="0072"
Reason given by officer
-
Fiscal
year
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
For other employement:
In another police department
In D.C. Fire Department
As civilianin this department
In other District agency
In a Federal agency
To enter armed forces
Unspecified other employment
Subtotal
6
1
1
1
1
13
23
4
~
4
15
23
4
3
16
23
3
1
3
23
30
7
1
1
9
1
50
69
8
6
1
28
43
17
1
1
4
41
63
19
3
4
4
22
52
25
3
2
9
27
66
54
4
7
5
4
30
104
For Geographic reasons:
To return to home state
Tomovetoanotherstate
For change of climate
Unhappiness in this city
8
6
1-
4
4
I
9
1
8
3
I
6
2
4
5
1
3
1
.
1
4
2
13
6
1
3
8
Subtotal
15
9
10
12
8
10
4
7
20
11
For good of service:
Unsuited for police work
While under suspension
Best interest of department
1
5
2
6
10
1
7
9
1
6
9
2
4
16
1
~
13
- - - -
6
6
1
8
8
2
1
4
2
3
2
Subtotal
6
18
17
16
22
14
12
17
7
7
Miscellaneous reasons:
To complete education
To enter religious order
For family reasons
For physical reasons
Because of financial difficulties
Personal reasons
No reasons given
To start own business
1
4
1
4
3
1
8
3
6
2
3
1
14
5
4
1
1
11
3
6
1
1
24
10
3
6
1
1
26
9
5
1
~
37
10
9
3
1
10
1
15
1
5
9
6
1
26
~
6
6
3
2
7
2
7
Subtotal
10
21
25
20
42
46
62
36
48
27
Total resignations
54
71
75
78
141
113
141
112
141
149
Source: Metropolitan Police Department.
Mr. DOWDY. You stated in your statement, Commissioner Wash-
ington, that 272 policemen were appointed during the last seven
months period. There were 1200 who passed the written examination
and apparently qualified, and yet you have a deficiency in your force
of 295. Do you know why there were only 272 employed out of 1200
who were qualified when you needed 300 more?
Mr. WASHINGTON. We can give you that. It has been a matter of
great concern to me. In our recruiting we found the same thing with
regard to the written examination, on a walk-in basis.
Some of them have taken their physical and have not passed or
have not shown interest beyond that, but I think the Chief can
probably pinpoint from that number exactly what happened.
Mr. WILSON. I can't pinpoint it, Mr. Washington, but I can give
you some light Qfl it.
This is for calendar year 1966, but it wifi be approximately the same.
There were 991 who were certificated and passed the written exami-
nation. 208 failed to reply to an invitation to be considered for
employment after they had taken the examination. 131 declined
employment. 339 were rejected by the Board of Surgeons. 125 were
not selected, which is to say they had criminal records or poor employ-
ment records. Ten were unable to be located and 215 out of that 991
were appointed. So we lose about a third for physical reasons and
approximately two-thirds are being lost for miscellaneous reasons.
68
RESIGNATIONS FROM THE FORCE AND REASONS GIVEN
PAGENO="0073"
69
Apparently they take the examination and then decide they don't
want the job.
Mr. FLETCHER. May I add to that, one of the things we have asked
is to go back through the records and find out why people who wanted
to be policemen were rejected. Particularly on the written examination
or physical requirements. That is, can we bring them back? The mere
fact that they have applied for the job is a big step as far as we are
concerned. If we can rescue them and bring them back in, it is a very
important step for us to take and we are in the process of going back
*through all of those rejected to see if we can retrieve them and bring
them in as policemen.
Mr. DOWDY. I probably misunderstood the Commissioner's state-
ment. I knew of the record of reported trouble you had in recruitment
and I took the Commissioner's statement to be there were 1200 quali-
fled but evidently that was just on the written test.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Just on the written, yes, sir.
Mr. DOWDY. I am glad to have that cleared up.
Now on the question of morale, it came to me through investiga-
tions my committee conducted last fall, something about an officer
named Johnson in the 11th precinct that Captain Davis had over
there, and it appeared he was trying to bring some law and order to
that precinct. It appeared he had been harassed to such an extent
that he went to the hospital with ulcers. I would like to have some
explanation of that. If a man is trying to do a job and the people in
business over there appreciate what he is trying to do, why he should
suffer such harassment. I don't know what it is from, but I would like
to have some comment about it.
Mr. MURPHY. Congressman, from what I know of the record of the
individual concerned, I don't know that ulcers developed as a result
of the experience of the officer in the 11th precinct. I would have to
review his entire medical history and his department record.
Officer Johnson had a very difficult assignment in the 11th
precinct-
Mr. DOWDY. I understand there were difficulties and I was wonder-
ing, when he tried to do a good job, why he wasn't given support.
Mr. MURPHY. Well, sir, I think as we analyze these situations
frequently we find there are two sides to the issue. There is the diffi..
culty of the assignment, and the medical condition in the case of
Officer Johnson I cannot testify to at this point. It just brings me back
to the statement I made earlier about how difficult the task of a police
officer is. Tile is frequently called upon to exercise judgment and to
maintain his calm in a way that is very difficult, even for a police
officer.
That matter is still under investigation and the Mayor, I know,
will make a complete report of the results of that investigation and
take whatever action is appropriate.
Mr. DOWDY. I have read reports of what goes on here and there are
other things that come to my attention. When you refer to a person
keeping his calm, we wonder whether you mean if he is firm he has
lost his "calm". I think in dealing with criminals you have to be firm.
Mr. MURPHY. Yes, sir, I agree with you. My many years of police
experience tell me that a police officer can be calm and be firm at the
same time. I think police officers are human beings and they occasion-
ally find it difficult to carry out the delicate tasks that are imposed
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70
upon them. They must function within the law. The amount of force
they may use under any circumstances is defined in the law. Theymay
not use more force than is necessary. That is frequently an extremely
difficult judgment for a police officer to make and if he makes an!error
in judgment, no matter how slight, there is frequently a great deal of
publicity about that. Unfortunately sometimes the total picture is
distorted. Day after day in this city police officers are doing an
excellent job. They are making excellent arrests. We don't hear as
much about that as the one case in which the force used may have
been excessive, or the force may have been entirely appropriate, but
some citizen complains that the officer used excessive force. Frequently
there is a flurry of publicity about that incident.
I have been reviewing investigations where a thorough investiga-
tion indicates that the officer's action was perfectly proper. There
frequently is not, publicity when we find that the officer did his job
well. If there has been a complaint that he did not do his job well,
there tends to be publicity.
Mr. DOWDY. I was a prosecutor for a number of years. I realize
sometimes hindsight is better than foresight. When an officer is
`accused of using excessive force, you have to put yourself in his
shoes at the time to determine how it appeared to him at the time,
rather than using hindsight to determine what he sould have done.
Mr. MURPHY. Congressman, I have been a police officer. I served
as a patrolman. I did patrol duty and I have made arrests.
Mr. DOWDY. I understand that, but when you are talking about the
complaints brought against an officer now, do you put yourself in
his shoes?
Mr. MURPHY. Yes, I do. Having been in those shoes myself at one
point, I appreciate how difficult it is for them and I try to be as
sympathetic and reasonable as possible.
Mr. DOWDY. You give him the same consideration as you would
to a complainant?
Mr. MURPHY. I am sorry, sir------
Mr. DOWDY. You give him the same benefit When charges are
brought against him as you would a defendant who comes before you
for instance, who claims self-defense in a murder case or an assault
case?
Mr. MURPHY. I try to give him the benefit. Of course, at the same
time a police officer is a public officer. I think all of us would agree
we want high standards. We have high standards and we must impose
upon a police officer higher standards than the community will
impose upon itself.
Mr. DOWDY. I don't know whether you were misquoted, but I
would like your comment on this news item. The statement was that
you felt a police officer should be a social worker rather than a thief
catcher.
Mr. MURPHY. Congressman, it is my view that a police officer
spends about ninety per cent of his time in preventing crime and in
keeping the peace in a manner that does not require his resorting to
~the criminal justice process. What few studies we have available tell
us that a patrol officer uses the criminal justice process in perhaps less
than ten per cent of the cases which he handles.
For instance, the police officer who is dispatched to a family fight
situation will frequently restore order to that situation without making
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71
an arrest, and much of the time of a patrol officer is spent in preventing
crime and maintaining the peace in a manner that does not involve
making arrests.
Of course, a police officer is not a social worker and I do not claim
that what was reported in the press is an accurate report of my state-.
ment, but he does, as a matter of fact-a good police officer-he
prevents crime.
Mr. DOWDY. That is the reason we have laws, to prevent crime.
We have penal statutes to punish, and that is to prevent crime, and
the reason we have officers on the street is to have a show of author-
ity so that people know that it is our intention to enforce the law.
That has been my theory all the time. As far as family squabbles are
concerned, it is better to get them threshed out because when you
get to court there will be nobody to testify anyway.
Mr. MURPHY. Yes, sir. Congressman, a police officer has very broad
discretion. Every police officer has great power. That is why it seems
to me we have this desperate need for upgrading the police service;
not only in this city, but in this entire nation.
Unfortunately, in the past quarter century, the relative position of
the police officer in our society has declined.
Mr. DOWDY. Isn't that because he hasn't had the backing of his
superiors and the courts have been taking out after him rather than
trying to enforce laws against crime?
Mr. MURPHY. Well, Congressman, with all due respect, I think
there is a factor there, but I think we have failed to upgrade our police.
I wholeheartedly agree with the National Crime Commission's
recommendation that police officers should have higher education.
I think Mr. Hoover has demonstrated this with the Federal Bureau
of Investigation. When he took it over many years ago, he determined
to upgrade the Federal Bureau of Investigation and he has made it a
truly professional law enforcement organization. It is one of the few
in the United States. I think the police administrators of this nation
are anxious to upgrade their police departments, to provide more
education and to provide incentives for education.
Mr. DOWDY. Isn't there something else about the F.B.I.?
All the F.B.I. agents know that Hoover is behind them. I sometimes
wonder if our policemen know that their superiors are behind them, or
even think they are behind them. Isn't there a distinction there?
Mr. MURPHY. Congressman, as I said earlier, I took this position
to stand behind every police officer in this city who does his job. That
is my pledge to you, that I will do that. I think the Mayor knows that
I have said I want to stay in this position only so long as I can do my
job in that way. I have accepted this appointment because the Mayor
gave me his assurance that he was behind me completely in supporting
and providing the leadership for the policemen in this city who needed
so much in this important year, and I pledge to you I will give what-
ever support I can.
Mr. DOWDY. If you get the policemen here in the District of Co-
lumbia to believe that you are behind them rather than that you will
support the rabble-rousers, or give them some trouble, you will have
much better morale in the police department. That is my opinion.
Mr. MURPHY. I assure you my position on law and order is clear.
We will provide law and order in this city to the best of our ability and
we will make it clear to anyone who thinks otherwise that we are
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72
`determined to have peace in this city. I assure you that we will do all
we possibly can, CongTessman.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Broyhill?
Mr. BROYHILL. Mr. Commissioner, I am very happy to get your
recommendations to make this measure retroactive. I think we have
provided that in H.R. 13980, and in some of the other bifis as well.
I join with my colleagues in commending you for a very thorough,
complete, and comprehensive statement.
In the classified employees' salary increase hearings last year that
you refer to in your statement, not only was the increase of 4.5 percent
made retroactive to last October 1st, but there is another increase
provided to take effect next July. Those two alone-and that doesn't
include the third increase that we provided for, I think, to take effect
in April of 1969- will provide a total increase of perhaps 9 percent.
Now, I wonder if we are keeping the police and fire departments in
line with what the classified and postal employees are receiving?
Mr. WASHINGTON. I think we had an increase in 1957.
Mr. ETON. It was 9.9 percent I think, and I believe the classified
government was somewhat less than that.
Mr. BROYHILL. Could you repeat that?
Mr. ET0N. The last increase for police and fire was 9.9 per cent, as
I recall it, which was several percentage points higher than the classi-
fied government personnel received at that time. It is true the first
stage and the next of two stages of the civilian pay bill exceed what we
are asking for here. Of course, we probably plan to come back with
another pay increase at another time.
Mr. WASHINGTON. I wouldn't want to stop at that answer though,
Mr. Congressman. I think we would hope, in the police and fire area,
for continued study of this matter. The 8.2 is one that we felt, based
on the prior increase, brought them up to a position, and I wouldn't
think that we ought to remain static. If we are talking about keeping
a force in competition with other forces and giving them the best
opportunity and working conditions, I would think we would study
this just as the federal is being studied. I would not be averse to
further consideration in terms of increase.
Mr. BROYHILL. I know you have budgetary problems, Mr. Com-
missioner.
Mr. WASHINGTON. We do, sir, annually.
Mr. BROYHILL. I know you have difficulty raismg revenue, and I
wifi help you all I can within certain boundaries. However, don't
go too far in too many different directions. I don't think we can escape
the necessity . of providing proper compensation for the police and
fire departments. When we talk about comparison with other cities,
the Chairman of the Full Committee, Mr. McMillan, made mention
of the fact that this is the Nation's Capital; we have so many tourists
coming here; and the government agencies are here, the judicial and
legislative branches. I notice that even with the recommendation
in yur chart, we would only bring the District of: Columbia back
from 12th place to 5th place among the largest U.S. cities. It seems
to me we should set our sights a little higher than that, because this
is an exceptional area, there being only one like it in the world: If
we want the best, we will have to pay f or it. I urge that you consider
fifth place as just not completely satisfactory
PAGENO="0077"
73
Mr. WASHINGTON. I am just delighted, Mr. Congressman, to hear
YOU say that. I think in bringing this up to fifth place we thought we
were doing pretty good for this year with budgetary limitations, but
I have no intention of staying at number five in anything. I would like
to be number one, even if it brings us into a budgetary problem.
I think in view of what you have said and what the Chairman
observed, it gave me a little perspective in terms of some of the needs
and some of the requirements here that maybe we haven't taken the
best look at, the hardest look at, in terms of the embassies and the
policemen. This is the only place in the nation the policemen have this
problem. It is the only place in the nation where they have nine mil-
lion visitors coming in from all over the country, and they have to be
courteous to these people who come in to see the nation's capital.
There are requirements that go beyond what one individual would be
doing in maybe Tom's home in San Diego, or something like that.
It seems to me the perspective I get is that the members of this
committee are concerned about this and want to put us in the highest
and best competitive position.
Mr. BROYHILL. Your statement is so complete that I don't know
that I see all the specific differences between your recommendations
and those in the pending bills. I note that you recommend the same
increase for recruits. I am sure it would be helpful to all of us if someone
on the staff could provide a chart showing a comparison of these various
salary scales in the bills before us and those you recommend, so that
we can see at which point in the scales we differ.
Mr. WASHINGTON. We have a scale if you wish it. The comparison
is more a comparison of the proposals. It does break it out in money
and per cent. This may not be as adequate as you wish in detail,
but we would be very happy to furnish that to you.
Mr. BROYHILL. I am sure the committee would like to have that
for our guidance when we go into executive session.
Mr. WASHINGTON. We can bring this closer to your requirements.
This was a rather general analysis of the bills with relation to the
proposal. (See comparison chart, pp. 2-5.)
Mr. BROYHILL. Another matter on which you placed considerable
emphasis was that of travel allowance and other incentives for new
recruits to move in here from other areas.
In my conversation with Mr. Murphy the other day, I asked about
the present residence requirement for D.C. policemen and firemen.
This has been a matter of controversy, Mr. Commissioner, since
before you came here, some people in both parties have recommended
that all city employees be required to live in the District of Columbia.
The Police Department, as I understand, has for a period of years,
imposed a maximum distance that D.C. policemen may live from the
Capitol building, in order to be properly available in times of
emergency.
We know that the metropolitan area has gotten larger. We know
that developments are being constructed much further out from the
city, mainly because of the cost of land and the cost of construction.
For this reason, many people are being required to move out 25 and
30 miles from the city just because they can't get housing within
their income, closer in.
PAGENO="0078"
74
I am wondering, in light of that change in the cost of housing, plus
the fact that hopefully, if we ever get the Three Sisters Bridge and a
few other things straightened out, we wifi have better communica-
tions and transportation facilities within the entire metropolitan
area, whether Mr. Murphy or the Commissioner or someone couldn't
consider easing this restriction and extending that boundary some-
what. I have heard that several members of the Police Department
have wanted to move out further, mainly for economic reasons, so
they could have a home with a little more land. They have felt they
could live more within their incomes if they could move out a little
further. I think there is justification for this.
I have heard that in effect you have had to lower the entrance
qualifications for candidates for the Fire Department in recent years.
Is that correct?
Mr. WEIT7EL. No, sir. We have a proposal to lower the height to
five foot seven. That is the only qualification we have recommended
lowering.
Mr. BROYITILL. You haven't actually lowered the mental require-
ments for the Police or Fire Department, although in the latter you
have been obliged to accept candidates of marginal qualifications on
the mental examination?
Mr. WEITZEL. No, sir.
Mr. WiLsoN. We have lowered the height requirement, and lowered
the sight requirement from a flat 20-20 to a 23-40 corrected. We have
been working with the Civil Service Commission to determine whether
the mental test that is now given is truly effective in selecting good
police officers, but no decision has been made on that at this time.
Mr. BROYHILL. Mr. Chairman, I don't want to belabor this point
concerning the problems the police are having in the precincts, but I
think the overwhelming majority of our civilized society recognizes
that they must support the police. I don't think there is any question
that everybody in the District Government fully recognizes that
problem. I hope the phrase "support your police" doesn't become
just a cliche, with no real meaning.
I am not the expert that you are, Mr. Murphy, but I have heard
that it has become something of a vogue nowadays, on the part of
some people, to challenge the policeman's authority and to see just
how far they can push law enforcement officials.
We have nationally known figures, as you well know, who do not
hesitate to appear on nationwide television and make the threat that
they will come to Washington and foment mass civil disobedience.
Again, this is a challenge to the endurance of law enforcement officials.
I think that somewhere along the line we are going to have to go a
little further than just to draw up a phrase, "support your local
police".
I noticed some of the people in this audience turned their heads a
little when Mr. McMillan said something about the police officers
shooting people. . .
Nobody is advocating that. I am sure Mr. McMillan isn't. But it is
a fact that today we have reckless disregard for the constitutional
rights of the citizen. The police chief in Miami, Walter Ileadley, has
employed what some people might consider severe tactics, but he has
unshackled the arms of his city's police force, and the record shows that
crime there has been reduced by fifty per cent as a result. And I
PAGENO="0079"
75
haven't heard charges of anyone's constitutional rights being violated
or of improper police brutality as a result, though such accusations
may be forthcoming. It just seems that somewhere along the line we
are going to have to let the policeman have a little more leeway, or at
least let the criminal element feel that that policeman has more
authority.
I have suggested that, rather than dragging out these so-called
demonstrators who block the halls of the Justice Department and the
Pentagon and even the Capitol, for that matter, with perhaps four or
five policemen dragging out one individual demonstrator, there are
certain better ways to make that demonstrator move, without doing
him bodily harm. You can grab him in a certain place in a certain way
so that he will not only move, but the next one won't try to sit there.
Now, I repeat for emphasis, Mr. Murphy, that I don't think any of
us has to choose sides as to who is for constitutional rights and who
isn't, or who is against genuine police brutality and who isn't. I
challenge anyone to be more concerned about these matters than I
would be, but I think this side of the picture has been overplayed,
and if we will let our policemen know that they are not going to be
yanked before a police trial board, and be ridiculed and criticized
whenever they try to protect themselves in their precincts, and let
some of these offenders know they can't get by with such tactics, that
will do more to reduce crime here in the District than anything else.
Mr. Whitener mentioned one of the judges a moment ago. I don't
know why he didn't mention the name, but the name I heard was that
of Judge Alexander. One of the other judges in the District of Columbia
told me he is an ill man, that he is actually sick.
Now, the question is, what can we do about it? I think it is ridicu-
lous to have a person sitting on the bench who only adds more to the
burdens of the law enforcement officials. If there is no other way of
getting rid of that type of person, than perhaps we could start im-
peachment proceedings. This might have a stabilizing influence on
the judiciary, as well as on the criminal element.
I don't know of any other measure that will be as effective. All these
other methods have proved to be ineffective, because we still have
*these law-breakers down in the precincts who feel that their chances
of evading punishment are pretty good. But if the steps along the
way, to the court and the appeals and so forth, are made not so easy,
then perhaps they might not want to take so many such trips.
The President mentioned the other night his wish to hire a hundred
new district attorneys. I don't think there is any question but what
that would be most helpful. In fact, another of the judges in the
District of Columbia suggested just that to me; not only more district
attorneys, but higher salaries so that the city can get better qualified
prosecutors. In many instances, the criminal element is coming
before the courts with highly paid, experienced attorneys, and just a
law school graduate is prosecuting for the people. This is another
step that I think could help reduce this terrible problem of crime in
in the District.
In the past, the Police Department has always enjoyed good public
relations here. Just recently, however, we have heard about bad
public relations, or poor community relations. I think a little more
meaningful support for the Police Department, which would restore
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76
such relations, would be worth a great deal more than a couple of~
extra percentage points in these proposed salary scales.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Fuqua.
Mr. FUQUA. Mr. Washington, we certainly thank you and your
people for coming down this morning and supporting this legislation.
I certainly support it, too.
I have one question. On page 2 of both Mr. Broyhill's bill and
Mr. McMilan's bill, you will note that there is a $340 increment
between steps in classes 1 through 4, privates through sergeants.
There is a $300 increment in your bill for the same service steps,.
classes 1 through 4. Then for lieutenants and engineers, in classes.
5 and 6, the increment between steps jumps to $428, and then for
captains and inspectors, deputy chiefs, and so forth, to $535.
Could you explain the reason for these differences? I notice from~
the bottom to the top there is about $200 difference in the increment..
We have been urged to approve maj or increases in the lower echelons
and not in the higher echelons, I thought, in order to induce recruits.
to sign up.
Mr. ETON. I believe this is a bill introduced by Mr. Broyhill.
Mr. FIJQUA. One is H.R. 10761 and the other bill is H.R. 13980.~
These are the two bills I have looked at so far.
Mr. ETON. The bills now before the committee are not the District
Government bills. We have submitted our own proposal, which is a.
draft bill, which we are asking be put in-
Mr. FUQUA. Did your bill contain these same type increment steps?~
Mr. MURPHY. No, sir, we have a $300 increase-
Mr. WILSON. They do increase at the higher rates, though. Of
course, this is in line with the Qualification Act pay scale, and, as you
go into the higher rates, you get some percentage and some money
also.
Mr. FUQUA. Is there a percentage that brings this increment up?
Mr. WILSON. It isn't a flat percentage, but this same arrangement
is found in all salary structures, I think, that at the higher rates the
step increases are higher. The same procedures are followed in the
Classified Act bill, for example. The rates in GS-1, the step increases,
are smaller than they are at GS-1 5. I don't have the bill with me so I
couldn't tell you precisely what they are, but this is a standard
procedure.
Mr. FUQUA. The point I was making is, the emphasis for increase.
in pay is for recruits and in the lower ranks. You haven't had any
problems with mass resignations of sergeants, lieute~iants and cap-
tains, have you?
Mr. WILSON. No, sir; but there is the problem of maintaiiiing some.
comparability in those ranks with similar people in the classified
bill and in fact the bifi does give a substantially larger percentage
increase in the lower rates than in the upper rates. The percentage.
increase is higher in the lower rates. For example, the beginning rate.
of a private will increase by $700, or 11 percent. In the upper ratesc
it gets down to around two and three per cent. Th~ iIAoreas~ from the.
current rate to the proposed rate, I am speaking of.
Mr. FUQUA. With regard to the examinationa of recruits, as I
understand, if they make a grade of 50, tli~y ar~ autom~tically~
given a grade of 70. Is that correct?
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77
Mr. WILSON. This is the procedure, this is standard proeedure~
with all Civil Service examinations; it is not something peculiar with
ours.
Our examinations that have been given by the Civil Service f Or the
Police Department and the Fire Department since 1948 have been
examinations with 80 questions, and the passing grade is established
at 40 questions being correct which, if you take it as a flat percentage,
it is 50 per cent. But you must recognize that a Civil Service exarnina-
tion is not exactly like an examination which you take in school
to see how much you have learned from the course, but it is an exami-
nation to see what you know; but also to establish registers and in
order to establish registers you must necessarily put questions much.
harder than you necessarily-you have to have some questions in
there that some people can't answer. Otherwise-this isn't a problem
with us now because we can take all that we can get, hut otherwise
when you get into periods where you have to select between appli-~
cants, if everybody can make a hundred-if you write an examina-
tion that people can make a hundred on, then you will have no
register.
The fact that 40 is selected or 30 is selected is not necessarily indica-
tive of a low mentality required. You could conceivably write the
examination so hard that a passing of ten questions would be indicative
of a higher mentality than another examination that you would write
where you would require one hundred questions to be right. It is true
40 questions out of 80 is transmuted as an average of 70 per cent.
Mr. FIJQTJA. I want to commend you for the incentive for further
schooling. I think this is very good.
When an officer decides to take advantage of this provision, on
whose time will he be going to school? Will this be on his own time, or
considered duty time?
Mr. WILSON. We have and have had since 1956 a college education
program within the Department. Since about 1961 the Department
has been paying most of the cost of the courses. We have an arrange-
ment with American University where we pay all tuition except $10.
They pay $10 for the three credit hour course and they must buy their
books. They go on their own time.
The courses are arranged with these classes. We have them arranged.
so that there is a night session and a day session during each week so
that men working in changing shifts can always attend class without
interference with their work schedules, but it is off duty education.
Mr. FUQUA. That is all, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Gude?
Mr. GIJDE. I have nothing but admiration for the police whom.
I have observed, both in the District of Columbia and in my own
Montgomery County. If we are going to have an adequate force with.
the necessary professional competence that will do justice to those
who are in the forefront of this fight against crime, we must have a.
pay and recruitment program similar to what has been outlined here.
Mr. Murphy, I have had no doubt but what you have been fully
behind our police force and giving them your full support and not
just words. We certainly wish you well in what you are doing.
With regard to recruitment, you said the recruitment pattern here
in Washington was the same, and you have talked with people in
88-574-68-- 6
PAGENO="0082"
78
other metropolitan areas in the same type of work with regard to
the recruitment and so on.
Mr. WILSON. Recruitment is a problem in all larger cities.
I believe Chicago recently did ff1 their vacancies by lowering their
height standards and lowering their age requirements, but the pattern
across the country has been that large city police departments have
been unable to ff1 their vacancies for many years now. The National
Crime Commission found an average vacancy rate of ten per cent
across the country. Nation's Business, I believe, conducted a sur-
vey and determined the same thing. There are severe difficulties in
recruiting high caliber police officers for large city police work and
this is true across the nation. This committee held hearings last year
on the problems of recruiting in the District of Columbia and on the
problems of men leaving the District of Columbia and Mr. Harney,
I believe, reported he found the same problems that we have in Los
Angeles, in Minneapolis, and in other cities across the nation. All
have a problem recruiting men and keeping them.
Mr. GUDE. This ten per cent figure is pretty much of a national
figure?
Mr. WILSON. This was a national figure. That is about a year old,
as I recall.
Mr. GUDE. Isn't it true in comparing the District of Columbia to
other metropolitan areas that here, because of the District Line, you
are dealing with an inner city, whereas elsewhere you include suburbs
and therefore, as with other statistics, they do not show a true rela-
tionship?
In other words, you could have another city that would be the
same size of Washington where the so-called city boundary might
run out into Fairfax County?
Mr. WILsoN. You find that in some cities, particularly the Texas
cities, I believe. There the city boundaries take in substantially all
of the metropolitan area, but there isn't too much that is unusual in
this. Philadelphia is a fairly small city within a large metropolitan
area, so I believe San Diego and Los Angeles also are-it isn't unusual
for the city to be a fairly small core.
As I say, with the exception of Texas, where there seems to be a
tendency to have only as little as one or two per cent of the standard
metropolitan statistical area located outside the city boundaries.
Boston, for example, is almost the same as we are. St. Louis has
almost precisely the same problems as we have. These are all cities
of around eight hundred thousand with metropolitan areas in the
neighborhood of one and a half to two million.
Mr. GlIDE. Is there thought being given to giving credit for college
hours beyond 60 hours? Has this been thought of? You have two
incentives in here; one for 30 hours and one for 60 hours. Is there
some thought about going beyond that in this area?
Mr. MURPHY. In some departments. They are giving credit up to
thebachelor's degree and beyond. A very limited number. It is princi-
pally on the west coast.
Mr. GlIDE. Thank you very much.
Mr. MCMILLAN. Since the retirement age is 64, what would be
wrong with recruiting up to age 34? That would give a man 30 years
of service.
PAGENO="0083"
79
Mr. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, we find, to begin with, there are very
few officers who stay to 64. Most begin retiring about fifty years of age.
Mr. MCMILLAN. I have had people come to me trying to get a
waiver for one year past the age. Would it add anything to your
problem if the age limit were increased to 34 years?
Mr. WILsoN. We consider it would add to the problem of retirement.
We have difficulty now with most not serving much past 50 years
of age.
Mr. MCMILLAN. A number of them retire after 20 years' service?
Mr. WILSON. Yes, if they are 50 years of age. And, of course, we
did move the age from 29 to 30, and we do not see where we would
pick up enough men to pay for the earlier loss of other men by raising
the age another year or so. If we could raise it to 40 or 42 to get men
who have retired from the military, that might be advantageous, but
as it stands now we find most of our men retiring at age 50 or shortly
thereafter.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Commissioner and gentlemen, we appreciate
your being with us and your comments on the many items. We have
been talking about community relations. I wonder sometimes about
public relations. I mention this since you are now in the leadership
of the District Government. I often wonder what would happen if
instead of our sending a man to the moon they were sending a man
down here and before he got here the only information he had as to
where he was coming, to the Nation's Capital, was newspaper stories
and stories by public officials about the Nation's Capital. In most
places, especially down my way, the average citizen would defend the
public schools of his community even if he had a little reservation
about it. He would defend his local institutions of higher education;
he would defend his Police Department and his city government and
all the facets that go to make up his community.
But here, if one had no other information than the statements made
by community leaders and sometimes by public officials, one would
think Washington had the worst highway system in the world, the
worst people in the world, the worst schools in the world, the most
run-down school buildings and public buildings, and so on. Nothing
you read about Washington is good. I would like to see somebody
sometime brag on the Nation's Capital, because I happen to be proud
of it. Down my way, as a result of this bad publicity about the City
of Washington, D.C., if you talk to a young lady about coming here
to work she gets all excited about it, but after she goes home and talks
to her parents about it, the next day she comes back and says, "My
parents won't let me go there because it is such a horrible place."
I don't think it is so terrible as the press and other media picture it.
I don't think Congress is as bad in its relationship to the District of
Columbia as folks imply here in the public media. I would hope that
somewhere along the line under this new administration-and I want
to say to you, Mr. Commissioner, that I think you have done a good
job of taking a sound position on the condition of the District of
Columbia-I would like to see all of us start talking about positive
things.
If we had only one of the thousands of things you have in the
District of Columbia in my State, it would be on every map published
by the State as a place that you ought to see when you are in North
PAGENO="0084"
80
Carolina. Yet one would get the impression here that there is nothing:
in the District but chaos, disorder, neglect by public officials toward
your institutions. It shocks me to see this attitude of complete nega-
tivism about everything that is done here in the City of Washington. I
don't know where you have been, but I guarantee in some of the meet--
jugs you have attended there have been some, maybe many, people
who have stood up and spoken with this approach: that Congress is so
cruel to the District of Columbia, that the needs of the people are-
disregarded, that the new Commissioner is hard-headed about the
vital needs of the community.
Of course, I have not lived in a lot of places, but I have been in a
lot of places around the world, and I have not been any place where
this general sentiment prevails as it does in the District of Columbia.
I wonder, if we worked together, if we could not get one editorial
favorable to the Nation's Capital.
Mr. WASHINGTON. It is so close to me-
Mr. WHITENER. You love this city or you would not be here. You:
said that earlier. The whole Nation loves it.
Mr. WASHINGTON. I think you have struck a note that is so signifi-
cant and that is, we have not done enough to tell about the good things
and to display them and talk enough about them and put them on the
signboards. The one thing I have tried to do since I have been back is
to capture an entire positive attitude of optimism about our town. It is
not only a psychology but an optimism to show the needs and what we
are doing, trying to get people to work in unity and harmony so we can
do many things. But we are doing many things. We are meeting with
the department heads. We want them to spend more time teffing the
people about the positive things we are doing and not only the things
that are always blown up. Most departments have not told their story
completely. As an example, hardly anyone realizes the number of
programs going on in welfare. We ought to be talking so people will
understand. Of course there is room for additions and many other
things, but I think people have to get a totally optimistic point of view
about their own home town. This is the place we want to raise our
children, and we ought to be thinking about it in those terms. I salute
you for that observation because I certainly intend to work on it
myself.
Mr. WHITENER. Chief Wilson comes from my home county, and if
you were down there with him he would show you the new high school,.
and he would show you Belmont Abbey College and Sacred Heart
College, and he would not tell you Belmont Abbey College is a bad
college because the monks many years ago made the bricks with their
own hands. He wouldn't say, "Look at that old building." He would
say, "It is one of the finest buildings in the country, built by hand by
dedicated men." And he wouldn't run down our schools. He would be
proud of the new high school, but he wouldn't run down our other
schools. Here, with all your fine new school buildings, you never read
anything in the paper except about one or two that are old and run
down. Certainly we want to do something about the old and rim down
buildings, but let us not talk all the time about our deficiencies.
Maybe you and I together can get our press and other news media
on another tack for a while and make these folks proud of Washington.
If you kept telling me I lived in the worst community in the world
PAGENO="0085"
81
and was not doing well economically or otherwise, I might do some-.
thing foolish. Take a man throwing a rock through a public housing
project window, or a child throwing rocks through school windows.
Instead of saying this is the worst place in the world, if you said it
was the finest place in the world, these people might become proud
of the city and not do these things. I think those who look at the
local situation from the outside find that a lot of things you hear
about are not true. We have the best police force I know of, but to
read about it in the paper you would think a bunch of animals was
running around in police uniforms.
I had some other questions, but I know you want to go on. One
question I would like to ask is on the pay raise based on educational
attainment. That is a flat figure regardless of the rank of the officer,
is it not? In other words, a Captain of Police would get $600 or not
over $1200 in any event. I am talking about educational attainment.
Mr. WILSON. In the Commissioners' bill, the figure is not estab-
lished, it would be established by regulation, but our information is
the preliminary feeling is it would be a flat figure and would go through
the rank of Inspector.
Mr. WHITENER. Say an Inspector made more money than a pri-
vate. He would get the same number of dollars for educational attain-
ment as a private?
Mr. WASHINGTON. Our proposal is a fiat figure.
Mr. WHITENER. Well, of course you cannot talk beyond your tour
of duty, but if you had the regulatory power you would have a flat fee
for men of all ranks for this educational attainment?
Mr. WASHINGTON. That is what we proposed.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Fletcher, you made a statement a while ago
by which I hope you did not mean to imply you would lower the
standards in your recruitment program?
Mr. FLETCHER. No, raise the applicants but not lower the stand-
ards. We want to see what we can do to give them the education they
need or, if it is a physical problem, to get them to build themselves up
physically. We would raise the applicants but not lower the standards.
Mr. WHITENER. We have made an exhaustive study of that, and
I think our specialists came to the conclusion it would be disastrous to
lower the standards.
Any other questions?
We want to thank you again and wish you well. This is your first
appearance, I think, before any House committee of the Congress?
Mr. WASHINGTON. It is my first appearance and I want to thank
you for receiving us.
Mr. WHITENER. You have made an auspicious beginning. You
made a very splendid statement, and I commend you and your
associates.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you, sir.
Mr. WHITENER. We want to work with you.
Mr. WASHINGTON. Thank you.
Mr. WHITENER. We will now recess until Tuesday of next week at
10 o'clock.
(Thereupon, at 12:30 p.m. the subcommittee recessed until Tuesday,
January 30, 1968, at 10 a.m.)
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PAGENO="0087"
POLICE AND FIREMEN PAY INCREASE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1968
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE No. 4 OF THE
COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, D.C.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to recess, at 10 am. in Room 1310
Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Basil L. Whitener (chairman
of the subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Whitener, Dowdy, Sisk, Fuqua, Nelsen,
Harsha, Broyhill, and Gude.
Also present: James T. Clark, Clerk; Hayden S. Garber, Counsel;
Sara Watson, Assistant Counsel; Donald rrubridy Minority Clerk;
and Leonard 0. Hilder, Investigator.
Mr. Whitener. The subcommittee will come to order.
We will continue the hearings which were begun on Tuesday,
January 23, on legislation relating to the pay of the Police and Fire
Departments.
I understand we have with us representatives of the White House
Police and the United States Park Police. Perhaps they could come up
together and we will start with the White House Police, Major G. E.
Lanier, Chief, and Sergeant Carl W. Drechsler.
STATEMENT OF SERGEANT CARL W. DRECHSLER, WHITE HOUSE
POLICE
Sergeant DRECHSLER. Major Lanier is not here. I understand he
is teaching in a school.
My name is Carl W. Drechsler. I am a Sergeant of the White House
Police Force, and I am here to express my personal opinion concerning
the inequities in the Sergeants' schedule, Class 4, of Representative
McMillan's pay bill, H.R. 10761.
In brief, the proposed pay bill will give a rookie sergeant with 10
years the same pay as a sergeant with 20 years' service. rfhis is includ-
ing one year and 11 months in the rank of sergeant. Also, it would give.
a rookie sergeant with 13 years' serviee $340 more than the sergeant
with 20 years' service. This is including the one year and 11 months'
service in rank, also.
In addition, a private promoted to sergeant after 16 years of service
would draw a salary $680 more than the sergeant with 20 years'
service, with one year and 11 months in rank. Furthermore, the pri-
vate with 16 years' service would draw a salary of $105 more than the
sergeant with 20 years, with one year and 11 months in rank.
(83)
PAGENO="0088"
84
In my opinion, the following amendment should be added to the
~bill in order to correct these inequities. Insert on page 5, after line 4,
the following:
Mr. HARSHA. Do you have that in writing?
Sergeant DRECHSLER. Yes.
Mr. HARSHA. May we have copies of it?
Sergeant DRECHSLER. Yes, sir. "Each sergeant in Step 1, 2, or 3
in Class 4 upon completion of a minimum of 16 years of continuous
service, including service in the Armed Forces of the United States
but excluding any period of time determined not to have been sat-
isfactory service, shall be advanced to Step 4 and receive the ap-.
propriate scheduled rate of basic compensation for such step in which
he is serving. Each sergeant in Steps 1 and 2 in Class 4 upon com-
pleting a minimum of 13 years of continuous service, including
service in the Armed Forces of the United States but not including
any period of time determined not to have been satisfactory service,
~shall be advanced to Step 3 and receive the appropriate scheduled
rate of basic compensation for such step in which he is serving. Each
~sergeant in Step 1 in Class 4 upon completing a minimum of 10 years
of continuous service, including service in the Armed Forces of the
United States but excluding any period of time determined not to
.~have been satisfactory service, shall be advanced to Step 2 and
receive the appropriate scheduled rate of basic compensation for
such step in which he is serving."
If this is done, it will take care of the overlaps in the private making
sergeant in a shorter period of time. This occurs through lowering
the number of years that a private becomes top pay.
At the present time under the 19-year bifi, I am right now drawing
$105 less than I would be if I were broke to a private. I am drawing
$9315 at the present time as my basic salary. I would be drawing
$9420 if I were a private at top pay.
liVir. WHITENER. As I understand it, the bill, H.R. 11435, introduced
by Mr. Machen, takes care of the situation that you have referred
to here, is that correct?
Sergeant DRECHSLER. I am just familiar with Mr. McMillan's bill.
I think Mr. Machen's bill raises the sergeant's salary up a grade, but
it does not take care of the inequities that exist in the sergeants'
ranks. In other words, there is a sergeant rank today at the White
House who is drawing $680 more than I am, and he has less time in
service and less time as a sergeant than I have.
Mr. WHITENER. How much longer do you have in service?
Sergeant DRECIISLER. I have more time than he has in service. I
have more time in police service and more time as a sergeant than
he has, and he is drawing $680 more than I because of this inequity,
because he had his 19 years when he made sergeant, and I was 6
months away from it. I made it before him.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Nelsen.
Mr. NELSEN. No questions.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Dowdy.
Mr. DOWDY. No questions.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Sisk.
Mr. SISK. No questions.
Mr. WHITENER. All right, Chief Eange, you may proceed.
PAGENO="0089"
85
STATEMENT OF WALTER W. LANGE, CHIEF, U.S. PARK POLICE
Mr. LANGE. Mr. Chairman, my name is Walter W. Lange, Chief
of the U.S. Park Police. I have brief comments.
Inasmuch as the Police Department Salary Act of 1958, as amended,.
affects principally the personnel of the District of Columbia Govern-
ment, we defer to the views of the District of Columbia as expressed
by the Mayor in his testimony before the committee, that one of the
identical bills, H.R. 10761, H.R. 11278, or H.R. 11435, 90th Congress,
be enacted.
Under the Commissioners' proposed bill we estimate that the annual
cost of the salary increase for U.S. Park Policemen would be $275,000,
of which $180,000 would be chargeable to the National Park Service
payroll and $95,000 chargeable to the District of Columbia payroll
under existing budgetary procedures.
I understand that the Interior Department is working on its com-
ments and will submit them to the committee directly from the
Legislative Office.
Mr. WHITENER. Have you any men in your department who are
faced with the problem that Sergeant Drechsler faces?
Mr. LANGE. Of course, we come under the same pay bill, but I
have not particularly studied it from the viewpoint he expresse&.
I have not heard any comment from our people along that line.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Nelsen.
Mr. NELSEN. No questions.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Dowdy.
Mr. DOWDY. No questions.
Mr. WHITENER. Mr. Sisk.
Mr. SIsK. No questions.
Sergeant DRECHSLER. Could I add here that I was testifying on
my own, and I do not represent the Police Association or the White
House Police.
Mr. WHITENER. Thank you very much, gentlemen. We have with
us Inspector John L. Sullivan, Chairman of the Legislative Committee
of the District of Columbia Policemen's Association.
STATEMENT OF JOHN L. SULLIVAN, CHAIRMAN, LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE, D.C. POLICEMEN'S ASSOCIATION; ACCOMPANIED
BY SERGEANT CARL W. BEATTY, PRESIDENT; WILLIAM J
FINZEL, MEMBER, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE; AND ROYCE L.
GIVENS, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Chairman, for the record, my name is John L.
Sullivan. I am a retired Police Inspector with about 26 years-plus
service in the Metropolitan Police Department.
First I would like to introduce the new President of the Policemen's
Association, on my immediate right, Carl W. Beatty; Mr. William J.
Finzel, who is a member of the Legislative Committee; and, of course,
my good friend, Royce L. Givens, the Executive Secretary.
My name is John L. Sullivan, Chairman, Legislative Committee of
the Policemen's Association of the District of Columbia. I am retired
from the Metropolitan Police Department with the rank of Inspector.
We cannot support H.R. 6644, H.R. 11149, H.R. 11278, and HR.
11435.
PAGENO="0090"
94
in a speech in Nassau County, declared: "Citizen support means a refusal to
tolerate lawlessness in any form We all know the fear of the sudden attack in the
streets. But crime is also the billion dollar industry of narcotics and gambling and
prostitution . . we require not simply citizen support but participation
citizens can begin to take on the actual patroling of their neighborhoods. Citizen
patrols have worked in far more dangerous communities: in Crown Heights, the
`Maccabee' patrols have substantially cut down violent crime; volunteer police
in East Flatbush, Tampa, Florida, and elsewhere have prevented violence." I
submit Senator Kennedy's speech and other items and ask that they be included
in the hearing record, and we request your help in establishing such citizen
i)atrols here.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN R. IMMER, President.
FEDERATION OF CITIZENS AssocIATIoNs
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
January 16, 1968.
Re: New Ideas to Reduce Crime in D.C
Mr. PATRICK V. MURPHY,
Director, D.C. Public Safety Municipal Building, Room 5080, 300 Indiana Avenue
N.W., Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. MURPHY: Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the New Mayor of
Gary, Indiana, Richard G. Hatcher, have made some suggestions for reducing
crime which I request your comment upon.
The January 12 issue of LIFE Magazine reports that Mayor Hatcher gave
marching orders to gansters and racists. "There are those who are no longer wel-
come in Gary" he said. Here in Washington Stokeley Carmichael is welcomed with
open arms, even though Negro clergymen and others have become increasingly
outspoken and disturbed, by leaders in the District Government itself. At the
same time there has been no similar expression on your part that "There are
those who are no longer welcome in Washington" directed to criminals and this is
a great pity. Why not?
I am sending you herewith a brilliant speecy by Senator Robert Kennedy
which I commend to you for your most serious consideration, in which he says,
quite rightly that "Citizen support means a refusal to tolerate lawlessness, in
any form. We all know the fear of the sudden attack in the streets. But crime is
also the billion dollar industry of narcotics and gambling and prostitution. . . we
require not simply citizen support but participation . . . citizens can begin
to take on the actual patroling of their neighborhoods. Citizen patrols have worked
in far more dangerous communities: in Crown Heights, the `Maccabee' patrols
substantially cut down violent crime; volunteer police in East Flatbush, Tampa,
Florida, and elsewhere have prevented violence."
There has been `i 300% increase in ciime in the District since the Eisenhower
year of 1957; despite the adoption of the new Crime Bill by Congress and its
signing into law by the President there has been no "get tough with criminals"
statement by you, you have not made them feel "unwelcome" When. are you
going to speak out like Mayor Hatcher has? Furthermore, I request you to take
immediate action to act on Senator Kennedy's recommendation for citizen patrols
in such high crime precincts as the 10th and 13th Police Precincts. I will give you
my complete support in these steps. The high incidence of crime was No. 1 on a
Poll taken by the famed pollster Louis Harris here in the District under the spon-
sorship of the Washington Post. When do you plan to get tough with criminals,
as suggested by Senator Kennedy and Mayor Hatcher?
Sincerely yours,
JOHN R. IMMER, President.
GOVERNMENT OF THE DIsTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, D.C., January 24, 1968.
Mr. JOHN R. IMMER,
President, Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia
1638 19th Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20009
DEAR MR. IMMER: Thank you for your letter of January 16, 1968, with which
a copy of Senator Robert F. Kennedy's address to the Nassau County Crime
Council was enclosed.
I appreciate receiving the copy of Senator Kennedy's address. It points out so
many of the root causes of crime which our affluent society must eliminate if crime
is to he brought under reasonable control.
PAGENO="0091"
95
Your offer of complete support for citizen patrols in the 10th arid 13th precincts
is encouraging and commendable, On December 1st Mayor Walter E. Washington
announced as one of the 21 points of his crime control program (developed with
Chief of Police John B. Layton) the expansion of the Police Reserve Corps. By
copy of this letter I am directing Acting Chief of Police Howard Covell to person-
ally, or through a Deputy Chief of Police, communicate with YOU concerning the
assistance you have so generously offered.
Sincerely,
P\T1rICK V. Muitpiiy,
Director of Public Safety.
FEDERATION or CITIzENs AssocI~urIoNs
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
December 21, 1967.
In re: $8,000 Giant to Julius W. Hobson
The Rt. Rev. WILLIAM F. CREIGHTON,
Bishop of Washington, Washington Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
DEAR BisHop: CREIGHTON: I am writing to request that you recommend a
$20,000 Church grant to Dr. Carl F. hansen's suit in the Courts to obtain simple
justice.
The $8,000 grant to Julius W. Ilobson is completely without justification, and,
from my discussion with a number of Episcopal clergy, has been strongly objected
to by Negro as well as White Clergy and parishioners in the Episcopal Church.
It seems to mc that the Episcopal Church must support the moderates in our
city instead of the Black and White Militants. The moderates, representing 95
percent of the people in the District, have been deserted by the Episcopal Church
which has gone seeking the support of the extremist elements whom it has aided
and abetted in their extremism.
Father Wendt now seeks to obsolve himself of any connection with the tough
young gang of hoodlums who raped a defenseless woman in a basement which he
was instrumental in providing, just as he has provided a meeting place and a
rostrum for F. Rap Brown.
The Rev. Malcolm Marshall, Rector of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church at
Connecticut and Bancroft Place is working with one Arthur I. Waskow, Secretary
of the Adams-Morgan Community Council, and financing arid aiding that Council
in any number of ways. Waskow is a leading figure in the new left, according to the
New York Times, which is controlled by Black Militants, lie, Waskow, a leading
figure in the Tnstitute for Policy Studies, is working closely with Stokely Car-
michael and other militants. He is, according to the Washington Post Potomac
Magazine of November 12, a leader in the Resist the Draft Movement (his picture
appears on page 32). The national Catholic publication, `The Wanderer" of Au-
gust 31, 1967 had a major 3-column article on Waskow's nefarious activities. This
man is far more dangerous than Julius W. llobson, yet the Rev. Malcolm Marshall
has 1~or years financed the Adams-Morgan Community Council which is filled with
Black Militants. On July 26 this year William Raspberry reported that rumors
(Washington Post, July 26) were circulated in the Adams-Morgan area and outside
it which were "started deliberately . . . and are coldly calculated to set the town
afire". The Adams-Morgan Community Council's Black and White militants
circulated those rumors and, only when the Police intervened, was this dangerous
situation brought under control. Why doesn't the Rev. IV[alcolm Marshall support
the Black and White Moderates in the Adams-Morgan-Cardozo area? Why
doesn't Father Wendt do the same? Are they trying o get the city's inner city
ghetto burned down?
Sincerely,
Joi [N II. IMMER, President.
cc: Rev. Malcolm Marshall
Rev. William A. Beal
Members of Congress Press-B adio-TV
PAGENO="0092"
96
KALORAMA CITIZENS ASSOCIATION, INCORPORATED,
THE WESTMORELAND,
21P~2 California St., NW., Washington, D.C. ~OOO8, January 2~, 1968.
Honorable JOHN L. MCMILLAN,
Chairman, Committee on the District qf Columbia,
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Our members strongly support the police pay raise bills
being considered by your Committee. We consider police as essential to a peaceful
and ordered society, and the charges of "police brutality" are baseless, and those
who make these charges are mendacious.
We request the support of the House District Committee to take the following
additional steps to reduce crime: (1) make criminals know they are not welcome
in the Nation's Capital. So far, no one has spoken out in this way, warning
criminals to move on, including Members of Congress. Yet LIFE Magazine
(Jan. 12, 1968) reported that the new Mayor of Gary, Indiana, a grandson of a
slave, warned criminals "There are those who are no longer welcome in Gary".
Bravo for Mayor R. G. Hatcher. It is significant that no one in the new District
Government has had the courage to speak out in this fashion. Instead, highly
placed members of the City Council rushed to embrace Stokely Carmichael when
he returned here. In city after city, Negro moderates are rising to protest the
Federal coddling of Black Militants, extremists, and criminals. Here, too, Negro
ministers, the Washington Urban League, and other Negro groups have spoken
out, and moved against Stokely Carmichael-but not our new Mayor and City
Council, who are dominated by the White House.
(2) Urge Congress to immediately move to set up citizen patrols to take care
to protect Congress and District citizens from criminals and marches. Help bus
and taxi drivers, and law-abiding citizens Negro and White. There is broad
support even in the Congress for citizen patrols; for instance, Senator Robert
F. Kennedy recently told a New York audience: "we need full citizen support
for the police departments of our nation . . . . citizen support means a refusal
to tolerate lawlessness in any form. . . . the reporting of crimes to the police.
citizens can begin to take on the actual patroling of their neighobrhoods. Citizen
patrols have worked in far more dangerous communities: in Crown Heights, the
`Maccabee' patrols substantially cut down violent crime; volunteer police in
East Flatbush, Tampa, Florida, and elsewhere have prevented violence." We
need all the help Congress can give, not only to protect law-abiding citizens but
the Congress as well. President Johnson ha~ said "The safety and security of its
citizens is the first duty of government". We are delighted he signed the crime
bill, but then he proceeded to dilute its application in the District of Columbia-
the Nation's Capital-immediately. Not a single criminal has left town, and
citizens are constantly struck down, murdered, raped, criminally assaulted, most
often by repeaters with long records, or coddled juveniles. Help! Help! Help!
Respectfully yours,
Mrs. JEWELL B. SMTTH, President.
Mr. WHITENER. Are there airy other witnesses who desire to be
heard? If not, thank you very much for your presence. The sub-
committee will meet at some subsequent time in executive session to
come to a conclusion on the pay legislation, as such.
(Whereupon, at 10:50 a.m., the subcommittee adjourned.)
PAGENO="0093"
[APPENBIX1
POLICE DETECTIVES
HEARING
BEFORE
SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 2
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
THE DISTRICT OF COLIJMB1A
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NINEIJEIIT CONGRESS
I~ IRSI SESSION
ON
H.R. 13203
TO ABOLISH THE RANK OF DETECTIVE IN THE METR&-
POLITAN POLICE FORCE ANT) TO PROMOTE 1)ETECTIVES
TO DETECTIVE SERGEANTS
NOVEMBER 9; 1967
U.S. G()YERNMI6NT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON 1968
(97)
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THOMAS G. ABERNETHY, Mississippi
WILLIAM L. DAWSON, flhinois
ABRAHAM J. MTJLTER, New York
JOHN DOWDY, Texas
BASIL L. WHITENER, North Carolina
B. F. SISK, California
CHARLES C. DIGGS, JR., Michigan
G. ELLIOTT HAGAN, Georgia
DON FUQTJA, Florida
DONALD M. FRASER, Minnesota
BROOK ADAMS, Washington
ANDREW JACOBS, JR., Indiana
E. S. JOHNNY WALKER, New Mexico
ANCHER NELSEN, Minnesota
WILLIAM L. SPRINGER, Illinois
ALVIN E. O'KONSKI, Wis~nsin
WILLIAM H. HARSHA, Ohio
CHARLES McC. MAPHL&S, In., Maryland
FRANK HORTON, New York
JOEL T. BROYHILL, Virginia
LARRY WINN, Jn., Kansas
GILBERT GUDE, Maryland
JOHN M. ZWACH, Minnesota
SAM STEIGER, Arizona
SUBCOMMITTEE No. 2
ABRAHAM J. MULTER, New York, ~Jhairnuzm
JOHN DOWDY, Texas WILLIAM L. SPRINGER, Illinois
B. F. SISK, California WILLIAM H. HARSHA, Ohio
CHARLES C. DIGGS, JR., Michigan CHARLES McC. MATHIAS, Jn., Maryland
G. ELLIOTT HAGAN, Georgia LARRY WINN, Ja., Kansas
(98)
* COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JOHN L. McMILLAN, South Carolina, Chairman
JAMES T. CLARK, Clerk
CLAYToN S. GASQUE, Staff Director
HAYDEN S. GARBER, c~a
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POLICE DETECTIVES
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1967
HoUsE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
SUBCOMMITTEE No. 2,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, in Room 1210, Longworth
House Office Building, at 10:00 am., Hon. Abraham J. Multer
(Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Multer (Chairm an of the Subcommittee),
Dowdy and Winn.
Also Present: James T. Clark, Clerk; Hayden S. Garber, Counsel;
Sara Watson, Assistant Counsel, and Leonard 0. hider, Investigator.
Mr. MULTER. The committee will please be in order.
We have met this morning to consider H.R. 13203, a bill to amend
the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to
abolish the rank of detective in the Metropolitan Police force, and to
prom.~~. ote persons with such rank to the rank of detective sergeant.
Without objection, HR. 13203 will appear in the record at this
point.
(HR. 13203 follows:)
(H.R. 13203, 90th Cong., 1st Sess., by Mr. Multer, on Sept. 28, 1967)
A Bill To amend the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to abolish the rank of
detective in the Metropolitan Police force, and to promote persons with such rank to the rank of detective
sergeant.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That the salary schedule contained in section 101
of the i)istrict of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 (D.C. Code,
sec. 4-823) is amended by striking out "Detective" where it appears under
"Class 3" in the column entitled "Salary class and title".
SEc. 2. Each officer and member who, immediately prior to the effective date
of the amendment made by this Act, was in salary class 3, as a detective, shall,
on such effective date be placed in and receive basic compensation at a scheduled
rate in salary class 4, subclass (b) with the title of detective sergeant as follows:
From- To-
Detective, salary class 3: 1)etective sergeant, salary class 4,
subclass (b)
Service steps 1 and 2 Service step 1.
Service step 3 Service step 2.
Service step 4 Service step 3.
Longevity step 7 Service step 4.
Longevity step 8 Longevity step 7.
Longevity step 9 Longevity step 8.
In computing the time served by each officer or member so assigned from detective
to detective sergeant on the effective date of the amendment made by this Act
for purposes of advancement to the xiext higher scheduled service step or longevity
step as provided in section 303 or 401, as the case may be, of the District of Ce-
(99)
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100
lumbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 such time shall commence as of
the effective date of the amendment made by this Act.
SEC. 3. The amendment made by the first section of this Act shall take effect
on the first day of the first pay period beginning after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
Mr. MTJLTER. We will also place in the record a communication
from the District of Columbia Commissioner, Walter E. Washington,
addressed to the Honorable John L. McMfflan, Chairman of the
Committee, dated November 8, 1967.
(The report referred to follows:)
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, Yovember 8, 1967.
The Honorable JOHN L. MCMILLAN,
Chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia,
United States House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. MCMILLAN: I have for report H. R. 13203, 90th Congress, a bill
"To amend the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act of 1958 to
abolish the rank of detective in the Metropolitan Police force, and to promote
persons with such rank to the rank of detective sergeants."
I believe H. R. 13203 to be unnecessary and without apparent justification,
since, from a sound pay administration standpoint, there is no basis, through the
legislative process, to automatically promote to the rank of Detective Sergeant
all of the detectives in the Metropolitan Police force, 138 in number.
The President's Commission on Crime has endorsed the recommendation of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police that the supervisory ranks in the
Criminal Investigation Division should be reduced rather than be increased, as
would result from the enactment of H. R. 13203. In order that the objective ex-
pressed in the report of the Association may be accomplished in an orderly manner,
the Chief of Police has adopted the following policy:
1. Members of the department who held the grade of detective on the clos-
ing day for filing for the 1967 promotional examination, may file for "De-
tective to Detective Sergeant" or for "Detective to Uniform Sergeant."
2. Once the detective files his application, his decision is irrevocable.
3. There will be one written examination for promotion to sergeant, which
will include material applicable to investigative procedures as well as to
supervisory techniques.
4. After the examination has been graded and the necessary adjustments
have been made in the test scores to secure the desired number of eligibles,
separate registers will be established for uniform sergeant and for detective
sergeant.
~i. The detective sergeant register will consist of those detectives who file
application for promotion to detective sergeant and who qualify on the
written examination. Separate adjustments in the test scores will not be
made.
6. Promotees will be selected from the detective sergeant register to fill
vacancies which occur because of promotion or separation of incumbent
detective sergeants who have not elected to convert to uniform sergeant duty.
7. The same procedure as above will be followed for the 1969 promotional
examination.
8. After the register established from the 1969 examination for promotion
to Detective Sergeant has expired, this procedure will terminate and there
will be 110 further promotions to the grade of Detective Sergeant.
9. No further promotions to the grade of Detective will be made after the
current register expires.
The passage of this proposed legislation would further compound the present
inbalance of supervisor-subordinate ratio in the Criminal Investigation Division.
I therefore strongly recommend against the enactment of HR. 13203.
I have been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that, from the standpoint of
the Administration's program, there is no objection to the submission of this
report to the Congress.
Sincerely yours,
(5) WALTER E. WASHINGTON
Walter E. Washington,
Commissioner of the District of Columbia.
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101
Mr. MULTER. We will proceed first with thewitnesses we have sub-
poenaed this morning It is not usual to subpoena witnesses to attend
our hearings, but in consultation with the chairman of the full com-
mittee we thought we should not ask members of the Police Depart-
ment to volunteer any testimony because of the situation that neces-
sarily exists here, where they might be put in a position of taking a
public position con;trary to that of some of their superiors. Therefore,
we issued subpoenas to them requiring their attendance. When they
do testify, we anticipate they will testify fully and freely without
reservation, and we expect that their superiors will not find fault with
them for expressing their views as American citizens as well as mem-
bers of the Department.
I am quite sure I speak for the Commissioner of the District and
for Chief Layton and all of the other superior officers in the Police
Department that there will be no reprisals because any witness may
disagree with what is the so-called policy of either the District Corn-
missioner or of the superior officers in the Department.
In order to expedite the hearings, I will call those detectives who
were subpoenaed and ask them to take seats at the witness table.
They are George M. Dunphy, Harold H. Burwell, Robert P. King,
George R. Wilson and Ronald M. Banta.
STATEMENTS OF DETECTIVES GEORGE M. DUNPHY, ROBBERY
SQUAD; HAROLD H. BURWELL, ROBBERY SQUAD; ROBERT P.
KING, ROBBERY SQUAD; GEORGE R. WILSON, ROBBERY SQUAD;
AND RONALD M. BANTA, HOMICIDE SQUAD
~`Ir. DUNPHY. Mr. Chairman, approximately ten months ago the
Metropolitan Police Department stated that due to the recommenda-
tions of the International Chiefs of Police, the President's Crime
Commission, that we were going to be placed into a reorganization
program. Since that time reorganization has started to be implemented
and in fact. will be; the entire Department will be reorganized.
We first discovered what was happening when we read the report
that was presented to the President from the International Chiefs of
Police. In these recommendations the rank of detective of the Metro-
politan Police Department was to be abolished; in its place was a new
rank to be created, the rank of investigator. The investigator will be
an appointed position to the Detective Bureau by the Police Depart-
ment. This investigator could come from any of the ranks. He will be
a private arid then he will be placed in plainclothes in the Criminal
Investigation Division or any of the other investigative divisions
of the Detective Bureau and he could be a man with one, two or three
years on the Police Department.
The men presently holding the rank of detective who range any-
where from ten to twenty-five years on the Metropolitan Police
Department, who have passed Civil Service promotional examinations,
some of whom have passed two promotional examinations to obtain
this rank, will be known as investigators and placed in the same cate-
gory of investigators, in the same category as anybody else appointed
to this position.
We felt at this time that this act right here was depriving us of our
status.
88-574-68----8
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To become a detective of the Metropolitan Police Department,
you serve in a capacity as a plainclothesman which is an appointed
position by the Department; Until you are appointed to this position of
plainclothesman, you are not eligible to take an examination for
detective After you attain the plainclothes rank, you are then ehgible
to take this test, which we have done. We have passed this examina-
tion; we waited out a Civil Service promotional list, and then we were
promoted. Now we are to be placed back in the category of an in-
vestigator with any prophet who may meet the qualification.
Gentlemen, back in 1962 the set-up of the Detective Bureau of the
Metropolitan Police Department was such that there was a plain-
clothesman who was appointed by the Police Department. There was
a detective. He took a Civil Service examination. There was a precinct
detective who took a Civil Service examination and then there was a
detective sergeant and he took a Civil Service exammation
On the uniform side at the time was the rank of corporal-Civil
Service examination-and sergeant-Civil Service examination.
Under Public Law 87-882, which was a pay bill for the Metropolitan
Police Department, the rank of precinct detective was abolished.
Some of these men had passed two promotional examinations and all
of whom had passed at least one. They were put back to the rank of
detective. Also in this bifi the corporal who had passed one examina-
tion was upgraded to the rank of sergeant. Every one of them. Some
of whom had only been a corporal for two or three weeks prior to the
enactment of that 1962 bifi.
At this time all of these men gained compensation. This was a pay
bill that this was done in.
Then the reorganization comes of the Metropolitan Police Depart-
ment in 1967 to extend through `68, and will take some years to be
implemented on the Metropolitan Police Department. At this time
they eliminate or abolish the rank of detective and we are now to be
called investigators. Many efforts were made on our part to communi-
cate with the Chief's office at this time to find out where we actually
stood in this new program of the Police Department. The original
recommendations of the International Chiefs of Police stated that
these detectives who were in the new investigative rank every so many
years would be looked at; they would be surveyed and then the lowest
twenty per cent of these men would be placed back in uniform and
then new men would replace them.
They found out that through an act of Congress that we detectives
had been promoted through a Civil Service promotional examination
and then they couldn't do this to us without departmental trial board
action. So the recommendations were revised to fit our situation.
After these efforts to contact the Chief's office, the only response we
received from the Chief's office was that "We are not taking any
money away from you people."
From the outset of this, money is not the problem with us. If this
could have been done without money, we would have taken it without
money. We are not interested in money. The raise will be somewhere in
the vicinity of $400 or maybe a few dollars more than that. This is
not going to buy a Cadillac for me and it is not going to send my kids
to college. We are interested in our status and our future. There are
approximately 138 detectives at the present time. These men have
over 1300 years of police service on the Metropolitan Police Depart-
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103
ment. Under an administrative pencil stroke. they are placing us~ba~
in the position of an investigator They will take a new police officei-~-
who maybe qualified; I ám~ not saying he won't be qttalified-and place
him in an investigator's role, the same as it took me these 15 years to
obtain through a promotional examination. We are not asking for
anything that the Department~ hasn't set its precedent on before,
when they abolished the rank of corporal.
They also tell us that we haven't taken a supervisory test. Well,
gentlemen, the examination I took for detective had approximately
* 160 questions on it. The private who' took a test for, uniform sergeant
the same day I took my detective's examination, the questions were
verbatim, excepting maybe five or ten questions; the same examina-
tion.
The examination that I was forced to take three Saturdays ago for
detective sergeant, the uniformed men and some detectives who may
have taken it for sergeant because they felt this was the only way they
were going to be promoted, was a verbatim test; the same test. In fact,
the title of that examination~was "Sergeant and' Detective Sergeant."
So there should be no question as to who are supervisors and who are
not supervisors.
The Chief's office then, after many months of deliberation-not
with us-said, "I will extend to you an opportunity to take a detective
sergeant's examination" and he said, "I will do that for two years, this
October and the October of 1969. Therefore, I am affording you an
opportunity to become a detective sergeant."
Well, gentlemen, if you read the International Chiefs' of Police
recommendations, this Criminal Investigation Division which we are
all a part of calls for 34 detective sergeants. There are presently 91
Now, this figure may be 93, 92. I could pass this examination ,I just
took in October~ I could pass it two years in October, wind up first on
the list both times and never be promoted.
All the Chief has said to this is that "I will fill the vacancies."
Well, under reorganization this contradicts the Reorganization Plan
and the Chief has said that this department will be reorganized. This
process has started.
I feel-I mean the 138' detectives-feel that after trying to talk
with the Chief about this problem-and the response we got was,
approximately two or three months ago, a meeting was called at
Police Headquarters for all the detectives. It was done in two parts;
one in the morning, one in the afternoon. We responded and in the
meeting I went to in the morning there were 72-some-odd detectives
present. Deputy Chief Wilson was there. A civilian, Mr. Glenn
Murphy, was there, and he was a representative of my Chief of
Police because this was a Police Department meeting. There were no
civilians from anywhere there other than he. He spoke to us on behalf
of the Chief to try and explain to us what the recommendations were
of the International Chiefs of Police. We asked him very pertinent
questions, we thought. We asked Deputy Chief Wilson if this was
done for the corporals in 1962 why shouldn't it be done for these
detectives at this time.
The answer we got then was that that was another administration
and that we have nothing to do with that administration.
This was said on the floor of the Detective Bureau squad room.
Then the civilian got up there, Mr. Glenn Murphy, and we asked
him questions about this and how the original recommendations of
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the International Chiefs of Police had been changed pertaining to
detectives because of our Civil Service status. He stood there in front
of 72 men and said, "If you don't hit the pitching to the Trial Board."
Now, I will explain what that remark meant to people who don't
understand. It meant, "If you don't come up to our qualifications or
our standards, it can be arranged to send you to a Trial Board and
your rank can be taken away from you." There is no other way to
interpret that remark.
This was the cooperation, or the feeling of our department toward
us. We had nowhere to turn, due to Departmental orders, Commis-
sioners' orders-and I don't mean to imply that we detectives would
do it any other way. We had nowhere to go, so we went to Congress.
We said that what we want is our day in court, what we are having
right now, and I want to extend the appreciation of all the detectives
of the Police Department right now for this opportunity, Mr. Chair-
man.
We asked to be heard at a hearing, that our problems could be aired.
`If you gentlemen here in Congress say we are wrong, that will be it.
What we want is our opportunity and we are here.
I want to read a chapter from the Metropolitan Police Department
Manual; one paragraph. It is on page 99, Chapter 23:
Duties for officers detailed for the prevention and detection of crime.
This is from the current Manual of the Metropolitan Police Depart-
ment:
Section 1. There shall be assigned to the Detective Bureau for special service in
the prevention and detection of crime such member or privates as may be directed
by the Major and Superintendent of Police and authorized by law and privates
so assigned, upon approval by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia
receive such additional compensation as may be provided for by law for privates
so assigned and during the period of such assignment shall be designated as detec-
tive sergeants and in all matters relating to their duties in connection with such
assignment shall be obeyed and respected as sergeants.
And from the United States Code, Title 4, Section 110:
"Detail of privates for detective work," the Code says:
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are hereby authorized to detail
from time to time from the privates of the Police Force such number of privates
as may be in their judgment necessary for special service in the detection and
prevention of crime and while serving in such capacity they shall have the rank of
sergeants of the force.
That was February 28th that was enacted in 1901 and it is still in
effect as of this minute.
Gentlemen, I don't see how anybody can say we are not entitled to
what we are asking for. We are not asking to be made the Chief of
Police. We are not asking for a thousand dollar raise. We are asking
that our status not be taken away from us with the stroke of an ad-
ministrative pencil.
Thank you.
Mr. MULTER. Do any of you other gentlemen want to add to that?
Mr. BURWELL. Mr. Chairman, members of the Comiinittee, ladies
and gentlemen:
I think that my fellow worker, Detective Dunphy, has expressed
my sentiments very well. The only thing that I can add is that I think
that I would be a representative of the former precinct detectives.
I would like to say there are a few more left and they have asked
that their former grade be mentioned at the hearing.
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I would like to say that I was assigned as a detective in 1954. I was
promoted to the rank of probational detective, which was later changed
to detective in 1957. I took a Civil Service examination and success-
fully passed the examination in 1959 and was promoted to the rank
of precinct detective.
In 1962 the rank of precinct detective was abolished, as detective
Dunphy stated, and the men were integrated into one rank of "detec-
tive." The former probational detectives who were then classified as
detectives, and then precinct detectives, were made into one grade
and at that time a comparable rank, which was the rank of corporal,
was upgraded to the rank of sergeant.
I think Detective Dunphy has covered the rest of it very well.
I have worked with him from the very beginning all the way through
and I think he has expressed my sentiments very well. I thank you
very much for the opportunity to be heard.
Mr. MULTER. Detective King, do you want to add anything?
Mr. KING. I don't believe so, Mr. Chairman. I think these two
gentlemen have covered it completely.
Mr. ]\/JIJLTER. Mr. Wilson?
Mr. WILSON. Same sentiments, sir.
Mr. MULTER. Detective Banta?
Mr. BANTA. No, Mr. Chairman. I think Detective Dunphy has done
a complete and eloquent job.
Mr. MIJLTER. Do I understand this does not involve any attempt to
legislate a pay increase?
Mr. D UNPHY. Under this bill there will be an increase in pay and it
will be somewhere in the vicinity of $400 to $450 a man. We found out
when the bill was being written that it would be almost impossible to
write it any other way legally.
Mr. MUtTER. When a police officer is first appointed or assigned to
the detective post, before taking an examination, is that appointment
revocable at the will of the Department?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir. In other words, in the plainclothesman rank,
where these men are given $250 for a clothing allowance, this can be
taken back from them at the will of the Department at any time.
Mr. MTJLTER. Up until the time he takes and passes a Civil Service
examination and gets a permanent appointment, may his assignment
be changed and may he be reasigned as a uniform officer?
Mr. DTJNPHY. No, sir, not under the present set-up.
Mr. MULTER. Once the man passes the Civil Service examination
and gets his appointment, is there any way of taking any of his pay
away by change of title?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir, not unless this preliminary action is sent to a
Trial Board and upon conviction at a Trial Board and if the findings of
the Trial Board are upheld by the Commissioner, then it can be done.
Mr. MULTER. If a man is subjected to charges and trial and dis-
ciplinary action as a result of the trial, there is nothing in this bill to
interfere with that procedure?
Mr. DTJNPHY. No, sir.
Mr. WINN. Does the Department still have the rank of probationary
detective?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir.
Mr. WINN. Has it been abolished by the reorganization?
Mr. DUNPHY. The probation detectives were abolished a number of
years ago when the rank of detective was created.
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Back as far as 1959 the words "probation detective"-that rank or
status was changed and at that time it was changed-the first man
was a plainclothesman, then came a detective, then came a precinct
detective and then detective sergeant, which were all Civil Service
examinations.
That is when the detective bureau was placed under Civil Service
ratings, at that time.
Then in 1962 the rank of precinct detective was abolished and all
that was left in the Detective Bureau at that time was the appointed
rank of plainclothesman for just a clothing allowance and then there
was the rank of detective. All the. men who were precinct detectives,
we believe, were put back a step to detective. This was a Civil Service
examination. Then there was another examination for detective
sergeant at that time.
Now, again under the reorganization, they are doing the same thing
to the detective bureau again. They are taking the detective and
placing him back as an investigator. The investigator is going to be an
appointed position by the Department, the Chief or the Chief of
Detectives, who will ask for the man and then he will finally be ap-
proved of by the Chief and it can be anybody. He could be a man with
one year on the street.
Mr. WINN. He doesn't have to be. permanent rank?
Mr. DUNPHY. All he has to be is a member of the Metropolitan
Police Department.
Mr. WINN. He would have to be a member of the Police Depart-
ment and come somewhere from the ranks?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. WINN. He couldn't be recruited from the outside?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir, he has to be a police officer.
Mr. WINN. You mentioned your attempts to meet with the Chief
and you finally sat~ down with a Glenn Murphy.
Mr. DIINPHY. Yes.
Mr. WINN. Did he say he was representing .the Chief?
Mr. DUNPHY. No. He was there. This was a Police Department
meeting held at Police Headquarters and the only one I could see
who was in that room who wasn't a police officer was this gentleman.
Now, to the best of my knowledge as to his position, I know be is
employed by the~ International Chiefs of Police. What his exact title
is with the Police Department~ whether he is a liaison officer, I don't
know. I couldn't give you the exact title o~ Mr. Murphy, bu.t I believe
Deputy Chief Wilson will be able to. . . .
Mr. WINN. You haven't checked to see who this man. was?.
Mr. DUNPHY. We knew he was a representative of the International
Chiefs of Police. . . ..
Mr. BANTA. Mr. Glenn Murphy is a~ consultant on the staff of
the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He also. acts .as an
adjunct professor for American University teachers, some of the
police administration courses for American University at Metropolitan
Police Headquarters.
Mr. WINN. Do you know then for sure that he had the authority
to speak for the Chief?
Mr. DUNPHY. The conclusion I drew from that meeting was that
this was a meeting called by the Office of the Chief of Police. I re-
sponded to it and I expected the Chief of Police to respond to it, but he
PAGENO="0103"
107
didn't and in his stead there was `someone there who we were told
would explain to us what the reorganization was about, pertaining
to the detectives.
Mr. WJNN. But you don't know for sure that he had the authority
to actually speak. He might have been invited there to explain, but
you don't know that he had the authority to make a statement?
Mr. DUNPHY. I didn't mean to imply that, sir, that this statement
was the Chief's feelings.
When I thought I implied at that time was that he made this state-
ment, but he had been asked to come there to explain to us what they
were doing to us, by the Chief. He couldn't have been there any
other way.
Mr. WINN. I am still a little hazy on how you get to be a detective.
Will you explain that to me again?
Mr. DIJNPHY. At the present time under the present setup, prior
to reorganization, they take men out of the uniformed force who
they seem to believe-when I say "they," I mean the Police Depart-
ment-have the qualifications to do investigative-type work. These
men are placed in plainclothes. Now, this is something I omitted, and
I shouldn't have, the first time. These men sometimes-and I speak
from experience because I did it for two years-work in plainclothes
without compensation. None whatsoever.
Mr. WINN. For their clothing?
Mr. DTJNPHY. For their clothing.
There is an order in the Police Department that says that any man
working in such capacity for a sixty-day period shall receive this
compensation. I am not sure whether it is sixty days or ninety days,
but there is a time limit put on it. How the Department gets around
this-and I did this for two years and I could bring in all these dates
in-I have failed to do that. They take you out of this position for
one day and put you back in uniform and a letter is written through
the Chief taking you out of this capacity as plainclothesman and then
another letter is written the same month or the day after asking that
you be put back in.
I did this for over two years, trying to become a plainclothesman.
Finally, after two years, I was appointed by the Police Department as
a plainclothesman. This procedure is happening right now on. this
Police Department. , There are men who are working in plainclothes
doing detectives' work, doing detective sergeants' work,. drawing
assignments on the. same cases that I draw in the robbery squad,
being responsible for the detection and the presentation of any facts
in United States District Court in all felony cases who are. receiving
no compensation whatsoever and yet the Department once a month
writes-or should be doing it. Now, in a lot of cases they don't do it
and the men could force, so to speak, a showdown over this, but they
don't do it; they want to get into this rank.
In my case this letter was written and they are on file in my jacket-
a copy of `every one of them-at the Metropolitan Police Department.
After my two years-it was a little more than two years of this
letter writing, one day a month I put a uniform on and then was made
a plainclothesnian.
Mr. WINN. Excuse me for interrupting, but you are getting into
some personal-
Mr. DUNPHY. I am speaking of the policy matter.
PAGENO="0104"
108
Mr. WINN. But you have made another point that you didn't
before.
Right now under the Reorganization Plan-because that is what
we are talking about-to be a detective, you become a plainclothesman
from the ranks, from the uniform ranks?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir. Under the reorganization you will be ap-
pointed as an investigator, period, under the reorganization plan or
program.
Mr. MULTER. You have to be a member of the uniformed force
before being named an investigator?
Mr. DUNPHY. You have to be a Metropolitan Police officer.
Mr. MULTER. You can't take a man from the outside and give
him an appointment in the first instance as an investigator?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir.
Mr. MULTER. When a man is taken out of the uniformed force
and is made an investigator, he then continues as such by appointment?~
* Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
* Mr. MULTER. How long must he serve as a plainclothesman before
he can take the Civil Service examination?
* Mr. DUNPHY. At the present time I believe you have to be in grade
one year. In other words, you have to be an investigator-well, under
the reorganization-let me say this to you, sir: Under the reorganiza-
tion there will be no more detective sergeants; there will be no more
detective lieutenants; there wifi be no more detective captains. There
will be sergeants of police, lieutenants of police, captains of police. A
lateral movement as the International Chiefs of Police call it. And the
only qualifications you will have to fulfil is, once-if you are in the
investigator role, if you are appointed to this position, you will take a
test for sergeant of police.
Now, all you will have to do, or the only qualification at that time
will be that you will have to be in this capacity a year.
One thing I omitted, for a uniformed man or any police officer to
take any promotional examination, upon being appointed to the
Metropolitan Police Department, he has to be in grade three years.
So if a man, after one year of being appointed to the Police Depart-
ment, is made an investigator, he wouldn't be eligible to take a test
for sergeant of police for two more years. But if he has been on three
years and he is made an investigator, he would be eligible to take his
examination for sergeant of police.
Mr. MULTER. That is under the present reorganization plan?
Mr. DUNPHY. Right.
Mr. MULTER. When you mean first joined the force, you jomed as
uniformed officers?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. After serving as uniformed officers, you were ap-
pointed as plainclothesmen?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr~ MULTER. Then you were given an opportunity to take a Civil
Service examination?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes.
Mr. MULTER. To qualify as plainclothesmen?
Mr. DUNPHY. As detectives. .
Mr. MULTER. And only those men who passed the exammation
could then be appointed?
PAGENO="0105"
100
Mr. DIJNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MTJLTER. Then after you were appointed detectives, having
passed the qualifying examination, you were then entitled to take
promotional examinations?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. And only those men who passed the promotional
examinations were entitled to be promoted?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MTJLTER. And that continued until the reorganization plan?
Mr. DTJNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MTJLTER. Now, under the reorganization plan your opportunity
is being limited to take those promotional examinations, is that right?
Mr. DTJNPHY. Yes, sir. Other than the one other incident I referred
to where the Chief finally-and this was only-I think it was perhaps
a month prior to the examination; it might have been two, where he
said he would extend to us the opportunity to take two detective
sergeants' examinations, one this year-which was three weeks ago-
and one in 1969. But what I also made very clear at that time was that
under the reorganization in the Criminal Investigation Division it calls
for a total of 34 detective sergeants. There are 91 right now. There will
be no vacancies. How could there be when we are 40 over staff right
now under reorganization?
One other point, sir, I think I had better make right now. The duties
of a detective and a detective sergeant-right now I am a detective;
my partner is a detective sergeant in the Robbery Squad. He draws
assignments as I draw them. We are both responsible for each other's
assignments. We both work jointly on these assignments. In our squad
we handle nothing but armed hold-ups. In the Homicide Squad they
are responsible for their duties, which is the investigation of homicides.
Detectives, plainclothesmen and detective sergeants at the present
time are doing the same work. We perform the same duties. Our re-
sponsibilities are identical and have been under the present set-up prior
to reorganization. A detective sergeant at the present time is not
required by the Metropolitan Police Department to have any more
qualifications or to perform any other duties than I and the 140 detec-
tives are also responsible for. We do the same identical work.
This point I though I should make at this time so there would be
no doubt about what our actual work, or assignments, are.
Mr. WJNN. Is there not a manual that describes the duties of the
detective sergeant and the regular detective?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. WINN. Is there a manual telling what each classification
should do?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir. I read to you a chapter from the Police
Department Manual. It very clearly states what we are. The Manual
calls me a sergeant of police. The manual says that when I respond
to the scene of an armed hold-up that I shall be in charge at that
time.
The United States Code, which I also read, calls me a sergeant of
police and I shall be respected as such.
Mr. WINN. There is no difference at all spelled out in that Manual?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir. If you would like, I could bring this up to
you and let you read it.
PAGENO="0106"
110
Mr. WINN. It doesn't seem the job specifications are spelled out; if
there are no differentials in the book, if sounds like the differential
must be political.
Mr. DUNPHY. The differential is admithstrative. They decided
many years ago there would be certain ranks in the Detective Bureau
and when I read the changes in our ranks through the years, these
were administrative things. The men had no say whatsoever when the
Department made these changes. The Department thought when they
made these changes they were for the betterment of the Police Depart-
ment and they probably were. Otherwise they wouldn't have been done.
I believe through the years administrative changes have changed
the titles of the men doing this work but it has not changed their job
or the work they had to perform.
Mr. WINN. If you took a Civil Service examination to go to detec-
tive sergeant, and all of those taking it passed it-I don't know what
the percentage in the past has been, but then who makes the decision
as to who are going to be the detective sergeants and who aren't? Is it
based on the examination or is it based on someone's own integrity
and idea on how you qualify and what your background is?
Mr DUNPHY That is almost what it amounts to
Under the former set-up by the Police Department-it has been
changed this year-this last examination which is under the reor-
ganization has been changed. But formerly we would take a-first you
would get what they called an efficiency mark from the Police De-
partment. This was prior to the examination. Then you would take the
examination Then they would take your exammation mark and put it
on a piece of paper two times. They would take your efficiency mark
and put it on a paper three times They would add up the figure and
divide by five and that would be your final mark and this is how a list
would come about and they would promote off this list from the top to
the bottom
Now, under reorganization this has been changed Now you take
the examination first, and from my understandmg-and this is bemg
done very quietly No one seems to put it down m a general order
or a memorandum order-after the examination sometime, either this
week or next week, after the Civil Service Commission has a list of the
men who pass this examination, the list of the names of these men will
be supplied to the Police Department. Not their marks, just the
names. These men are eligible. This is an eligibility list. Then the
Department is going to give you a suitability rating. I am not too
clear as~ to how they are going to do this. I understand we are to be
interviewed, but through some administrative function we will get a
suitability rating and then a list will be created. This is how it is
going to be done this year with the suitability rating or efficiency
rating; then the test was to be used in the promoting of men. These
men were to be promoted whenever there was a vacancy. In other
words, if a detective sergeant retired, they would take the first man
off the top of the list to fill his vacancy. If a captain retired, they
would replace him with a lieutenant on the lieutenants' list. The
sergeant who took the test for lieutenant would replace that lieutenant
and so on down the line.
What I say is that since our department is being reorganized-the
Chief has said it will be implemented-and the Criminal Investigation
Division called for 34 detective sergeants, and there are 91 right now,
PAGENO="0107"
111
I don't see how I am going to be promoted. If I pass that examination
and if I come out No. 1 on that examination, how will there ever be a
vacancy for me?
Mr. WINN. There are 34 at the present time?
Mr. DUNPITY. There are 91, give or take one or two. We just had a
promotion a number of days ago.
Mr. .WINN. They are trying to fill 34 spots.
Mr. DUNPHY. There are91 detective sergeants filling the vacancies
of 91. Reorganization says there shall be but 34. rphe Department then
says that through attrition, through retirement, through new organiza-
tions within the Department, these men will be disseminated. .1 could
be first on that list and never be promoted. But I took that examina-
tion because I believe-I had an opportunity to take the uniformed
sergeants test or this one. Now, I believed this: I took the detective
sergeants' examination. I will tell you right now I took that test. Even
though 1 feel if I come out No. 1 on it, I won't be promoted from it.
But I took it because I believe we are right in this, that we are morally
right.
Mr. WINN. If a man joins the force today as a uniformed officer
when, if ever, will he get to take the examination to qualify as a
detective or investigator?
Mr. DUNPHY. He won't have to. He will be appointed to that.
Mr. WINN. Without examination?
Mr. DUNPHY. Without examination. It will not be a Civil Service-
rated job any more with the Police Department. It will be an appointed
one.
Mr. WINN. Assume he is appointed investigator after service as a
uniformed officer for a year. When, if ever, can he take the examina-
tion for detective sergeant?
Mr. DTJNPHY. He wouldn't be able to because there will be no more
detective sergeants. He will be able to, after three years of service on
the Metropolitan Police Department, take a test for sergeant of police.
During this examination that we just took there was no examina-
tion given for detective. The rank has been abolished.
Mr. MULTER. Take the case of the man who has been on the force
for three years. He then takes the examination for uniformed sergeant.
Mr. DUNPHY. Sergeant of police.
Mr. MIJLTER. Am I to understand correctly that after you men:
have been in the service now as detectives, after you have taken the
examination twice, you then can't compete with these other fellows
for sergeant of police?
Mr. DUNPIIY. Oh, yes, sir. The Chief extended us that opportunity
of taking the test for sergeant of police on this last examination.
Mr. MTJLTER. You just said you took it twice?
Mr. DUNPHY. For detective sergeant.
Mr. MULTER. What is meant by taking the examination two suc-
cessive times?
Mr. DUNPIIY. What the Chief said in the memorandum order was
that apparently he saw there were some inadequacies in this reorga-
nization. He felt that we deserved to have two more opportunities to
take the test for detective sergeant. Then there would not be a test
for detective sergeant after this point.
Mr. MULTER. Then there would only be tests for sergeant of police?
Mr. DUNPHY. After that time. After 1969.
PAGENO="0108"
112
Mr. MULTER. Then you take that examination together with any-
body else who has been on the force for three years?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir. I took the same verbatim test with every
private who has three years service, three Saturdays ago.
Mr. MULTER. That will be the situation in the future too?
Mr. DTJNPHY. Yes, sir.
One other point that I want to make is this one: Under reorgani~a-
tion and the lateral movement that they claim is a better thing
for the Police Department-every officer should be able to do a
number of jobs and not be so specialized-it wifi take that man
with three years on in the Police Department and he passed this
examination three Saturdays ago and he gets on the Civil Service list.
This man becomes No. 1 on this list.
Now, this is something that could happen. When he is promoted it
will be at the direction of the Chief of Police as to where he is placed,
and under reorganization this man can be placed into the Detective
Bureau or the Criminal Investigation Division, and if so assigned,
this man could be my supervisor. An it can happen under the re-
organization.
Mr. MULTER. How many years of service have you had?
Mr. DUNPHY. I have 15 years on the street in this city and two in
the service for a total of 17 years on the Metropolitan Police De-
partment.
Mr. MIJLTER. How many as a detective?
Mr. DUNPRY. I have been a detective seven years.
Mr. MULTER. And a man on the force only three years under this
reorganization plan can be named as your supervisor?
Mr. DTJNPHY. Could be. Very possibly it could happen.
Mr. MULTER. I suppose the same would apply to each of the other
men.
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes.
Mr. MULTER. And to the other 138 men in the same position
you are?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. WINN. May I ask a question about salaries?
As I understand, the members of the Department who now hold
the grade of detective may file for this examination either from
detective to detective sergeant or from detective to uniform sergeant.
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes.
Mr. WINN. What is the difference, roughly speaking, in the pay,
do you know, between the detective sergeant and the uniform sergeant?
Mr. DTJNPHY. There is a difference in pay at the present time and
I would rather have Mr. Sullivan say. He~ could give you the exact
figures and I would not want to quote the wrong ones at this time.
There is a difference in this but I see what point you are making right
now.
This is another point that the Police Department or the Adminis-
tration has brought up. They said that we are not taking any money
away from you and you are making more money than that man with
three years on the force. We know this.
You have a secretary in your office who has been there 15 years
and you bring in a new secretary who is just as capable and does the
same work, but that girl there with 15 years better be making more
money than she is. So money is not the issue here. We know we are
PAGENO="0109"
113
making more money. I should be making more money than a man
with three years on the Police Department. I have spent 15 yeurs on
the street in this city. Every one of these police officers sitting here
today, these detectives, some have 25 years on the Police Department,
some have 12.
Mr. WINN. I understand you are talking about seniority, but I am~
talking about actual money.
If any of these other gentlemen, for instance-and I guess it is their
prerogative-decided to make a request to take the examination from
detective to uniform sergeant, if they decided to go that way, would
they be making less money than if they decided to go for the detective
sergeant?
Mr. DTJNPHY. No, sir.
Mr. WINN. The category of detective sergeant or uniform sergeant
are basically the same?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes.
What would determine whose salary is higher would depend how
long they were on the Police Department. We have longevity steps
and in-service steps, and as your in-grade you get these things auto-
matically. So the total salary might be different, but for the one pro-
motion you would get a certain amount.
Mr. WINN. If you went from detective to uniform sergeant with
your 15 years' experience, would you make less money than you would
going from detective to detective sergeant, with your 15 years'
experience?
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir; I would notmake less money.
Mr. WINN. I can see offhand that they may have a money problem.
If it is $450 a year difference, Mr. Chairman, and 138 men involved,
I do not know where they would have any hidden fund to come up
with the money.
Although you say it is not what you are getting at and I see what you
are talking about, it could be a problem of where they would get the
funds. I am thinking out loud now but I think this may be where in
their thinking they would have to come out of left field with $450 for
approximately 138 of you, which they probably have not planned on.
We would have to talk to the budget people about that.
I `have no other questions.
Mr. MULTER. As I understand it, under the reorganization plan
there will no longer be a detective sergeant or uniform sergeant and
there will merely be the title of sergeant of police.
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MTJLTER. And the sergeant of police may be either assigned in
uniform or. in plainclothes?
Mr. DUNPIIY. Yes, sir. If he is promoted off this last promotional
examination, it will be at the discretion of the Chief of Police as to
his assignment: .
Mr. MIJLTER. In other words, in the future it will be entirely up t~
the people in charge of the Police Department to determin.e which
sergeant will serve in uniform and which will not?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir. ``
Mr. Mrn~TER. As it has been up to the reorganization, you men who
were detective sergeants were not assigned to serve as uniforni
sergeants? ` ` `
PAGENO="0110"
114
Mr. DUNPHY. No, sir; we were ineligible to take tests for the uni-.
form branch. When you took a test for detective you took for detective
sergeant; if you were scrgeant, you took a test for lieutenant and so
on up to the rank of captain.
Mr. MULTER. That was the situation when you went into service?
Mr~ DUNPHY. Right.
Mr. MULTER. Now if you want to be a sergeant, you will have to
take a chance as to whether you will serve in uniform or not, as your
superior may decide?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes.
Mr. MULTER. In other words, under the reorganization plan, once
you decide to ifie the application, that decision is irrevocable, and if
you pass the examination you are subject to appointment at the will
of your superior under the title of sergeant of police in or out of
uniform. Once you have decided to change your present status, you
can no longer be a plainclothes sergeant detective, you are subject to
the will of your superior whether you serve in or out of uniform?
Mr. DTJNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. Despite the fact up to this time when you took the
examination and qualified, you determined you wanted to be in
plainclothes?
Mr. DUNPHY. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. Thank you, gentlemen.
Our next witness will be Mr. John L. SuJ]ivan, former Inspector of
Metropolitan Washington Police Department.
Will you identify yourself, sir?
STATEMENT OF JOHN L. SULLIVAN (FORMER INSPECTOR, METRO-
POLITAN WASHINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT), CHAIRMAN,
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, POLICEMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ACCOMPANIED BY LT. SAMUEL
W. STICKLEY, PRESIDENT
Mr. SULLIVAN. Yes, sir.
My name is John L. Sullivan. I am retired Inspector of the Metro-
politan Police Department and I am Chairman of the Legislative
Committee of the Policem en's Association of the District of Columbia,
which includes the Metropolitan, th~ Park Police and the White
House Police.
On my right is the President of the Policemen's Association,
Lieutenant Samuel Stickley.
Mr. Chairman, for the record, I am appearing here today in support
of H.R. 13203, a bill introduced by Congressman Multer to abolish
the rank of detective in the Metropolitan Police Force, and to promote
persons in such rank to the rank of detective sergeant.
At a regular meeting of the Policemen's Association of the District
of Columbia, the Legislative Committee was directed to petition the
Congress for legislation as set forth in the title of H.R. 13203. The
reason for this bill is that as a result of the reorganization of the
Metropolitan Police Force, as recommended in a report by the Inter-
national Association of Chiefs of Police, it was recommended that
certain ranks be phased out. The rank of detective is to be phased
out.
PAGENO="0111"
115
The elimination of the rank of detective and promotion of those in
that rank to the rank of detective sergeant does not set a precedent.
I call to the Committee's attention Public Law 87-882, approved
October 24, 1962, wherein the rank of corporal was abolished and
those in the rank of corporal were made sergeants. In the same law
the rank of precinct detective was abolished and all those in the rank
of detective and precinct detective were combined.
Those detectives being redesignated as detective sergeants would
not be eligible to take an examination for promotion to lieutenant as
they must serve two years in grade before being eligible to take the
promotional examination for lieutenant. A promotional exam was held
in October this year, therefore, it would be four years before they
would be in competition with the present detective sergeants for pro-.
motion to lieutenant, or the uniform sergeant, as the case may be.
I am informed that the estimated cost of this bill would be approx-
imately $72,000 under the present pay scale.
We respectfully urge that the committee report favorably on 1E[.R.
13203.
We feel that the upgrading of these men would do much to retain
experienced policemen on the force.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee for the
privilege of appearing here today and expressing the views of the
Policemen's Association of the District of Columbia.
I would like to add, Mr. Chairman, that as it now stands in the pro-
motional system, the men in the Criminal Investigation Division have
to take four promotions to reach the rank of captain, whereas in the
uniform set-up they only take three examinations to reach captain.
All of these men that sat here and testified today were under my com-
mand no later than last year. I know them to all be dedicated police-
men. Their desire is to remain in. plainclothes. Whether our Depart-
ment yields to the total reorganization as it was suggested is a question
yet to be determined.
It is my humble opinion that we will always need, and there will
always be a need for plainclothesmen, detectives in the Police
Department. One only has to look to the crime clearance of last month
in robberies alone, which were a pitiful 16 percent. One can understand
that this is demoralizing and it is certainly a morale killer for a man
who has put many years in plainclothes, when he could have gone the
other route, to all of a sudden find himself on the same basis with a
new private to take an examination for promotion. Therefore, I
strongly urge you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, to
vote this bill out favorably.
Thank you very much.
Mr. MULTER. Did your Association take any action on this matter?
Mr. SULLIVAN. Yes, we did. We listened to the members from the
Detective Division who came to the Association. We also had meetings
with the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police stated that he would
allow the two examinations that had been previously testified to, one
this year and one in 1969, that he would make no less than 80 this
year and 70 two years hence.
This is well and good enough, but if we go into the reorganization of
the Police Department where it says that within five years we will
accomplish this phasing out of 35 or 34 detective sergeants, whatever
the number may be, I do not see how it could be possible to say these
men would have a fair chance in promotion under the detective set-up.
PAGENO="0112"
116
I am just convinced we are going to continue to have need of a de-
tective bureau because in my humble opinion it is a must if we are
going to ever alleviate this ever-increasing crime rate in the District of
Columbia, because when we start destroying the precincts, as recom-
mended in some of this report, and we start turning the criminal in-
vestigation over to uniformed men who have many other assignments,
it is quite obvious it is not going to work. And someone, in my opinion,
is dreaming
We are going to need a Detective Bureau, Mr Chairman, and w e are
going to need a larger Detective Bureau than we have and we need a
competent Detective Bureau, we need one where the morale is
boosted to its highest so they can perform a function and make the
city streets safe for the citizens of the District of Columbia.
I certainly urge you as strongly as I can to pass this bifi.
Mr. MULTER. My question about the Association was intended to
ask whether or not there had been a meeting of the members approving
your stand.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Yes. We had a meeting with the Association, and
the Association supported H.R. 13203 at one of our regular meetings.
There were other meetings, Mr. Chairman, in which we tried to put
this bill on to the pay bill that is pending, thinking it would be the
best way to expedite it, but the vote of the Association was it would
be two separate bills.
There was a question asked as to how we will pay for this four or
500, whatever it is a man. We are understaffed approximately 370 men.
So you have vacancies for 370 men we have not been able to fill. So
there is a little place you can pick up the extra dollars to promote
these men without any violation of the spending of the money as
appropriated by Congress as we spend it for the tax days, as we call
them, which is for overtime days the men are working today.
So it is not a real hard problem to find the money. The question is,
we want this morale of our investigators kept up, we want our Detec-
tive Bureau to stay intact with whatever is reasonable under the
Chief's direction. But, better than that, we want to retain these very
fine men we have in the Detective Division and if we do not do this
when they get their time they are going to immediately leave the
Police Department and look for other jobs.
Mr. MULTER. Am I right in saying previously, when a man joined
the force and then decided he would. like to be a detective or inves-
tigator in plainclothes, call it what you will, this was a matter of his
choice but he could not be so assigned unless he was appointed?
Mr. SULLIVAN. It is not a matter of his choice today.
Mr. MULTER. Previously, a uniform officer could not be compelled
to be a detective or investigator; it was up to him to accept it or not?
Mr. SULLIVAN. That is correct.
Mr. MULTER. Now the concept is being changed as far as a sergeant
is concerned. The detective or investigator in plainclothes is going to
take the sergeant's exam and oncehe passes that and qualifies, he will
then have to take the appointment that is given to him either in
uniform or in plainclothes.
Mr. SULLIVAN. He has no choice.
Mr. MULTER. Thank you.
Are there any questions?
PAGENO="0113"
117
rrhank you very much.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. MULTER. Our next witness is Deputy Chief Wilson.
STATEMENT OF ~1ERRY V. WILSON, DEPUTY CHIEF, METROPOLI-
TAN POLICE DEPARTMENT, ACCOMPANIED BY THOMAS E.
MOYER, ASSISTANT CORPORATION COUNSEL
Deputy Chief WILsoN. Mr. Moyer is of course representing the
Commissioners, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. MOYER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to present the Commis-
sioners' view and Deputy Wilson will be available.
Mr. MULTER. Identify yourself for the record.
Mr. Momn. Mr. Chairman, my name is Thomas F. Moyer. I am
Assistant Corporation Counsel and I am here to present the view of
the District of Columbia Government on this bill.
Mr. MTJLTER. And the gentleman with you is?
Deputy Chief WILsON. Deputy Chief Jerry V. Wilson, Director of
Planning and Development for the Metropolitan Police Department,
representing Chief Layton.
Mr. MULTER. We have placed in the record at our opening, the
letter from Mayor Washington, dated November 8, 1967, addressed to
Chairman MoMillan. You may add anything you please, sir.
Mr. MOYER. I would like to quote briefly from the letter in order to
bring out the view of the District Government on this bill.
Commissioner Washington states:
I believe H.R. 13203 to be unnecessary and without apparent justification since
from a sound administration standpoint, there is no basis through the legislative
process to automatically promote to the rank of detective sergeant all of the
detectives in the Metropolitan Police Force, 138 in number.
The `President's Commission on Crime has endorsed the recommendation of
the International Association of Chiefs of Police that the supervisor ranks in the
Criminal Investigations Division should be reduced rather than increased, as
would result from the enactment of HR. 13203. In order that the objective
expressed in the report of the Association may be accomplished in an orderly
manner, the Chief of Police has adopted the following policy-
And then the next page sets out the policy which the Chief has
adopted as was discussed by the detectives here, taking detective
sergeant examinations over a period of time.
Then the Commissioner finishes with:
The passage of this proposed legislation would further compound the present
imbalance of superior-subordinate ratio in the Criminal Investigation Division.
I therefore strongly recommend against enactment of HR. 13203.
Then the Commissioner states he has been advised by the Bureau
of the Budget that from the standpoint of the Administration program
there is no objection to the submission of this report.
Basically, that is the District Government's position on the bill.
Mr. MULTER. As long as it expresses the District Government's
position, that is the desire of the Chief of the Police Department, is
it not?
Deputy Chief WILSON. That is correct. If you like, I can explain
some the background of this.
As was noted earlier, the bill is essentially an outgrowth of findings
and recommendations of the International Association of Chiefs of
Police. The ICP in their findings and recommendations regarding the
8S-574--GS---9
PAGENO="0114"
118
Department, found that there is a disproportionately higher ratio of
detective sergeants to subordinate ranks in the ranks of the Depart-
ment. They found a ratio of one to three, which is an extremely high
ratio. They found further there was no substantial justification in
terms of work performed, and this was pointed out here, or in terms of
qualifications required for the higher pay that is given to detective
sergeants over uniform sergeants or that is given for detective over
patrolmen.
They recommended essentially that the Department eliminate the
straight detective branch, specifically the detective rank of captain,
and that the individuals who are currently in the grade of detective
be continued in that grade for a period of five years, and that there-
after they be reduced to the grade of patrolmen unless they have
achieved the higher education requirements which would qualify
them for additional compensation also recommended by the TOP for
educational advance.
Chief Layton, as he reviewed this recommendation, and as he said
many times, is in favor of most of the recommendations of the TOP
but not all, and this is one with which he did not agree. He agrees with
the ultimate goal of the ICP, but from the standpoint of the practical-
ity, he did not see it as practical to reduce people who have long
years of service and who have achieved upper ranks and grades under
departmental policies, and he saw no fairness basically in reducing
these people arbitrarily or even after a period of five years. So he
adopted a policy that he would continue those individuals in the rank
of detective sergeant so long as they are with the Department until
they are either promoted or have retired, and that he would continue
those people who are in the grade of detective until they are promoted
to a higher rank or have retired.
We did have meetings first with the Counsel of the Policemen's
Association, who represented to the Chief that this was causing some
dissatisfaction among detective personnel and we then advised him
of the policy, and had this Aprilmeeting referred to earlier with the
detectives to get down to the crux of what their complaint was.
The thing we found as the predominant view was that they felt
they had entered the detective grade, and all of them, not all but
most of them had taken the exam and had achieved the grade of de-
tective through examination, and at least many of them expressed
the view they did not want to become uniform sergeants. They felt
they should be permitted to continue as detective sergeants since they
had entered a system which did at least impose one additional exami-
nation over the uniform route and they did not feel it was fair to
require them to convert at this late date to the uniform route.
So in response to this complaint, the Chief agreed that we would
continue the grade of detective, and this is pointed out in the Com-
missioners' recommendation, and it was published to the force in a
memorandum of June 26 that he would continue those people who are
detective sergeants as detective sergeants until that rank is eliminated
through attrition, but further, that he would continue for this exami-.
nation which was just held and for the examination which will be held
in 1969 to hold an examination for detective sergeant, which those
personnel in the grade of detective could apply for, and would continue
to make promotion to the grade of detective sergeant as vacancies
occurred in that grade.
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119
And we have tried to encourage detective sergeants to convert to
uniform positions where they are willing. He took the position he would
not force them to convert but that those who have been willing could
convert, to uniform assignments. I think we now have something on
the order of six who converted to uniform assignments, but any who
had remained in detective sergeant grade would be replaced by per-
sonnel selected from the detective sergeants registers established
through this examination and the 1969 examination, and this is a
detective sergeant examination that can only be taken by personnel
in the grade of detective, that he would continue this through the
1969 exam which would continue the register through 1971 and there-
after, he would continue people in the grade of detective sergeant and
in the grade of detective in their respective grades until the grades
have been eliminated through attrition.
The policy with regard to new investigative personnel is that they
will be assigned to plainclothes grades and to a plainclothes compen-
sation and will have to compete for a uniform sergeant rank if they
want to be promoted further. This would not apply, however, to the
detectives.
I would interject that in the examination held last month 56 of
these personnel in the grade of detective applied for examination for
detective sergeant, 26 applied for examination to uniform sergeant,
and the remainder did not apply for examination.
In summary then, the Department's position is that we will con-
tinue the grades of detective sergeant and detective until they are
eliminated through attrition, that those individuals in the grade of
detective are now being amply compensated for the work they per-
form and for the past promotional examination achievements, and
H.R. 13203 is therefore unnecessary and would in essence give the
detectives, a salary increase for which there is no substantial
justification.
Aside from that, I would like to comment on a few points that were
made in Mr. Murphy's statement because they did seem to get the
committee's attention. The meeting held in April was held essentially
at the request of the detectives who wanted an explanation of what
was going to happen to them. The meeting was conducted by Deputy
Chief Hartnett, who is Chief of Detectives, myself and Mr. Murphy.
Mr. Murphy's function there-and I thought this was absolutely
explained-was to explain to the detectives the viewpoint by which
the ICP had arrived at its recommendations. Beyond this it was my
purpose there to explain to the detectives the policy of the Chief of
PolIce. I do not recall this statement attributed to Mr. Murphy. I am
not going to deny it was said because I do not know. I was present
during the entire thing.
I will point out the session lasted for about three hours. They were
not lecture sessions, but were interchange sessions, discussion sessions.
So whatever he said in this regard is not a policy of the Chief that
anyone is going to be taken before the Trial Board for arguing against
these policies. I do not recall the statement.
Anyhow, if he said individuals who do not produce work may be
taken to the Trial Board, this is true, but beyond that I am not going
to defend it except to say I want you to understand the way in the
context of three-hour discussion sessions, with three people, with some
50 people who were opposed to our position.
PAGENO="0116"
120
Mr. MULTER. Chief Layton and you both agree there should be no
reprisals taken against any of these men because they differ with your
views or what you are doing in the reorganization?
Deputy Chief WILsoN. No, sir. It is certainly not with respect to
the point before this committee.
If they disagree with reorganization, this is something else. But in
terms of this, no, sir. There certainly will be no reprisals from the De-
partment because they have made representations of their positions to
the committee.
Mr. WINN. Were you at the meeting?
Deputy Chief WILsoN. Yes, sir.
Mr. WINN. Do you not represent the police?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir; I do. I was the representative of
the Chief of Police at that meeting.
Mr. MULTER. The meeting was called by the Chief?
Deputy Chief WILSON. The meeting was called at the direction of
the Chief. There were two sessions because the detectives worked
separate shifts, two sessions in one day, and at the sessions were the
Chief of Detectives, myself representing the Chief, Mr. Murphy who
was there for the purpose of explaining ICP rationale for their recom-
mendations, not as a direct representative of the Chief.
Beyond that, as I say, I do not recall the statement attributed to
him, but I am not in a position to deny it because they were three-hour
sessions ~nd a great deal of discussion was off-the-cuff, so I am not in
position to defend what he may or may not have said.
I think this is basically the point. The citation of the statute that
was put into the record regarding detectives being sergeants is a
citation which refers to the grade of detective sergeant, not to all
detectives exclusively.
There is a long history of the way in which various detective ranks
were established and I will be glad to put it in, but I do not think it is
necessary.
Mr. MULTER. Before we leave that point, I have no reason to doubt
the law is exactly as read to us. If that is so, how can you by reor-
ganization of the Department violate that statute?
Is it not necessary that you come to the Congress and get that law
changed before you can by a reorganization plan give up or change
that position?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Positively. That statute which was read
pertains to the existing grade of detective sergeant which we will have
to change in the Police and Firemen's Salary Act in order to eventually
eliminate it. We do not propose to eliminate it so long as the present
incumbents or those detectives who achieve that grade remain with the
Department. It is true we will eventually need to have that law
changed
Mr. MULTER. Does that finish your statement, sir?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. Is it not true when these men joined the force, these
138 men, and then accepted the assignment of detective, they at that
time had the right to believe that they could continue in the Police
Department and gradually move on up the ladder of promotion, re-
maining in the detective force rather than the uniform force?
Deputy Chief WILSON. That is correct, that is the reason for the
Chief's policy of continuing the detective-sergeant examination for
two more times.
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121
Mr. MULTER. Why do you limit it? Why do you say it will go on
only for two years, they will never have an opportunity again to
continue in the plainclothes division of the Department; thereafter,
if they participate in examinations for sergeants of police, they must
then give up the right to remain in plainclothes.
Deputy Chief WILsoN. It would continue for four years and after
that.
Mr. MULTER. Whether four or ten years, what right have you now
to say to these men, whether it be four or five years or any other time,
after that expiration of time you will have to give up your right to
remain in the plainclothes division of the Department, investigative
or detective of whatever you please, thereafter you will take a com-
petitive examination and if you pass it you are going to have to take
our assignment either in uniform or otherwise?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir; this is so.
Mr. MIJLTER. What right do you have to make that change?
Deputy Chief WILsoN. The purpose of selecting four years is that
we assume that within four years the grade will be largely eliminated
through attrition. We do not know this and of course continuation
beyond that is subject to further discussion when we see what has
happened in the ensuing four years.
Mr. MULTER. What do you think will happen at the end of four
years. How many of these 138 men in the force of detectives will still
be on the force four years from now?
Deputy Chief WILSON. I would expect four years from now, Mr.
Chairman, that most of them will either have achieved the grade of
detective sergeant or of sergeant for four years have expired. Half of
them approximately have elected to compete for uniform sergeant and
are very likely to be promoted if they qualified on the example an4
the other half I expect have a very good opportunity of being pro-
moted, assuming they pass the exam.
Mr. MULTER. If that is so, why do you need the limitation? If only
five or ten are left, why take the opportunity from them to remain
in the detective or investigative division and competing in the examina-
tion? Why, whether it be 5, 10 or 15 men remaining four years from
now, still just detectives, why should you take away from them the
right to compete for the position of sergeant but remaining in the
plainclothes division?
Deputy Chief WILSON. This was~ a decision which the Chief made,
Mr. Chairman, on the assurnptiou that most of them or all of them
will be gone within four years. If they are not I will think we will
examine the position again. We do not want to announce, as it were,
we were going to continue the position indefinitely.
Mr. MIJLTER. I have discussed this at length with Chief Layton off
the record, and I respect him as a very valuable and valiant Chief of
Police, and with all due deference to him, 1 say this most respectfully,
I understand his views but I disagree with him in this particular case.
As a legislator I am compelled to say I think it is unjust and unfair to
these men to do what you are doing here. As a lawyer I think what
you are trying to do here is illegal.
I do not think you have or he has any right to say to these men,
who in effect had a contract when they entered the service that they
can remain in the Detective Investigative Plainclothes Division of
the Department and move up the ladder, that now you are taking
PAGENO="0118"
122
this away from them. I do not think you have any right to do that. I
do not think you should do it as a matter of good public relations or as
a matter of morale in the Department.
As to future men coming in, make any regulations the Department
thinks is going to be fair to the men, but as to those already m the
service, I think you are duty-bound to continue to give them the
rights that were theirs when they entered the service, rather than now
changing the rules in the middle of the game. I do not think it is fair
to these fellows, whether there are going to be five or only one left
four years from now. I do not think that limitation should be placed
on this. That~ is my personal view. I have not discussed it with the
other members of the committee.
Mr. WINN. Getting a little further on this, you said you thought
there would be this attrition and phasing out based on the number of
detectives that took the two types of examinations and some that did
not take either one who probably do not know what they want to do
Deputy Chief WII~oN. Yes.
Mr. WINN. I can't figure out yet how ~ou are going to be able, if
58 men took the examination say and 40 of them passed the examina-
tion, to then gO on their other merits to fill 34 positions.
Deputy Chief WILsoN. You are referring to the 34. We do not
propose to reduce the number to 34, Mr. Winn. The 34 recommended
by the TOP. We do not propose to reduce the numbers of detective
sergeants to 34 at this point. We have pointed this out in the memo-
randum to the force
Mr WINN We have been led to believe there were 91 or 92 men
trying for 34 spots Am I wrong on that?
Deputy Chief WILSON. The point that was being conveyed errone-
ously was there are some 91 detective sergeants now The TOP has
recommended there be only 34 sergeants in the CriminalTnvestigation
Division. The Chief of Police has not adopted this recommendation of
the TCP.
Mr. WINN. Have these men been told that?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. WINN. There are more spots than the 34?
Deputy Chief WILSON This was issued m the memorandum of
June 26 which was issued to the Department I believe it is also
reflected in the letter of Mr. Washington. The memorandum pomted
out:
The promotees will be selected from the detective sergeant register to fill
vacancies which occur because of promotion or separation of incumbent detective
sergeants who have not elected to convert to uniform sergeant duty.
We have only five who have elected to convert and see no likelihood
a large number are going to elect to convert.
We did have a meetmg with the Policemen's Association which
Mr. Sullivan referred to, asking that we negotiate a minimum of
detective sergeants, which the Chief was willing to do. We have not
had a further meeting to define the precise number, but he has assured
them there will continue to be made promotions to the grade of
detective sergeant, that he is not going to reduce to the number of 34
recommended by TOP at this point.
Mr. WINN. So if these 56 men pass the test and meet the require-
ments, they could all be detective sergeants?
PAGENO="0119"
123
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir. In the normal course of events,
approximately 20 detective sergeants are made from each two-year
register. It is the normal course of events. It is not 100 percent.
Mr. WINN. I understand that.
What do you do with the rest of them?
Deputy Chief WILSoN. The rest would have to compete on the 1969
examination which would continue for another two years.
Mr. WINN. They would have another chance later on?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Through 1971 they would have a chance,
yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. Mr. Dowdy?
Mr. DOWDY. If I understand correctly, 58 detectives took the
examination to compete for detective sergeant, 56.
Deputy Chief WILSON. 56.
Mr. DOWDY. And in a two-year period you would expect 40 of them
to become detective sergeants?
Deputy Chief WILSoN. I would expect 20 in the normal course in
a two-year period.
Mr. DOWDY. You have 91 detective sergeants now. Did I under-
stand you to say any of those that converted to uniform sergeants that
would eliminate one, you would not refill that?
Deputy Chief WILSON. We would refill that with the uniform
sergeant.
Mr. DOWDY. So that would be less than 91?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. DOWDY. If one of the 91 is promoted to-what is the next step?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Lieutenant.
Mr. DOWDY. Would that leave a vacancy?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. DOWDY. Then one of these detectives could come in and fill
that, or if one retired or died?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. DOWDY. Detectives are what you call those on your robbery
squad and homicide squad and what other squads?
Deputy Chief WILSoN. The auto squad, the pawn squad, all of the
detectives in the Criminal Investigation Division squads at the De-
partment, as do the precincts. We still have general assignment detec-
tives working from under the Criminal Division but who are assigned
essentially to precinct work, and all of them have a mixture of detective
sergeants, detective and plainclothesmen with compensation and plain-
clothesmen without compensation.
Mr. DOWDY. Do I understand-I have not studied the proposal for
reorganization as well as I should to intelligently ask questions. Is it
the intention to do away with plainclothes services?
Deputy Chief WILSoN. No, sir. The recommendation for the re-
organization was to eliminate the four grades as it is of detectives-
detective sergeants, detectives, plainclothesmen with compensation
and plainclothesmen without compensation, or who have a position
designated investigation or who do all of this investigative work and
who would receive a clothing allowance rather than a promotion in
rank or grade.
This is the proposal of the ICP because we are confined to what
the current status provides, and because of the other practicalities of
the situation, Chief Layton has adopted the position of continuing
PAGENO="0120"
124
the detective sergeant or detectives so long as there are present incum-
bents with us and to use the grade of plainclothesmen with compensa-
tion for the basic investigative function.
Above the basic investigator the TOP proposed that sergeant be
used and there be no distinction between uniform and detective ser-
geants, but the sergeants be assigned as supervisors of investigators.
Mr. DOWDY. The assigned sergeant would be a uniform man?
Deputy Chief WILSON. He might or might not be. He could very
well be, and I would anticipate because this is what happens with most
specialties-ordinarily, for example, in traffic most of the traffic
division sergeants are men who were privates in traffic division and
most of the sergeants in criminal investigations would certainly be
men who had been investigators. It naturally follows that you use a
man in a specialty who has experience in that, although there is a
possibility of lateral movement.
Mr. DOWDY. I was disturbed a little while ago about whether you
were going to assign a man to be an investigator for a while and then
into something else for a while. It would seem to me that you would
want specialists in the field. An assignment to the robbery squad,
would it be permanent or temporary?
Deputy Chief WILSON. It is not necessarily permanent. The
detective squad often moves from one specialty into another. Exposure
to many various specialties sometimes.
Mr. DOWDY. That is all.
Mr. MULTER. What is the thinking behind the change of title from
detective to investigator?
Deputy Chief WILSON. This was a recommendation of the TOP,
and frankly, I am not certain what their particular reason was and
I am not certain that the Police Department especially likes it. I think
we will cooperate with the plainclothesmen titlewise in the statute at
the present time. It is a different title. I suspect their thinking was it
differentiates between what we have now and what they were pro-
posing we would have.
Mr. MIJLTER. As a career officer in the Police Department, do you
not think, that the word "detective" carries with it a lot more meaning
and distinction than the word "investigator"?
Are you not downgrading the detective in changing the title to
investigator?
Deputy Chief WILSON. I would have to agree with that, Mr. Chair-
man. I want to make clear we do not propose to change the title. I
would have to say that my personal preference is for the title of
detective over that of investigator.
Mr. MULTER. What is the thinking behind the compulsion of a
detective to make an irrevocable choice as to whether or not he is
going to be a uniform sergeant or a detective sergeant?
Deputy Chief WILSoN. In order to establish registers from the
examination, we have to let him make a choice.
Mr. MULTER. Why make it irrevocable? Why can he not change his
mind a year hence and say "I made a mistake. I would rather be a
detective sergeant than a uniform sergeant"?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Because then we would not have any
reasonable method of converting him over to the registers. What
would very likely happen is that he would elect one or the other and
then as he saw more rapid movement in one of the promotion systems
PAGENO="0121"
125
than the other, he might want to convert. This would nake it very
impractical to administer in terms of fairness to everyone else having
registered.
Mr. MTJLTER. Unless I misunderstood the witnesses thus far, there
is no difference between the function of a uniform sergeant and a
detective sergeant.
Deputy Chief WILsON. That is correct.
Mr. MTJLTER. Then why not have one register and let the man have
the choice? Instead of saying you take this examination under the
title of uniform sergeant or under the title of detective sergeant, and
that is it, why not give one examination for all the men, and let them
have the choice?
Deputy Chief WILSON. We proposed initially to have the one ex-
amination, but many of the detectives objected on the ground that
they wanted to be able to compete for further promotion and be as-
sured that they would remain in the detective field. This was the
purpose of having a separation of the registers so that a detective-
and many of them I suspect and in fact it is indicated, many of them
apparently at least are willing to move into the uniform field. But the
addition of a register for detective sergeant this time and the next
time was to accommodate the detectives who indicated they wanted
to be able to compete for promotion without having to move into the
uniform field.
Mr. MTJLTER. One other question along the same line.
As I understand, you are now going to abolish the detective sergeant
and uniform sergeant, and under your reorganization plan all you are
going to have is sergeant of police. Is that right?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Eventually, after the incumbent detectives
are gone.
Mr. MULTER. Then you will just have a sergeant of police?
Deputy Chief WILSON. After the detective sergeant incumbents
have all left us through attrition.
Mr. MULTER. Do you not think that your recruitment program
would move along more successfully and you would get more men if
you give them a choice, if they would know when they join the force
they can go into the detective division of the Department and stay
in that until they have reached the top, rather than be submitted to
the choice of their superior officers as to whether they will be in uniform
or not?
Deputy Chief WILSON. We do not permit them, you understand, to
come into the force making this choice. I suppose there are a number of
individuals we could attract if we would guarantee them we would
leave them in the detective field, but this is not a highly practical
method of getting men because the men we need are really those in
the uniform branch. We do not have any shortage of men now who are
willing to move into plainclothes, but we do have a shortage, a great
shortage, of men in the uniform branch.
Mr. MULTER. The figures you referred to as being in the detective
sergeant rank are not reflected at all in Mr. Washington's letter of
November 8.
I suggest you give us that directive and let us make it a part of the
record.
Deputy Chief WILSON, The number of men taking the examination?
PAGENO="0122"
126
Mr. `MULTER. The number of men in this category. You stated
what you were going to do with the 34 figure that has not yet been
determined on. That is the July 26 memorandum.
Deputy Chief WILSON. I will submit it for the record.
(The information follows:)
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT,
June ~6, 1967.
MEMORANDUM
Subject: Action by the Chief of Police on recommendation relative to detective
promotion of the Ad Hoc Committee Established to Review the Promotional
Procedures of the Metropolitan Police Department.
To the Force:
In a memorandum dated February 13, 1967, this department published for
information of members of the force the major recommendations of the ad hoc
committee which was established by the Chief of Police for the purpose of making
a complete study and review of the promotional procedures of the Metropolitan
Police Department. The primary purpose of that publication was to apprise those
officers and members of the department whom the recommendations would affect
of the proposed changes before establishing a final policy on adoption or rejection
of major proposed changes.
Since the publication of that memorandum, the most consistently voiced com-
plaint has been against the recommendation "That separate promotional examina-
tions for detective ranks be eliminated." The strongest complaints in this respect
have been voiced by personnel currently in the grade of detective who strenuously
object to being required to compete for promotion to sergeant from the uniform
sergeant register. These objections have persisted despite the fact that 176 addi-
tional uniform sergeant positions have been requested and are likely to be approved
in the 1968 budget for promotions to be made from the register going into effect
in 1968 and that, therefore, logical estimates indicate that all eligibles on that.
register stand an excellent chance of being promoted.
In order to insure that personnel in the grade of detective were aware of the
increased promotional opportunities in the uniform rank, to explain to them the
policies of the department regarding promotional opportunities for personnel in
that grade, as well as to obtain the basic reasoning behind their objections to the
proposed promotional plan, on April 21, 1967, officials of the department con-
ducted discussion sessions with all personnel then in the grade of detective to
explain the policies of the department relating to promotions for those personnel.
During those sessions, it became obvious that the personnel in the grade of
detective held two strong, somewhat contradictory views regarding the proposed
promotional plan. On the one hand, a few of the detectives argued that, for
various reasons, all personnel presently in the grade of detective should be auto-
matically promoted to the rank of unifOrm sergeant. On the other hand, the pro-
dominately expressed view was that personnel currently in the grade of ~detective
do not really want to be uniform sergeants at all, that this is the reason they,
chose the detective promotion system (with its extra promotional examination)
in the first place, and they they should be permitted to continue to compete
within a separate detective system for promotion to the rank of detective sergeant.
Upon consideration of the various comments of. the detectives, as reported to
~ne, it seemed that there is significant merit in the position of those personnel
that, because they had entered the detective promotion system (with its extra
examination) in the belief that this action would permit them to compete for
promotion to detective sergeant rather than to uniform sergeant, the department
has an implied obligation to make a reasonable effoTt to make it possible for
them to continue towards achievement of their stated goal of being able to con-
tinue as investigators even after promotion to the rank of sergeant. For this
reason, I directed the Ad Hoc Committee on Promotional Procedures to restudy
the proposal for elimination of separate promotional examinations for detective
ranks, taking into consideration the views expressed at the discussion sessions,
and to submit an alternative proposal. As a result of the committee recommenda-
tions, I have adopted the following policies relating to promotions to and from
the grade of detective:
PAGENO="0123"
127
1. Members of the department who hold the grade of detective on the
closing day for filing for the 1967 promotional examination, may file for
"Detective to Detective Sergeant" or for "Detective to Uniform Sergeant."
2. Once the detective files his application, his decision is irrevocable.
3. There will be one written examination for promotion to sergeant, which
will include material applicable to investigative procedures as well as to
supervisory techniques.
4. After the examination has been graded and the necessary adjustments
have been made in the test scores to secure the desired number of eligibles,
separate registers will be established for uniform sergeant and for detective
sergeant.
5. The detective sergeant register will consist of those detectives who file
application for promotion to detective sergeant and who qualify on the
written examination. Separate adjustments in the test scores will not be made.
6. Promotees will be selected from the detective sergeant register to fill
vacancies which occur because of promotion or separation of incumbent
detective sergeants who have not elected to convert to uniform sergeant duty.
7. The same procedure as above will be followed for the 1969 promotional
examination.
8. After the register established from the 1969 examination for promotion
to Detective Sergeant has expired, this procedure will terminate and there
will be no further promotions to the grade of Detective Sergeant.
9. No further promotions to the grade of Detective will be made after the
current register expires.
JOHN B. LAYTON,
Chief of Police.
Index Subjects:
Detective promotions, policies re
Examinations, promotional, policy re detectives
Promotional examinations, policy rc detectives
Mr. WINN. I would like to ask one more question.
From my understanding earlier in the hearings the duties, according
to your manual, of the detective sergeant and the regular or plain-
clothes detective are spelled out exactly the same. Is this true that
there is no differential?
Deputy Chief WILSON. This is substantially correct. The manual of
our Department was written in 1948, the Department submitted a
revision in 1957 to the Corporation Counsel which has never been
fully approved. So our manual is in many respects out of date. But in
terms of realities, it is correct that the duties of the detective sergeant
and the detective and plainclothesman do not substantially differ.
Mr. WINN. The only difference in reality then is the pay; is that
right?
Deputy Chief WILsoN It is pay, that is correct, with some minor
exceptions
Mr WINN My suggestion would be maybe you ought to update
the manual while you are reorganizing everything else.
Deputy Chief WILsoN. We are seeking to do that.
Mr. MULTER. Is there a way we can give these men the right to
move up the ladder in the service as far as title is concerned without
giving them any immediate increase in compensation and let them earn
that in accordance with the longevity rules that prevail in connection
with pay?
In other words, as I understand the bill as we now have it, if we
pass this it will cost about $72,000 a year for increases in pay that
will become effective on the date this law becomes effective, and these
detectives become detective sergeants.
Is there a way of handling this so that we preserve their right to
increase of pay in accordance with the annual increments, and so forth,
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and that seniority may call for, but give them the title without the
increased pay? In other words, without mandating an increase in pay?
Mr. MOYER. You mean the title of detective they now have or
detective sergeant?
Mr. MULTER. Assuming we pass H.R. 13203, moving these men to
detective sergeant without giving them the increased pay that is
apparently mandated by the bill; can we do that?
Deputy Chief WILSON. If you change the title by statute. Right
off-hand, I am not certain how it would affect their possibilities for
future promotion. This would mean to be promoted they would stifi
compete for lieutenant. It is certainly possible I suppose to amend the
existing statute to call people in the grade of detective sergeant class 2
or class 3.
Mr. MULTER. Is that not what was done when they promoted the
corporals to sergeants?
Deputy Chief WILSON. In that case there was a: general adjustment.
Mr. Chairman, they were actually promoted to the grade of sergeant.
Mr. MULTER. With pay increases?
Deputy Chief WILSON. With the pay increase. It was involved in a
total pay change at the time. So I am not certain whether they got a
substantial increase over what they would have gotten otherwise
anyhow. My recollection is generally they did not. They got about the
same increase they would have gotten as corporals.
Mr. MULTER. Would the District Government or the Police De-
partment object to the bill being passed if it did not cariy with it the
mandate of increased pay and provided merely for the change of title?
Mr. MOYER. So these detectives would have the same title as the
existing detective sergeants?
Mr. MULTER. Yes.
Mr. MOYER. Mr. Chairman, would there by any differentiation
between these detectives and the existing detective sergeants other
than the pay that they would have other than the pay, that they
would have one designation and the other detective sergeant another
such as class 1 or class 2?
Mr. MULTER. I assume the designation would be the same, there
would be one class of detective sergeant. I do not think you would
want to create another class of detective sergeant.
Deputy Chief WILSON. There are difficulties in that because the
grades are not the same. The increase for most of them is $455. There
are five or six who would get $700 some-odd, but most would get $455
in the bill. But to place them in the existing class of detective sergeant,
since there are differentiations between the two rates, I am not certain
how you could do it. There are only seven specific steps within the
grade of detective sergeant in which a person can be placed. I think
to place a detective into that you either have to give him a decrease
or an increase.
Mr. MULTER. Look at page 2, of the bill. Is there any difference in
pay in detective salary class 3, step 9 and detective sergeant salary
class 4 in step 8, or any one of those steps? In other words, the highest
step in salary class 3 is higher than any steps of detective sergeant in
class 4.
Deputy Chief WILSON. Step 3 of a detective, ~\lr. Chairman, is
lower than any of the steps of the detective sergeant, but to move to
detective service step 4 of detective is $9,710 per annum, and so
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with service step 4 you would either have to place him as a detective
sergeant. in service step 2, which is $9,852, which would be a slight
increase, or place him in service step 1 which is. $9,480 and would be a
decrease. As it is now as the bill is written, it would place him in
service step 3 at $10,165.
Mr. MTJLTER. Can we revise that scale between lines 4 and 5 on
page 2 so as to make these men detective sergeants, take them from
one service step of detective and placing them in salary class 4 at
approximately the same salary scale?
Deputy Chief WILsoN. Yes, sir; if you place service step 3, for
example, of detective into service step 1 of detective sergeant, that
would be an increase of only $115, for example, as compare to the bill,
which would give $455. I suspect the same would apply if you reduce
detective step 4 into detective sergeant, step 2. This would only be
$115. So it would be possible.
Mr. MULTER. Will you submit to us a new scale which would show
the approximate equivalent with dollars and cents set forth?
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. MTJLTER. And also submit to us both the views of the Depart-
ment and the District government as to whether or not you can go
along with this bill is we do that.
Deputy Chief WILSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. Making only the change in title and so we do not
make any substantial increase of salary, keeping it as close to the pres-
ent salary as possible, and let them continue to earn their increments as
time goes on.
Deputy Chief WILSON. I will submit that, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. DOWDY. In connection with that, you might let us know how
many detectives you have in steps 1 and 2. I believe those are the two
steps that may give us trouble.
Deputy Chief WILsoN. There are very few in step 1 and step 2. I
will give you the population of each step.
Mr. DOWDY. I have one other question. Is the main purpose of this
bill to make detectives eligible to take the examination for lieutenant?
Is that the niain purpose of this bill?
Mr. MULTER. No. The main purpose of the bill is to continue these
men in their right to become detective sergeants and to at least, as I
see it, also eliminate the requirement that they give up their choice
between remaining as a detective and being switched to uniforms.
In other words, under the reorganization plan, as I understand it,
it would be at the discretion of the Chief of Police or his deputy in
charge of personnel, whoever it may be, as to whether these men,
once they become sergeants of police, would be assigned to uniform or
plainclothes.
Mr. DOWDY. It seems to me under this set-up that has been taken
care of for at least four years.
But the conirnent I made, this would be one effect, it would make
them eligible to take examinations for lieutenant.
Deputy Chief WILSoN. Yes, sir.
Mr. MOYER. I would like to point out one thing.
The problem of moving all the detectives up to the rank of detective
sergeant is that the force has a bigger problem in eventually reducing
the rank of detective sergeant to the number the International Asso-
ciation of Chiefs of Police and the present Crime Commission have
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recommended, that the rank of detective sergeant eventually be re-
ducèd to something like 34 men. If this large number of detectives is
promoted to the rank of detective sergeant, then of courseif the force
wants to phase out the detective sergeant rank, this will take a great
many more years than is now anticipated with the present number of
men in the detective sergeant grade.
Mr. MULTER. I might have misunderstood the Deputy Chief. I
thought there was no intention of following that recommendation of
phasing out to 34.
Deputy Chief WILSON. Not at this point, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. MULTER. And reducing the number of detective sergeants.
Deputy Sergeant WILSON. Only through the eventual process of
attrition.
Mr. MOYER. The point is with their large number of extra men,
attrition would be a lot longer.
Mr. WINN. You stifi have the possibility, though, that some of
these men might not want to go on to detective sergeant; they.might
still want to switch over to uniform sergeant?
De~p~ity Chief WILSON. Yes, sir. I suspect there are a number who
would.
Mr. MULTER. Once these men qualify by examination and appoint-
ment as sergeants of police, wifi they all then be entitled to take the
lieutenant examination?
Deputy Chief WILSoN. Yes, sir.
Mr. MULTER. That completes our hearing this morning.
Thank you very much.
We will stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair.
(Whereupon, at 12 o'clock noon, the subcommittee was recessed
subject to call of the Chair.)
FEDERATION OF CITIZENS ASSOCIATIONS
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Jan'uary 31, 1968.
Hon. JOHN L. MCMILLAN,
Congress of the united States,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR SIR: The Federation of Citizens Associations wishes to
reiterate its endorsement of the former Multer bifi (H.R. 13203)
and now H.R. 14809.
As you know, a recommendation from the President's Crime
Commission makes this bill necessary, and we feel this is no time to
experiment with, or phase out, any of the men of the Metropolitan
Police Department.
In this terror-stricken city, with its lawlessness and crime and
where the criminal is favored, lets not say to 130 dedicated detectives
who have spent 10 to 20 years in that specialized work, "You go back
to the end of the line and compete with the recruits." Rather, Mr.
Chairman, and members of the committee, we urge you, and re-
spectfully request that you approve H.R. 14809.
Sincerely,
LILLIAN P. HOWARD
Mrs. Ernest W. Howard,
Chairman, Police and Fire Committee,
Federation of Citizens Associations.
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