CLANCY'S COLOR COTTAGE
Handling R. N. Mason & Co., Industrial and House Paints
KE. 3-7122 KE. 3-7123
4221 E. 14th OAKLAND, CALIF.
DICK'S HOME FURNISHINGS
VISIT OUR UPSTAIRS FURNITURE DEPARTMENT
ANdover 1-8212
2946 EAST 14th ST. OAKLAND I. CALIF.
March. 1948
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
Page 7
Sheriff John R. Dower, Jr. — Yuba County
One of the young California Sheriffs to watch is John
Dower of Yuba County. Perhaps he lacks some of the
attributes that come only with long years of experience,
but he has an abundance of fine law^-enforcement blood
in his veins, and what is more important — doing some-
thing about it.
Young old-timers in the San Francisco Police Depart-
Sheriff John R. Doufr
ment will long remember his good father. Sergeant John
Dower's thirty-five-year contribution to peace and order
in his native city of San Francisco. He served with the
late Daniel J. O'Brien, and those who know the record
know how close they were to each other, and what fine
work was done by them both during that period. He
was treasurer for the S. F. P. D. Widow's and Orphan's
Aid Association for 18 years. But it takes an old old-
timer to recall his grandfather, Michael Dower, and
Mike's two brothers, who patrolled the Mission in the
early days of San Francisco police history. Their records
are in the archives for all to see, and fine records they
are. So, I repeat, there is an abundance of law enforce-
ment blood in the Sheriff's veins — but let's get on with
our subject.
In the writer's interview with Sheriff Dower he was
reluctant to make any statement at all except: "That I
don't go in for publicity — do the daily routine work of
every Sheriff in the State — treat all our people alike,
which unavoidably results in some people liking me and
some not."
It was like pulling teeth to get any more out of him,
so your reporter moved in on some of the more substantial
citizens that he has known for some years for the real
picture, which, incidentally, is always a better one. One
expressed it well when he said, "I didn't vote for Dower
but if he runs again I will do so." Let it be said here, his
predecessor Sheriff McCoy is much beloved in this coun-
ty, and had given years of highly competent service.
Well, that's life — move over and make room for the kids."
John Dower isn't exactly a kid, but being born in the
Mission April 4th, 1912, doesn't make him an old man
either. He attended James Lick grammar school. Mission
High and went on to San Francisco State College where
he graduated in Education.
In 1937 he was appointed to a principalship in the rural
schools of Yuba County, and presently fell in love with
a native coleen by the name of Merle, and they are now
the proud parents of two lovely daughters.
In 1944 he was appointed probation ofiicer and moved
into the historic old court house, built in 1853. It is the
writer's guess that, that was all that was necessary to
get that blood we were talking about to "circulating good."
At any rate he ran for sheriff in 1946 and was elected.
In no time at all it wasn't necessary to remind him
that he was in the law-enforcement business. Accom-
panied by Marysville Police Officer Lyle Prothers he went
out to nearby Camp Beale in an endeavor to pick up
two car thieves who might be heading that way. His
hunch was right but what he didn't know was that the
car contained three desperadoes, who, just ten minuteo
previously, had held up the Bank of America at Wheat-
land and were heading east with $14,000 of the bank's
(Continued on page 75 I
PARK GROCERY and MEAT MARKET
FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
M.ARYSVILLE
CALIFORNIA
RUBY'S RESTAURANT
Charles Carlino
AMERICAN AND ITALIAN FOODS
Gibson Lines Depot
424 Fourth Street
Phone 60S
MARYSVILLE
CALIFORNIA
FOR QUICK SERVICE
AND GOOD FOOD
TRY
GREYHOUND COFFEE SHOP
Greyhound Bus Terminal
MARYSVILLE
CALIFORNIA
NIGHTINGALE MARKET
GROCERIES MEATS - VEGETABLES
WHEATLAND CALIFORNIA
Page 8
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
March, J 948
BAY COUNTIES'
Peace Officers^ Association
z MEETINGS EVERY MONTH
Chief Melvin Flohr, President
Captain Bernard McDonald, Secretary-Treasurer
The annual installation meeting of the Bay Counties He ended his address with a plea for amending the law
Peace Officers' Association, held on January 30 in the which allows pleas in traffic violations to he mentioned
swank setting of the Burlingame Country Club, drew the in civil suits.
characteristically large gathering of peace officers, and "If we want to push the people around and make crim-
guests, from the bay area. They witnessed the installation
of Chief Walter J. Wisnom, of Hillsborough Police De-
Cliief Wisnom at the microphone, and Chief Earl Dierking
new vice president.
partment as the president for the current year, together
with the placing of Chief Earl Dierking of Vallejo as
vice president and perenially reelected Captain Bernard
J. McDonald as secretary-treasure.
The installation ceremonies were conducted by Sheriff
Daniel J. Murphy of San Francisco, and he did a mighty
fine job, as is his custom.
Chief Wisnom took over the duties of Chief Melvin
Flohr, Santa Rosa, the retiring president who was unable
to attend. Following a very sumptuous lunch Chief
Wisnom presented the official family of Hillsborough —
Mayor Ernest Ingold, City Manager Earl P. Wilsey, City
Judge J. F. Trabucca, Fire Chief William Palin and Coun-
cilmen Sydney Miller, Bernard Ford and Kenneth Mon-
teagle. Mayor Ingold made a short speech welcoming the
visitors and called attention to the fact that this was the
second time the Association had met in the Burlingame
club since its formation nearly 20 years ago.
Deputy District Attorney Fred WycofF of San Mateo
County was the principal speaker of the meet.
Wyckoff touched briefly on the trial of Jadwiga Curtin,
Polish girl, who he convicted of a manslaughter charge,
and praised local officers for their alertness in "appre-
hending hoodlums from Los Angeles to San Francisco and
running them out of the county."
Captain Bernard McDonald
Re-elected Secretary-Treasurer
inals of them all, we should keep the law which makes
a man liable for thousands of dollars damages in a civil
suit if he pleads guilty to a minor traffic violation such as
running a red light," he said.
Chief Michael E. Mitchell made his first appearance
as Chief of Police for San Francisco and made a nice talk
and was given a big hand. He said his Etepartment would
continue to give all state peace departments and sheriffs'
offices the assistance it has given in the past.
President Wisnom announced the appointment of the
following committees:
Executive — Chief Howard A. Zink, Palo Alto, Chair-
man; Chief Robert P. Tracy, Oakland; Chief Mitchell,
San Francisco; Chief L. E. Jones, Richmond; Sheriff H.
(Contmued on f^age 621
KINGWELL
BROS.,
Ltd.
4S7
Minna Street
sutler
1-0514
SAN
FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA
HOTEL
OPERA
14S Fel
Street
SAN
FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA
March, 1948
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
Page 9
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
POLICE COMMUNICATION OFFICERS
ASSOCIATION
Ray Meyers, President
A. R. Tacgart, Secretary-Treasurer
Minutes of the meeting held in Santa Rosa, Cahfornia,
on Januar>' 8, 1948. The regular monthly meeting of the
Northern California Police Communication Officers' As-
sociation was held in Santa Rosa. The host was John
Maybee.
Minutes of the previous meeting were read, also finan-
cial statement submitted, both approved.
New. President of NCPCOA Ray Meyers of X'dueju
Police Department.
George Burton and Ray Meyers opened the discussion
regarding this Association changing its name to more
truly represent the various agencies that are members. A
committee will be selected at our next meeting.
Meeting recessed for lunch.
After an excellent lunch we heard from the various
committees. '^
Interference Committee. Ray Meyers reported that the
Solano County Office of the P. G. and E. has eliminated
the interference on eleven miles of lines by replacing
necessary e.quipment.
The engineering and Frequency Committee reported the
folldwng clearances-: The Cit>' of Woodland was granted
clearance on 39.38 MCS. South San Francisco was
granted clearance on 39.26 MCS. The CaHfomia High-
way Patrol' requested clearance for Lake County to use
39.78 MCS. This request was objected to by several
members. The principle reason was the frequency is
loaded with traffic and it may establish a precedent for
other agencies to leave their present operating frequency
which is coordinated with adjacent agencies. This Asso-
ciation is cognizant of purpose of various agencies re-
questing use of the CHP frequency because the bulk of
their traffic involves CHP Units, also they are located in
remote or rural areas. It is not the desire of a municipal
or county agency to disturb their present coordinated
inter-city or inter-county communications system, but in
several cases it is obvious that operating on the CHP
frequency serves the majority of people in that particular
area. The matter was referred to the Engineering and
Frequency Committee for further study and to submit a
report at the next meeting.
Brov.er McMurphy reported en the Eastern Engineer
and Mfgs. meeting regarding the 30-40 MC and the 150
to 160 MC bands.
George Burton suggested we act at once on the FCC
30-40 allocation program as approved at the National
APCO Conference. This allocation plan is being studied
by the Engineering and Frequency Committee, however,
it is impossible to proceed further until the FCC formally
approves the plan and all necessary information from
the agencies effected for this area has been submitted to
the committee.
The Engineering and Frequency Committee will mail
information forms to all agencies to determine who intends
to operate in the 30 MC band.
The foUowng men were
year 1948:
President — Ray Meyers
Vice President — Charles Simpson
(Continued on page 68 )
elected to office for the
Martin Shock Absorber Service Co.
340 Fell Street
Phone MArket 1-0829
S.AN FR..\NCISCO
CALIFORNIA
GOTHAM INSTRUMENT CO., Inc.
591 Mission Street
SAN FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA
Phone sutler 1-460O
INCANDESCENT SUPPLY CO.
BETTER LIGHT— BETTER SIGHT
LIGHTING FIXTURES AND LAMPS
647 MISSION STREET SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF.
Phone WEst 1-2050
DILWORTH AUTO SERVICE
FENDER AND BODY WORK - WXLDING
GENERAL AUTO REPAIRING
1339 BUCHANAN STREET SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF.
Page W POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL March, i948
Social Security For Peace Officers
Written for the Police and Peace Officers" Journal by Charles H. Shreve.
Manager. San Francisco Field Office. Social Security Administration
Peace officers are divided into two groups as far as
Social Security is concerned, i.e., those who have at some
time been in other work in which they contributed to a
Social Security account, and those who have always been
Charles H. Shrfvf
city, county or State employees and therefore have never
established any Social Security credits for themselves.
Both groups know something of the value of Social Secur-
ity, both as retirement income and as protection for their
â– families in case of death, so that the facts regarding their
present or potential future Social Security protection
should be of interest to all peace officers.
Those who formerly worked in "covered" employment
and are now government employees and exempt from
Social Security, may have heard that the money they put
in their Social Security account is lost. This is not neces-
sarily true. They may not have contributed for a sufficient
length of time to be assured of Social Security protection
for life, but the money is not lost and they may yet
acquire lifetime protection if they fully understand their
rights. They have also had, and may still have, insurance
protection similar to a term life insurance policy.
A person whose employment was covered by Social
Security on January 1, 1937, when the Social Security
Act became operative, and who continued in such employ-
ment for a period of time before leaving to accept exempt
employment with a municipality, county, or State, is still
insured after leaving covered employment for a length
of time equal to the period in which he made Social
Security contributions. If he should reach 6'^ or die during
the additional period of time, he or his survivors will have
Social Security rights and will receive benefits based on
the contributions, even though ,-it the time of attaining
65 or death the individual was no longer making contribu-
tions. For instance, an individual who worked in a "cov-
ered" job from January 1, 1937, through the end of the
year 1944 has credit for eight full years of employment
or 32 "quarters of coverage." That person is fully insured
for an additional eight years, or until the close of the
year 19^2. If he should reach 6'i by that time he would
be entitled to Social Security payments for the rest of
his life. If he should die from a.ny cause prior to Decem-
ber 31, 1952, his survivors would be entitled to Social
Security benefits.
The great majority of peace officers who had former
employment in jobs covered by social security will not
reach 65 or die by the time their existing social security
rights expire. They will be interested to know that they
may continue their social security accounts in an active
status by earning $50.00 in a "covered" job in every
alternate calendar quarter-year. Fully insured status de-
pends upon earning at least $50.00 per quarter-year in
half the quarter-years that elapse, so that those who had
made contributions may keep their accounts fully paid
up by taking part-time employment in "covered" jobs
sufficient to bring them $50.00 or more in earnings once
every six months, if the earnings fall entirely within a
calendar quarter-year.
Even the peace officer who had only a few years of
social security coverage prior to taking his present employ-
ment can reinstate his social security account in good
standing by a slightly greater amount of part-time work
in "covered" jobs. So long as the over-all picture results
in his having one "quarter of coverage," i.e., a calendar
quarter-year in which he has earned $50.00 or more in a
"covered" job, for each two quarter-years which have
elapsed after January 1, 1937, he is fully insured and he
and his survivors are protected.
The situation in regards to peace officers who have
always been in exempt employment since Social Security
became effective, is not so simple. Their hopes of receiving
any Social Security benefits will depend upon action of
Congress in removing the present exemptions from the
Social Security law.
The principal groups not now covered by Social Secur-
ity are employees of city, county. State and the Federal
governments, agricultural laborers, employees of certain
religious and charitable organisations, domestic workers
in private homes, and the self-employed. The Social Secur-
ity Administration has recommended to Congress for sev-
eral years that all of these groups be included under
Social Security and there is a strong possibility that Con-
gress will so amend the Social Security Act in the reason-
ably near future. All of these groups were exempted from
the original Social Security law as passed in 1935 for one
of two reasons. Either it was felt to be administratively
impractical to administer the law for the group, or repre-
sentatives of the group asked for exemption. Agricultural
March, 1948
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
Page II
workers are a typical example of the first case, while peace
officers are a fair example of the second.
The Social Security Adminstration feels that eleven
years of experience has qualified it to solve the adminis-
trative problems which may arise by virtue of including the
presently exempt groups. Most of the foreign social secur-
ity systems include agricultural workers, and the admin-
istrative problems which seemed so great thirteen years
ago can now be solved even in the difficult case of migra-
tory farm labor.
Back in 1935, when Congress was first considering pass-
ing a Social Security Act, representatives of some muni-
cipal workers and some peace officer's organizations ap-
peared before Congress and asked that such employees be
exempted. The fact that their municipalities had fine
pension plays does not offset the fact that most communities
do not have any pension plan at all, and the majority of
counties and states have little or no protection for the
officer who has outlived his usefulness. The peace officers
who appeared before Congress were alarmed lest the fine
pension plans prevalent in their localities should be junked
in favor of a new and untried system, and they rightfully
did not wish the money which had been collected for their
plans to be dissipated. Furthermore, there was some seri-
ous legal question as to the right of the Federal Govern-
ment to tax municipalities, counties or States and exemp-
tion of their employees seemed the simplest answer to the
problem at that time.
Extensive study of this problem, both by the Social
Security Administration and groups of peace officers who
do not enjoy adequate pension protection, has developed
a suggestion for a solution which may be added to the
law by the present Congress. The Social Security Ad-
ministration recommendation is that a provision be added
to the law permitting municipalities, states and other po-
litical subdivisions to make voluntary compacts with the
Social Security Administration to provide coverage for
their employees. Thus a city which had a fine retirement
pension plan might not choose to make such compact,
while another city or county that had a poor plan or none
at all would readily arrange to make one. There seems
to be no objection to such a voluntary plan and the present
study of Social Security needs being conducted by a special
committee of the United States Senate may recommend,
as the Social Security Administration has already done,
that this be enacted into law.
If such a provision is added, then peace officers who
have never contributed to Social Security will be enabled
to do so as soon as their employer makes the necessary
compact with the Social Security Administration. It seems
reasonable to expect that special provisions will be made
for such cases so that no penalty will fall upon these indi-
viduals for not having contributed during the first eleven
years of the system.
Obviously, those peace officers who have partial social
security protection by virtue of former contributions in
other jobs would likewise begin to add again to the same
accounts already established for them, if their present
employment was put under Social Security by reason of
a change of the law such as is outlined above. Thus both
groups would be in a better position to perpetuate their
Social Security rights than has ever been the case before.
It is reasonable to assume that, with the unanimous en-
dorsement of both major political parties and the active
support of both branches of organized labor and most of
the groups who once asked exemptions, Congress will in
the reasonably near future make substantial changes in
the Social Security Act to provide broader coverage for
the presently exempt groups.
Any discussion of the possibility of Social Security pro-
tection for peace officers would be incomplete if it did
not outline the present scale of benefits and the future
possibilities in that regard. It is extremely difficult to do
this, because Congress is at this time considering an in-
crease in the amount of present benefits based on the
economic changes since 1935, the increased cost of Hving
and the present excess of funds collected over the amount
needed for the scale of payments set up by the original
Social Security Act.
At the end of September, 1947, there were 2,162068
persons in the country entitled to monthly benefits.
977,768 of these were workers who had reached the age
of 65 and retired. The remainder were wives 65 years
of age or older, children under the age of 18, widows of
insured workers who had died and who were over 65 or
had children under 18 in their care, and some dependent
parents.
The maximum payable to a retired worker at this time,
if he has earned $3,000.00 or more each year since Social
Security started, is slightly under $45.00 per month. Pay-
ment to his wife when she reaches 65 is 50 per cent of
worker's benefit, making the joint payment to the hus-
band and wife a little less than $68.00 per month. The
maximum paid to any family, such as four minor children
left by a deceased worker, is $85.00 per month. Of course,
this amounts to about $1,000,000 a year and when the
four children are quite young, payments made on a
worker's account may run from $10,000.00 to $15,000.00
without considering the further payments the widow can
receive after reaching 65 if she does not remarry.
At the end of 1947, about $38,100,000 a month was
actually being paid to beneficiaries under Social Security.
Another five million dollars was not paid because pay-
ments were suspended in cases of retired men who had
returned to work, children working for a period and sus-
pending their payments, etc. Better than 50,000 monthly
benefits are being awarded each month at this time, and
the average amount of payments is gradually increasing in
all categories.
Here in San Francisco, 16,065 benefits were in force
December 31, 1947, for $35 3,273.29 per month. The
16,000 beneficiaries are made up of 9,927 retired workers,
1705 wives of such workers who are 65 or over, and
1044 widows aged 65 or more, for a total of 12,676
persons over age 65. The other 3400 cases cover children
of deceased workers, young widows and a few dependent
parents. It is interesting to note that for the first time,
(Continued on page 61 )
Page 12
POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL
March. J 948
PROFESSIONAL POLICE SERVICE
By B. C. Bridges, Supt. Bureau of Identification Alameda Police Dept.
As the combined result of many causes, crime in
America has reached an all-time high. This is no small
nor temporary matter. The malady is serious and deep-
seated. It has infected the whole country, and no mild
medicine will cure it. To furnish relief, the remedy must
Superintendent B. C. Bridges
include an over-all program conducted on a long-range
basis.
Those of us who are a part of the police organization
are well aware of this; but since we must depend, to a
large extent, upon public cooperation in such emergencies,
it is most important that we furnish the general public
with a clear picture of the entire prospect. Therefore,
this short summary is presented not primarily to the
enforcement field, but rather for popular publication.
The situation's gravity can be best illustrated by these
statistics from the National Uniform Crime Report for
1946, compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
During the year, major felonies were committed in the
United States at the rate of one every 20 seconds, and
somewhere in America some person was the victim of
criminal homicide, rape, or assault to murder, every 5.7
minutes of the day and night.. This means that by this
time tomorrow 25 J persons will have been the victims
of the above crimes. It also means that well over 7,000,000
persons in America, now alive and unsuspecting, are
doomed by criminal violence.
Furthermore, during 1945, there were 28,600 persons
killed and 1,000,000 others injured in traffic accidents
throughout the United States, That was bad enough;
but figures for 1946 show 35,500 persons killed and
1 ,1 50,000 injured, and with a co6t in property damage well
over $750,000,000. Although many of the basic causes
for this frightful toll are known, increasing fatalities and
damage indicate that those in charge of the situation are
not succeeding in their efforts to reduce accidents.
In addition to the direct impact of crime, there are
many other tragic and costly consequences in the form of
lost manpower, wasted lives, sickness, want, privation,
wrecked homes, and causes for future delinquency. Fur-
thermore, apart from death, injury and misfortune caused
by crime, there are the more obvious factors of crime's
enormous cost in dollars and cents. This, of course, in-