RADIO PATROL’S SUCCESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1945, Page 2

RADIO PATROL’S SUCCESS

HOUSEBREAKERS CAUGHT. ' LONDON, September 1. Within a few hours of the opening of Scotland Yard's new patrol system, by which radio speech contact is maintained between police cars and Yard H.Q., three housebreakers were arrested in London as they wore breaking into premises. A 999 message about the men’s activities had been received at Scotland Yard only a few minutes before their arrest. At 7.14 last night another 999 message reached Scotland Yard that a man suspected of carrying stolen property was at a bus stop in Great Portland Street. The radio car arrived at 7.17. The man was questioned, and later was charged with being in possession of stolen property. Another example of the immediate success of the new system occurred when a man had his stolen car traced while he was still giving details of his loss at a London police station. The new radio patrol consists of about 200 police cars, some camouflaged as trade vans, taxi-cabs, or private cars. Within 30 seconds of a message being received it will be broadcast to police cars. The movement of suspected cars is registered on a plotting table similar to that used by the R.A.F. Technical experts are already making experiments to adapt television and photo-telegraphy for broadcasting photographs of wanted men to police stations and boxes.