Crime Prevention Pays

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30840, 27 August 1965, Page 1

Crime Prevention Pays

The response by the public, particularly the business community, in Christchurch to the police crime prevention campaign had been excellent, said the Christchurch crime prevention officer (De-tective-Sergeant D. C. Lee) in an interview at the police stand at the New Zealand Industries Fair yesterday.

The crime prevention section was inaugurated in April, Mr Lee said. Since then, 85 per cent of the occupiers of business premises surveyed had followed some, if not all. suggestions made by the police to increase the security of premises against burglars and thieves.

“There has been a steady flow of requests for these surveys. Not all premises burgled have been surveyed by the crime prevention section because, in many cases, reliance is placed on the investigating detective to give ‘on the spot’ advice,” Mr Lee said. “In a number of cases, the occupier has already envisaged certain additional precautions against burglars breaking 1 nto the premises, and has merely sought confirmation of the merit of the additional security measures he had in mind. “I think this shows a growing awareness of the whole problem which simply boils down to making it harder for criminals to work, and, at the same time, makes detection of those who do go through with it more likely,” he said.

“Further, in one case, after security improvement measures had been suggested to and carried out by a shop proprietor, a burglar could not get into the premises (previously burgled) and was caught while trying to get in.” Many persons were telephoning the crime prevention section, Mr Lee said, and obtaining general advice as they were doing at the police stand in the Industries Fair. “Most noticeable of all, is that in almost 100 per cent of cases in which businessmen have been approached about security measures, co-opera-tion has been readily forthcoming. “I consider that this is evidence to prove that if the public is kept in the picture, co-operation will always be on the side of the police—the sign of a healthy community,” Mr Lee concluded.