On the road

On the road

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Dallas Police Shield May, 2013


 

It was April 1945, the war in Europe was coming to a close, the war against Japan was continuing with the recent invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The thought was that the war against Japan could go into 1948 with the invasion of the home islands and a cost of possibly a million lives.

The Dallas Police Department had experienced the loss of many officers since December 7, 1941. At this last stage of the war, the hemorrhaging of personnel was still going on.  

On April 20, 1945 Chief J.M.Welch stated that the DPD was facing the most critical manpower shortage in its history. There was another blow on Thursday last when two other officers were called up for the draft. Apparently the department tried unsuccessfully to obtain deferments for two key officers. One was a dispatcher E.C.Duncan, the other was another radio dispatcher George Doughty, who was to leave for the military the end of April.

The department’s manpower shortage, long serious, had reached the critical stage when the City had annexed 25 additional square miles since April 4, 1945. The department was 25 officers under pre-war quota. Chief Welch said that 50 new officers are urgently needed because of the recent annexations and the thousands of new residents attracted to Dallas because of the war industries. He stated that the department could really use 100 new officers but he thought that under current wartime conditions, this number was unrealistic.

Chief Welch also stated that the DPD has experienced difficulty in hiring new officers since the outbreak of the war due to salary conditions. A Dallas officer’s salary in 1945 was $150.00 a month with a $20.00 war bonus for the duration.

This next story is kind of complicated for this Grove and D.I.S.D. socially promoted boy, but here goes.    

On April 3, 1945 apparently there was a movement on the part of University Park Mayor A.L. Slaughter and Commissioner A.H. Meadows for the police and fire departments to pay into the Dallas pension fund. Politicians charged that University Park police had to oppose unification because they feared losing their jobs if they took any other position. From this article, it seems that the U.P. chief had coerced the officers not to vote for unification.

One day later, on April 4, 1945 DPD Chief Trammell wrote a letter to the editor of the Dallas Morning News. It looks like Chief Trammell was the one who had “coerced” U.P. officers not to vote favorably.

Chief Trammell wrote; “The charge against me by the News and Mayor Slaughter and Commissioner Meadows is basely false and a reflection on my honor and integrity. This is the first time in thirty years as a police officer that my integrity and honor have ever been called in question. “

The response by Chief Welch went on to say that yes, he was a resident of University Park and that he attended a meeting on March 27 with University Park and Highland Park police and a few fireman. He stated that when the meeting was called to order, he stood up, only as a resident of U.P. and said that he was opposed to consolidation. The Chief also stated in the response that he did not intend to change his position but that every officer present was free to do and act as he saw fit and as his conscience dictated; that each was the captain of his soul.

The chief went further stating that the Dallas Morning News had done him a grave injustice, and in fairness to me I request a retraction by it of this baseless charge of coercion as well as the publication of this letter.

The DMN published the letter from Chief Welch. The unification of Dallas’ pension fund with U.P. and H.P. never happened.

Another article in April, 1945 reported that the Dallas Police Homicide unit was experiencing personnel shortages because of the war. Chief of Detectives Will Fritz said that every man in the squad was hand- picked. He stated that the prerequisites were courage, initiative, intelligence, a good memory and perseverance.

The oldest Homicide detective was “pale-eyed” Elmo Gaddy, a four year veteran in the bureau. Others were Jimmy Bohart, D.O. Climer, T.O. Pope, H.C. Holloway and C.H.Baldwin, all on the squad a year or less. Observant readers of this monthly piece will recognize H. C. Holloway as (later) a lieutenant over the newly formed Tactical Section (now SWAT)in the late 1960’s.

The Homicide squad, being the “elite” of the department in 1945, had experienced its own personnel problems. Since the entry into World War II, one homicide detective, J.T. Luther, was burned to death; two are in the armed services and three left for better paying jobs in the private sector. 

Legendary Homicide Chief Will Fritz would only shrug his shoulders possibly, and carry on.          

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