BAD NEWS FOR CROOKS OF THE WORLD

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1948, Page 6

BAD NEWS FOR CROOKS OF THE WORLD

■ ' . ^ The life of an' internatiohal crook is by no means one oif roses all the way, for he never knuws at what moment the police may pounce. When the International Police Commission really gets going, his existence will become even more 'hazardous, for 'within • a very short time of cdmmitting his crime the -police of 'the Wbrld will be watching ' for hirh2 1 . " ' ' • . . " Mr. C. H. Hewitt, a" former chief ihspqctor of the. City. of London Police, told listeners to the B.B.C.'s r"adi.b. newsreel something , of this . ■Internatibnal Police Commission,' which has as one of its most urgent •concerns the perfecting of confidential wi'reless communication throughout fifie world. In 1945 an Ihternational Police Force . wireless sfervice- was set up by the commission, with tbe headquarters of the Paris Police as.its controlling sta-

tion. Last year messages were passed between Scotland Yard and police headquarters in many European countries, while today there is dir.ect wireless communication with _ the police of many of them. "This means," sai'd Mr. Hewitt, "that information about any international or fugitive criminals can. be wirelessed direct from Scotland Yard to any- of these countries at a time, or through the Paris headquarters to all of them simultaneously. Regional districts of Great Britain are being linked by wireless with Scotland. Yard, the headquarters for )3ritain. All this has been made possible by the rapid development in shortwave transmission, which has overcome many difficulties that held up the scbeme before the war." It should. only be a matter of months before America is also brought into the picture, though Scotland Yard 'is not slow, of course, to use the present available means of radio telephony to America. But a radio telephone network for exclusive police use will obviously he an invaluable aid to the arrest of crooks, in the recovery of property, and in the question of time.