FIGHTING THE CRIMINAL

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1920, Page 4

FIGHTING THE CRIMINAL

(By G. T. Crook)

Evorytliing-lias gone up except crime. Crime has gone down. (Touch wood.) A few weeks ago the public weic much concerned about the orgy of violence and theft, and the Police Commissioner’s assurance—backed by figures that there was no wave of crime was cold comfort. I attach little importance to crime statistics. Hundreds of crimes are omitted from them; 1,000 burglaries do not mean 1,000 burglars, and COO arrests does not mean arrests in 500 eases. . There were five distinct waves ofi crime: 1. Scores of valuable motor cars were stolen weekly. 2. —Jewel robberies from hotels, houses and shops. 3. —Goods worth hundreds of thousands of pounds stolen from warehouses and spirited away in motor-cars. 4. —Armed raids on post offices. s—Epidemic of suburban burglaries. One by one these waves of crime were promptly and vigorously tackled by the who were confronted with new difficulties. The thieves were mostly young unknown men. I for one thought it would take tlie police twelve months to break up the various gangs of criminals.

The job had been well done in 12 weeks. The ringleaders have been caught and are in Pentonville or Portland. Thefts of motor-cars are now rare; jewel thefts are normal in number ; armed raids on post offices and warehouses seem to Ik- things of the past; and suburban burglaries -are remarkably few. (Keep on touching wood.) A, man'and woman recently convicted were responsible for no fewer than 30 cases of housebreaking. This remarkable aehievemenet has been accomplished by new police methods. Tho grouping of police - divisions into four areas, each under a detective superintendent, was .an immediate success. Whoever suggested the scheme deserves the thanks of' the public. " <* London was mapped out; a police barrage was set up; the streets : were “dragged” for thieves; day T after day, night after night, a long vigil was kept by some plain clothes officers. Some thieves were caught in the act; others were watched and tracked and captured. The whole police force was put upon its mettle, and some really brilliant catches were made.

Thanks to the untiring egjKrgy of experienced officers—unifornftilnd detective—the waves of crime have for the moment been broken.

But th'e whole public must still be on guard; the police as active as ever. Every day thieves are going into prison and others are coming out. Constant vigilance and wise care will beat them aIL