MAIL RAIDERS FOILED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21314, 15 October 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

MAIL RAIDERS FOILED

SILENT INVESTIGATORS BRITISH POSTAL CORPS SCOTLAND YARD'S CO-OPERATION Co-operation between Scotland Yard and a special and little-known Branch of the British General Post Oflice during recent months has resulted in a complete stop being put to mailbag robberies, which, only a short time ago, were menacing features of daily life in all parts of the country. During the period when this criminal activity was at its height, and colossal sums of public money in danger, special combative steps were taken to freo the country of this new type of crime. Mailbag robberies of every description were being carried out with increasing regularity from post oflice, railway station, train, steamer, and by hold-ups by bandits. One of the most impudent robberies effected was when two men drove away a mail van from outside a post oflico in one of London's busiest streets. Since then, however, a scheme with a highlydeveloped organisation and network, which left hardly a loophole, was formulated, and the result has been the stamping out almost altogether of the mailbag thief. Only One in a Million The official figures for the year ended March, 1932, made comforting reading for those of the public who mav feel nervous about the safety of the mails. These are the official facts:— About 40,000,000 mailbags were carried throughout the country during the year. Only one out of every million has been missed. Inquiries have revealed that since the beginning of this year no mailbag thefts of any importance have been committed. " It must lie admitted," said a G.P.O. official in an interview with the News of the World, " that for a time there , wa» a spate of mailbag thefts, but wo i have taken proper steps to stamp them I ■nit, and now we can show a clean sheet. I'lio measures adopted by our special investigation branch, working in conjunction with Scotland Yard, have had the desired effect of quelling the activities of the mailbag thief." Behind the bare mention of the G.P.O.'s special investigation branch which has played such a big part in stamping out this form of robbery there lies a romantic story of how a small body of carefully chosen men, with headquarters in London, watch with far-seeing eyes the immense traffic in mails, involving millions of pounds, which is controlled bv the Post Office. Body of Picked Men. This small body of men is the G.P.O.'s own criminal investigation department. There are between 45 and 50 picked men in this department, each member being a fully-trained detective with specialised knowledge of every corner of Great Britain. Except for the position of its executive chief, it is, too, tho only department in the Civil Service which is not rigidly ruled by seniority judged by length of service. The men are young, keen, and intelligent, and have been selected from various departments because of the special aptitude they have shown for solving mysterious or complicated affairs which may have arisen in the course of their duties. As a result of their work in conducting many exhaustive investigations this small group of men alone save the country hundreds of thousands of pounds every year. They are detailed to keep watchful eyes on every suspicious happening—a big mailbag robbery or the minor theft of a delinquent postman—whether it be in the heart of bustling London, or in a remote villago in rural England. If a big robbery occurs in a certain town the news is immediately flashed to tho investigation branch, and one or moro of the detectives leaves at once to investigate details of the crime, solve the mystery, and, if possible, get his man. Ready for Any Emergency Each officer is on the alert and prepared for any emergency, and such are the methods of the department that the chosen investigator sent out must have a specific knowledge of the town and district and the types of people with whom he is likely to come in contact. Every man is also an expert in psychology as well as a matter-of-fact sifter of material clues to the crimes with which he deals. There is an impression that the postal criminal investigation department works constantly in co-operation with the police. This is not so, for there are innumerable occasions when the usual police methods are not conducive to getting quickly to the bottom of a mystery involving the internal affairs of Post Office routine. Again, the training of these Post Office detectives is not like that utilised by Scotland Yard. There aro no specific rules regarding physical standards, nor is there any set period for qualifying. Their training is really based on applied intelligence concerning the mysterious occurrences peculiar to tho whole business of the Post Office. Every man has full knowledge of all the intricate details of the huge traffic, and, if necessary, can carry out efficiently tho duties of postman, porter and sorter.