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Thursday, August 6, 1931
Los Angeles Examiner.... A paper for people

500 More Men Needed to Police City Du [[cut off]]

Garland, Too, Asks Proper Protection
Chief Urges 100 Officers be Added Monthly; Also Seeks 25 Additional Radio Cars
Thousands of visitors who will come to Los Angeles for the international Olympic Games next year will find that LOS ANGELES IS THE WORST POLICED CITY IN AMERICA!

This startling fact, backed by recently compiled figures, can only be overcome by the immediate addition of 500 men to the department.

And chief of Police R. E. Steckel yesterday made known that he is ready to bargain with the city powers and cut his demand for additional officers from 1000 to 500.
[[subhead]] Radio Cars Help [[/subhead]]
"Give me 500 additional men and 25 new radio cars and I will be ready for the Olympic Games rush," declares Steckel.

Chief Steckel aid that the inroad on crime made by the 43 radio cars now in operation has caused him to cut his estimate.

William May Garland, president of the Olympic Games, is on record with demands for more police.

"I insist that the streets of Los Angeles be made safe for every one of the thousands who will visit us," declared Mr. Garland.

Out of thirty of the largest American cities, Los Angeles is next to last in the number of police officers per square mile. This city has but 5.4 officers per square mile. Even Chicago which, like Angeles, is low in the number of officers per 100,000 of population is far ahead of this city in officers per square mile with 31.1.
[[subhead]] Same for Six Years [[/subhead]]

The only city of the thirty listed below Los Angeles is Houston, Texas, which has but 4.7 officers per square mile.

Since the population of Los Angeles has approximately 800,000, some six or seven years ago, practically no increase has been made in the personnel of the police department.

Los Angeles now has 2369 sworn officers, a figure far below that of other metropolitan cities.

Chief Steckel's plan is to place 100 new policemen per month on the roster for the next five months until 500 have been added.

"In this way the expense will not all come at once, and we can be adding officers and training them for service at the same time," Steckel pointed out.

That Los Angeles has far outgrown its Police Department is a fact not only known to all citizens but also to crooks, gangsters and underworld characters in general, Steckel declared.
[[subhead]] Prevention First [[/subhead]]

"That is why so many of them visit us," he stated. "If they knew we were properly equipped to handle them the visits would fall off."

Chief Stechel is enthusiastic over the marked progress made by the police radio cars in cutting down crime.

"But we must not overlook an important thing in our enthusiasm over radio cars," Stechel said. "The radio cars arrive on the scene often in a few minutes, but always after the crime.

"This is fine in the matter of capturing criminals but it is not the greatest preventative of crime.

"The policeman, patrolling his heat, in plain view of everyone is the best warning in crooks. And that is what I want. More policemen will fill up the vacant sections of the city. Naturally we have to give most attention now to the thickly populated sections so that, in some of the outlying districts, the residents never see a policeman."
[[subhead]] Continual Change [[/subhead]]
With the undermanned department now under his control, Steckel [[cut off]]

'First U.S. Woman Flyer' Claim Finds L.A. Challenger
Blanche Stuart Scott Says Record Dates 3 Weeks Earlier
Blanche Stuart Scott doesn't want to start a controversy about who was America's first woman aviator--

But, just the same, she earnestly believes she was about three weeks ahead of Dr. Bessica Raiche of Santa Ana, recently hearalded as the first woman to make an airplane flight in the United States.

..."It's all ancient history now and the modern girls are doing so many wonderful things we never dreamed of," she explained. "But after thinking for 20 years that you were first, it is disheartening to be told you were not."

Miss Scott, Hollywood scenario writer, has lots of clippings and photos, dated 1910, 1911, 1912, describing her as "first aviatrix," picturing weird "crates" and "aeroplanes," odd costumes and picture hats.
[[subhead]] No Definite Proof [[/subhead]]

But no definite document is among htem to prove that she took to the air before September 16, 1910, the date of Dr. Raiche's historic Long Island flight.

"I started flying the last week in August at Glenn Curtiss' place at Hammandsport, N.Y., Miss Scott related. "Curtiss taught me to fly in his ship and sent me out with a ship of my own to demonstrate. At any rate, I was the first professional woman flyer."

Miss Scott continued flying until 1916, barn-storming throughout the country. She piloted some of Glenn Martin's earliest models in 1912, and performed in silk knickers, sweater and fur helmet at Dominguez Field, Los Angeles. She quit flying, she says, "because there wasn't any money in it and the field seemed to be overcrowded."

Los Angeles Seeks 1933 Convention of Spanish Vets

Los Angeles delegates will go to the national convention of the United Spanish War Veterans at New Orleans, September 11, with the determination to get the 1933 convention of the U.S.W.V. and its auxiliary for this city.

W. J. Werner, president of the veterans' municipal council, has appointed the following committee to cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to obtain this important convention:

Representative Joe Crall, former Representative John D. Fredericks, Gen. Robert Wankowski, Minor Moore, A. C. Munsono, Robert Clark, Sherrif William I. Traeger, F. J. Ziegler, George Skonland, R. Rorgan Galbreth, E. E. Greene, L. J. Ammon, James Sheridan, Albert Burrows, L. L. McClary, Clyde Holbrook, C. J. Klien, W. S. Teter and George C. Duke.

It is estimated the convention would bring 50,000 persons here for one week.

Precinct No. 1196 Wins Voting Prize

Councilman E. A. Henning today at the City Hall will present Mrs. Charles I. Houghton, 1359 West Seventeenth street, representative of Precinct Number 1196, a certificate--signifying that her district had the highest voting percentage of all in Los Angeles at the last election.

In the precinct 72 per cent of the registered voters cast ballots as against the average 35 per cent. The presentation will be under the auspices of the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce.