USE OF SCIENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 116, 19 May 1939, Page 9

USE OF SCIENCE.

IN CRIME DETECTION.

RAPID STRIDES IN N.Z.

REVIEW BY COMMISSIONER.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

CHE IS TCHURCH, this day

Rapid utricles in the development and expansion of the Xew Zealand Police Force over the past few years, especially in the application of scienc* to crime detection, were referred to bv the Commissioner of Police (Mr. D. J. Cummings), who is visiting Christchurch. Never before in the history of the force had Mich a hi.gh standard" of efficiency both in personnel and equipment been attained, said Mr. Cumming's. Up-to-the-minute equipment had been bought judiciously over the past three years. Elaborate and delicate instruments which had proved their immense value in crime detection overseas were now housed at Wellington. Xew instruments for fingerprint work, new cameras for ordinary and microphotography and new ballistics instruments had completely modernised the scientific branch of the detective force. Pathologists and Government chemists were of the utmost assistance. Radio Experiments. Wide experiments for the establishment of radio-equipped patrol cars were still being carried out by a Government expert. It was a highly teehni-

cal job, but it was hoped that shortly Hie experiments would have reached the stage where a patrol car equipped with radio would be tried out in Wellington. i

If the experiments were a success and the expense was justified, it was possible that Auckland would be equipped with radio at headquarters and a radio patrol car. Intensive training of both detectives and uniformed men in scientific crime detection was being carried out. Two scientific experts—Senior-Sergeant E. W. Dinnie (fingerprint and photography) and Senior-Sergeant G. G. Kelly (ballistics) had just completed a lecture tour of New Zealand.

They had dealt with all the latest developments in scientific detection, addressing officers not only in the main centres but in places like Oamaru and the West toast.

Lectures on medicine in its relation to crime were shortly to be organised. It was hoped to arrange for well-known pathologists ancl chemists to address members of the force.