POLICE AND PRESS

Evening Star, Issue 21890, 29 November 1934, Page 11

POLICE AND PRESS

CLOSER GO-OPERATION DETECTION OF CRIME. LONDON, October 11. A proposal is afoot for the police to work in closer co-operation with the Press and the public in future criminal investigations. “ One suggestion is that as soon as a big crime takes place a. responsible detective in close touch with the case should have regular meetings with newspaper correspondents,” states the ‘ Daily Herald.’ “ He would discuss the case and its difficulties as far as can reasonably be done, and indicate the sort of information the public may be able to suppty. " The closer the co-operation between the police and the Press the better it would be for the police ana the public, ex-Superintendent Percy Savage . told the ‘ Daily Herald,’ commenting on the proposal. “In practically every case I ever handled,” he added, “ publicity would not have hampered the inquiry. Of course, there are some occasions when it is necessary to withhold information for obvious reasons, but if you take the public as much as possible into your confidence through' the Press you turn every good citizen into an informant. “ Reasonably full information given to the public will help to prevent a lot of false rumours which sometimes lead police along useless trails.” During the investigations of the recent Brighton trunk murder case, newspaper representatives complained that they were not afforded adequate facilities for obtaining information from the police which might have assisted the investigations