BURGLARS SCARE TOWN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20508, 8 March 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

BURGLARS SCARE TOWN.

PEOPLE FEAR TO LEAVE'HOME.

EXPLOITS OF BAD ; BOYS.

Probably no town in Britain is so scared of burglars as Blackpool. Apparently, the exploits of the "notorious Mr. Plummerton" began it. Since then a steady stream of reports of robberies, many, of them of an audacious character, has-.been flowing into the police office. Rather than run the risk of having their houses robbed some people have remained indoors, for weeks,, and some remarkable stories are told of the devices adopted by householders and shopkeepers to outwit the attentions of unwelcome visitors.

Generally speaking the ' " booty" from the series of burglaries and robberies has not been particularly rich, and for the most part the depredations have been found to be due to juveniles and irresponsible young men. Nevertheless the wanton .■ damage - done and inconvenience caused by the offences have made many residents distinctly. " nervy" because of the ingenuity and daring ! of ' the perpetrators.

The epidemic . has resulted in - a , run on electrical and - other - devices to • safeguard premises; breeders are finding less difficulty : in, disposing of-house.;,dogs, and some shopkeepers have been doing; a big trade in the sale of automatic pistols which fire blank cartridges- and-create a loud report. ,The Chief Constable, Mr. H. E.' Derham, stated lately that the so-called epidemic • was largely due to pampered juveniles who were prompted by " sheer devilment." Parents were not ' wholly to blame, • for he • thought the. courts were dealing rather too leniently with the delinquents when they* were caught. Mr. Derham described the incident; of a. lad, who had been ' charged with •' a robbery, being met by his friends on leaving the court with'the greeting: "How have you got on?" The lad replied: "Ob, I have got off,"'and his smiles showed with what little gravity he regarded the offence. "As a matter of fact," continued Mr. Derham, "the lad was bound over after an eloquent plea for leniency based on the fact that he had not been in serious trouble, before. In the bad old days, that, lad would have been made to feel the seriousness of his offence. The old adage of ' spare the rod and spoil the child' was never more applicable than to-day." Mr. Derham added that apart from the pranks and exploits of bad boys there was little or no serious crime in Blackpool.