SCOTLAND YARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5285, 11 June 1928, Page 4

SCOTLAND YARD.

FOBTY SHADOWS, NEW TERROR FOR CRIMINALS.

No more powerful weapon that the

Flying Squad of Scotland Yard iia,s ever been devised, to defeat the iugenuity of the modern, criminal. To the public generality the squad typifies much that is romantic in the operations of the men who, from that great red.turreted building near the Hornsea of Parliament, a,re constantly pitting their brains against those of the netherworld of crime. In its sheer efficiency, in its unostentation, in its relentlessness, jt embodies to the nth degree the silent working of the London Police machine, the tentacles- of which arc spread over the vast metropolitan area, and sometimes extend into the counties beyond—but only when an S.iO.S. is. circulated for its assistance. It has added a new terror to the life of THE HABITUAL CRIMINAL. No longer can the burglar regulate his movements by those of the policeman bn the beat,—the Flying Squad may tear into the street at any moanient, the pick-pocket, working an omnibus stop, confident that he is unobserved, may have failed to notice the keen-faced man who dropped off a car while it was still in motion and has ranged quietly alongside him. “ To Some extent the Flying Squad has revolutionefi police methods, and the criminal is at his wits’ end to invent countering principles.

And it is comparatively a small number of detectives who compose the squad—not more than '4O in all. They are on, the sunny side as regards age, from 25 to 35, their zeal ,and courage tempered with a spice of recklessness. ; the spirit of adventure in their blood —that is why they volunteer, for service in the. Flying Squad. They never know when they may be required for duty, and sleep and rest are secondary considerations 'with them—they are specialists who are always poring over the Book of Crim'Inal Life.

When they report at. Scotland Yard ip the morning they peruse orders and inspect th© lists of “wanted®.” “Ah,” says Detective X, “I know that fellow.” And if there -is no more urgent matter requiring attention De-' tective X a.n<} three or four companions whirl out on to the Embankment and point away to the lair® where the quarry is known to lurk. The type of car the squad travels 'in is changed frequently, as the underworld rapidly learns to identify their, motors—and forewarned is forearmed. Each man is trained in wireless telegraphy, and each car is equipped with aji installation. A NECESSARY PRECAUTION.

If you tapped the pockets of those bn board, in most you would detect a revolver, the owner of which canshoot with deadly precision from all angles. It is a necessary precaution, for in an increasing proportion the more daring of criminals themselves are armed.

Detective X and his. comrades are steadily ftfrging through the traffic towards their destination. in a crowded thoroughfare Detective X says: “There’s So-ancl-S'o. Wonder what he’s up to ?” And Y steps from the car to “tail” the individual who ha® caught his eye, shadowing him on and off 'omnibuses, always- near him at congested points. And frequently the' result of Y’s persistency is a charge at the local police court next morning of shop-lifting or -stealing or pocket ; picking.

Such incidents are not uncommon. Recently on the south s'del of London a notorious burglar was seen from a patrol car idling in apparent innocence on a corner. Two officer® were instantly despatched, and they spent the afternoon, and: evening closely following him. 'This is what- they observed:

Tlic burglar njet a. friend, but after a /conversation they parted ; they returned to the same spot some hours loiter, and were joined by three others; all separated—only to gather outride a warehouse, when they were', surprised, and captured while trying to-force aji entrance.

Unwuikib.g watchfulness hpd file capacitor Co unqbstrusively “shadow” the Iley crook made this coup possible. Bum the Flyittig Squad officers possess exceptional. gifts, among which is their ability to remember ,a man even from what- might be to Less experienced! persons only a superficial glance. acquiring important data.

Supposing X to have arrived in the ’district .to which he set. -out, he rapidly completes inquiries for the man for whom lie is searching, and incidentally the section has probably ac-, quirt’d important data in regard to the 'movements of other criminal#:. So much of their investigation is, necessarily prospective in its application.

Patrols a,rc active practically throughout the 24 1 hoiu'sof every day; each section being responsible for a particular district apd! fo~ “combing” it thoroughly in the few hours they are away from the yard. It is not unusual for a single car, to cover 150 miles in a short space of the night, while the drivers, are so expert that during the day they will dash through a traffic-crapimed area at as much as 60 mfJes an hour without mishap. Indeed, I believe the record' of the squad to be quite clean in respect of road accidents. ■Much of their duty is. of course, routine work, but that sometimes, has its. lighter, side, for maffly ,a crook is at heart a sportsman. It is related how one section of the uquad, raiding the crownj-and-anch'or board men on a certain racecourse, yvene invited 1 by' their prisoners to test thair skill during the journey back to the, police station in the van, and how the detectives cheerfully ventured their stakes: —apd, in some cashes, lost them-