THE MODERN SLEUTH

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 109, 9 May 1923, Page 6

THE MODERN SLEUTH

WIRELESS AND MOTOR-CARS,

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, 2nd May.

That science and aviation are daily making the lot of the criminal more difficult is shown by the remarkable use that is being made by the police in Melbourne of the wireless telephone. Melbourne is the first city in Australia to adopt this device to aid in the rapid pursuit of criminals, but the example is likely to be followed shortly in Sydney. For some time in both the capitals it has been the practice to employ night motor patrols as well as the ordinary foot policeman with a set beat. These speedy patrols have no regular route, but fly about the suburbs in the dead of night and have on numerous occasions had exciting adventures with burglars getting away with booty. The efficiency of this system is now being increased in Melbourne by equipping- these itinerant sleuths with wireless telephones. There are two men with each motor-car or motor-cycle and side-car. One drives and the other can pick up wireless messages through receivers' strapped to his ears while the machine is speeding along upon its rounds of the, suburbs. Although, during the month or so that it haa been on trial, this telephone has not been responsible for the immediate capture of evil-doers, much valuable time lias been saved. One actual message dispatched from headquarters through the radio station to the patrol was "Proceed to 380, Toorak road, South Yarra, burglars in several places in ■ last, half -hour." The man with the head-gear heard the broadcasted message clearly, and the, night patrol car was on the scene three minutes later, having broken all speed records. But the birds had flown. Another urgent call was to a home in St. Kilda road, where an armed burglar had been active. Again their man was missed by only a few minutes. The plant on the car does not affect its speed, and there is no tell-tale aerial.