A New Arm of the Law
March 1930 Radio News Article

March 1930 Radio News [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

A New Arm of the Law

By Ralph L. Peters

Chief John B. MacDonald of the Tulare, California Police Department, enthusiastically endorses police use of radio. Chief Charles H. Kelley, who directs the activities of his Pasadena, California, policemen in their radio-equipped cars.

Commissioner William P. Rutledge, of the Detroit police, during 1929 visioned inter-city communication as one of the development of the next few years. To him goes much of the credit for the speed of radio's use by the police. He was one of the first police officials in the country to become interested in the possibilities of radio, and Detroit was one of the first points to experiment with the new weapon. Through years of poor results, he persisted in his faith in radio and was rewarded during 1928 and 1929 with the remarkable success of the Detroit system.

He then turned his attention to assisting other police departments in the use of radio, ever visioning the time when the police departments of the country would be linked together in one big network.

He expected to resign January 1st, after thirty-five years in police work. His successful application of radio to this work was undoubtedly the high point of his career.

Just as his earlier predictions concerning radio's uses by individual departments came true, so his predictions of the nation-wide network to combat the crook on all sides are coming nearer realization every day.

How a radio system came to be established in Indianapolis is a story in itself - a story of civic cooperation that would be difficult to surpass.

Police Chief Claude W. Morley, of Indianapolis, fellow police officers, members of the Board of Public Safety and of the Council had been advocating the use of radio by the police for some time. Nothing definite had been accomplished. Funds were not forthcoming.

Then the Associated Employers of Indianapolis, Inc., through its secretary, Andrew J. Allen, stepped into the picture. Mr. Allen called together representatives of thirty-three civic, business and trade associations and luncheon clubs, the radio editors of the Indianapolis News, Star and Times, the two local radio stations, WFBM and WKBF; representatives of the Indianapolis Power & Light Co. and the Indiana Bell Telephone Co. together with one company representative each from the radio wholesale trade and the radio retail merchandisers.

The group met at a complimentary dinner. The result of the meeting was the formation of the Citizens' Police Radio Commission, officially appointed by Mayor L. Ert Slack as a public enterprise empowered to raise police radio funds through public subscription.

This was early in the summer. On October 21st, the City Council passed an ordinance accepting the fund of approximately $12,000 which the Citizens' Police Radio Commission had raised as the result of its campaign. This amount was enough to establish the station and equip ten police cars with receiving sets. In addition to the actual money raised by public subscription, much equipment in the way of loud speaker arms, batteries, etc., was donated by various firms and individuals.

The entire cost of the campaign was borne by the Associated Employers as a contribution toward the establishment of the system. In addition the organization's secretary, Mr. Allen, acted as general chairman of the Citizens' Police Radio Commission.

There were two hundred and seventeen contributors to the fund at the time when it was turned over to the City. Of the total amount raised, $1,000 had been given from the Police and Firemen's Benefit Fund.

Highland Park, Michigan's fleet of radio-equipped police cars. Chief William I. Cross is standing at the extreme right.

In Berkeley, California, Chief August Vollmer has found it possible and advisable to completely motorize the police department. Consequently, when the department's radio station and radio receivers for the cars were complete and installed, it would mean every police officer in the city would. be subject to orders from headquarters by means of radio. The system had not been placed in operation at the time this article was written, but Officer V. A. Leonard, who is in charge of the radio work of the department, said it would be a matter of only a short time before it would be.

When Cincinnati became interested in the use of radio ambitious plans were made. Application was made for a license, and construction of the station was begun as soon as authority was granted. G. C. Smith, executive assistant to City Manager C. O. Sherrill, in outlining the plans, said it was the intention of the city to have about 150 police cars equipped with receiving sets, approximately 75 vehicles of the fire department, 34 fire houses and 12 police stations. The radio station and the police cars were expected to be in operation the first of the year.

Part of the transmitting equipment in the broadcasting room of the Indianapolis police station.

L. J. Forbes, chief of the Seattle, Washington, police, had the department's radio station and ten cars equipped with receiving sets in readiness to begin operation December 1st, and was awaiting the granting of a station license. Their plans call for the equipping of all of the department's twenty-five "prowler" cars.

Plans of Chief John R. MacDonald, of the Tulare Police Department, called for the department's station and six radio-equipped cars to be in operation by the first of January. Instead of using loud speakers as is the practice elsewhere, he plans to use headphones. A neon light on the dash of the cars will inform the crew when the radio station is on the air. A member of the crew will then plug into the receiver with his headphone and receive the order.

Chief MacDonald also plans to equip the California Highway Patrol cars operating north and south of Tulare on the main state highway with receiving set. Then, if criminals escape from the city, the patrol cars will be flashed the warning and be on the alert for the escaping car.

Construction work on the Beaumont, Texas, radio station and receiving sets for eight police automobiles, the tire boat, six trucks and cars of the fire department and three receiving sets for remote points of the city's water works system, was undertaken during the latter part of October.

Chief Carl E. Kennedy, of the Police Department, and his signal superintendent, J. D. Southwell, planned to put the system into operation as soon as construction, testing and administrative details had been worked out.

Atlanta's (Georgia) police chief, James L. Beavers, is hoping the Council will set aside funds early in 1930 for the erection of a radio station and the equipping of twenty cars with receiving sets.

"In my judgment, it will be only a few years before all police departments will be equipped with radio."

It is certain that within the next few months even more names will be ready to add to the list of those who are awakening to the value of police-radio.

Posted  February 11, 2014