Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police M.P.D
1920 to 1929
1926 – Officer Raymond V. Sinclair, who would later die in the line of duty, recorded 3,482 arrests (traffic citations counted as arrests). That was close to an average of 11 tickets or actual arrests a day, (MPD).
M.P.D. Motorman Marcel Caussin
This is a 1920’s photo of Motorman Marcel Caussin who fled from France to America after deserting from the French Navy. He then joined and became a U.S. Marine where he became a boxing champ on their boxing team. Although Marcel was an Olympic Champion he was unable to attend the Olympics due to having deserted. While in the Marine Corps Marcel was credited with taking the Army mule which caused a good amount of disruption. Marcel was in the marching band while in the U.S.M.C. as well as the M.P.D.
Early 1900 D.C. Metropolitan Police Uniforms
1925 D.C. Metropolitan Police Scout car riddled with bullet holes.
M.P.D.’s 5th precincts patrol car 1925
M.P.D. Traffic Officer – 1920’s
The Traffic Light Bandit
The spectacular career of the “Traffic Light Robber,” which began a week ago, ended abruptly yesterday. Today, James Steele, a 24-year-old from Cambellton, Florida, admitted to police that he was the robber after he was taken into custody. He is currently behind bars at the First Precinct station awaiting a hearing on four charges of robbery.
The credit for capture of the highwayman is due to Jack Wolfe, a police headquarters chauffeur, and Detective Henry M. Jett, of the headquarters automobile squadron. They were driving on Massachusetts Avenue, NW near 17th Street, NW in a police car, when Wolfe observed a man who matched the description of the robber.
“That guy looks good,” he remarked to Jett as the car was brought to a halt and both alighted. As they did so, police say, the man drew a hand from his coat pocket and threw an open knife into the street, while the other hand he thrust deep into his pocket as if he held a gun. He warned the policemen:
“You’d better keep away from me.”
With a drawn revolver, Wolfe rushed Steele and he and Jett overpowered him. Returning to headquarters the suspect admitted he was the man they sought. A broken piece of automobile spring and pocketknife were the weapons used in the robberies. Detective Jett returned to work Sunday after a three-week illness.
Steels’ robbery idea–that of leaping into an automobile awaiting a green signal light–came to him one day as he walked on Massachusetts Avenue, NW he admitted. Steele has no fixed residence and came to Washington, D.C, a few weeks ago from Florida.
He explained to the police that a few weeks ago he had decided to put his idea into operation. At 13th and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, he claimed that Chester M. Wright, an English language secretary of the Pan-American Federation of Labor, was his first victim. While Mr. Wright was awaiting the green signal light, Steel said he stepped into the automobile and holding the spring in his pocket to resemble a revolver, forced the autoist to drive to 7th Street and Florida Avenue, NW, where he robbed Mr. Wright.
The operation was so successful that two days later, the “Traffic Light Robber” repeated the method on David Luttrell of 3018 Porter Street, NW, getting into his car at 18th Street and New Hampshire Avenue, NW and forcing him to drive to 7th and T streets, NW.
The third victim, Thomas Shanley of 3808 T Street, NW, was accosted at the scene of the robber’s capture Saturday night and the same tactics were used. Twelve hours later, Captain William R. White, U. S. Army, of the Carlo Hotel, drove to 17th Street, NW and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, where he, too, was victimized. Captain White attempted to repulse the bandit, and the robber slashed his wrists.
From his four victims, Steele obtained only $24.59 in cash and jewelry. Shanley contributed fifty cents to the robber’s treasury. – Washington Post, March 15, 1926
Rum Runner Crashes into the Library of Congress
Speeding at 70 miles an hour through Southeast Washington streets early yesterday morning, an alleged rum runner, closely pursued by police, lost control of his machine, which crashed into the stone wall surrounding the Library of Congress. Unhurt, the driver of the car and his companion jumped and fled but were captured. Two hundred and forty half-gallon jars of corn whiskey were confiscated, police said.
Held are Robert Thomas Burgess, 32 years old, charged with reckless driving, illegal possession and transportation of liquor, and Patrick E. Foley, transporting and possessing.
They were captured by Sergeant George M. Little, a member of the police flying squadron and Robert F. Cornett, a Federal dry agent, who was recently exonerated by a Baltimore Federal Court in the killing of Gundlach, a St. Mary’s County, Maryland farmer.
The chase began when the “dry” squad stationed themselves at the Washington District line, on Marlboro Pike, to await the arrival of the suspected liquor car. In a previous skirmish, the machine had escaped, Sergeant Little said.
Their quarry flashed past at a high rate of speed, and the police car swung into pursuit, which led through Alabama Avenue, SE to Good Hope Road, SE and Naylor Road, SE to Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
Swerving to avoid wrecking a milk wagon at 2nd and B Streets, the driver of the fleeing car lost control, and it plunged into the wall, from which it glanced an electric light pole, about two hundred feet distant. Mowing down the pole the automobile again collided with the wall, and bound back into the street, where it came to a stop against the curbing.
The Washington Herald 14th Jan 1921
ALVIN C. OGLE:
ALVIN C. OGLE served from 1906 until 1919 and was retired due to having grown to heavy to perform patrol duties. Ogle was appointed to the Metropolitan Police Department on March 26th, 1906. He was promoted to Private 2nd Class on March 26, 1909 and Private 3rd Class on March 26th, 1911. He was not however, a particularly careful officer and was brought before the trial board eleven times and fined or reprimanded on each occasion. Private Ogle was retired on a pension of $45 a month on April 1st, 1919 as the result of having grown to heavy to perform his patrol duties. His pension was discontinued on February 26th, 1924 after he was found in violation of the prohibition laws. Alvin was so large he was unable to be fit into a Paddy Wagon for transport.
