WAR AGAINST CRIME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 252, 24 October 1932, Page 6

WAR AGAINST CRIME.

An appeal for the co-operation of the public in the police war upon crime and criminals in London was issued recently by Lord Trencliard, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, from Scotland Yard. The Commissioner recalled that he had recently mentioned in his annual report certain ways in which the public could assist the police in the prevention of crime, adding that he would like to elaborate these suggestions and to draw general attention to a number of ways in which householders and others could make things more difficult for burglars, house-breakers and thieves. The issue of such a series of hints and suggestions marks a new departure in Scotland Yard practice (says "The Times"), and the ground covered is notable in that it includes every type of modern crime, and the methods of circumventing the criminal are all of a practical character. In. the section on private houses the public are warned to fasten with safety catches all windows to which access from outside is possible. Mortice or patent locks are recommended for doors, and inner doors should be locked or hooked, while acorn screws should be used on sash windows left open for ventilation. Anything that delays the thief is an advantage. Ladders should not ■be left unsecured near houses. Saf.es should be thief-resisting, and, if possible, on view from the street. In a private house a passage is often a safer place for it than a room. Shopkeepers are warned that plate glass is insufficient protection for a display of valuable articles, but grilles and other devices are efficient. A person who carries considerable sums of money or quantities of jewellery in a handbag or case should, if possible, be accompanied by another person, and in any case the bag should be secured to the wrist or waist by a strong chain.