London Can't Get Sufficient Policemen

Chronicle (Levin), 14 February 1948, Page 5

London Can't Get Sufficient Policemen

(N.Z.P.A.-

— , Reuter i

■ Copyright) '

Received Friday, r p.m. LONDON, Feb. 12. London 's 1 1 wonderfuF '* policemen: are worrying^ the House- of- Lords, The. pTain fae't is'that there' are. not enough of th em" and- demands; were made. in- the liouse of Lords for a, force^ eapable. of dealing with the- present . cximh wave which was descr-ibed) aa " deplorable, shocking andi appalli'ng. ' '' » LordAfrenchafd, w.ho> -was; the. Metrop.olitan Folice Coinmissioner- from 1931 to 1936, "aslced for- an immediate inqurry, instead of one next year, into how recruits could be attracted intoLondon>S' force, whicli is- now about 3000 below strength.' He did. not- think the police could expec-t to. deak wifh the erime wave at their present strehgth. rioiuethixig. was. wr.ong with the force he declared) for of 1933- ,i*.eci*uits Last year, 806 left v:.Qlun.tarily. The Marqujs of .Milfot;d. Haven,, who was. the Du.ke of Edinburgh's best man, said in, his maiden sgeech that tlie pulice were uot getting a fair deal, While the C.I.D. was gettmg a raw deal Lord Jowitt, the "Lord . Chancellorreplying to the debate,, admitted that the situation was " pretty grirn." H thought most of the recniits left because of the very great housing diihculty. . Lord Salisbury supported Lord Tren chard's call for an inquiry, and the uio tion was accepted by Lord Jowitt on the understanding that he was not com mitting the Cover nment to holding ii at once.