Caught by the Flying Squad

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 1 (Supplement)

Caught by the Flying Squad

THE YARD’S NEWEST ARM

London’s War on Criminals

MEASURE for the protection of law-abiding citizens and their property has more severely handicapped criminals than the establishment at Scotland Yard of the Flying Squad. As time progresses and further developments, particularly with -wireless, are introduced, the advantage must inevitably be such as to give, crime a staggering, if not a fatal, blow. It was in July, 1920, that a small force of detectives who had always been held in reserve at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police was supplied with two motor tenders to enable them to speed up in their task of searching the streets for roaming criminals of every kind and type. An enterprising journalist at once christened this new arm the Flying Squad, an apt title which was soon officially and unofficially adopted. Before that date, of course, the radius of action of these detectives was painfully restricted. But ten years ago criminals of the worst type began to use motor-cars. Burglars, housebreakers, warehouse breakers and jewel thieves secured motor-cars and motor-vans in which, without being suspected, they could drive rapidly to and from the scene of the robbery. Scores of robberies were committed, and in London alone hundreds of thousands of pounds’ wprth of property was stolen. These thieves had pretty much of their own way. They could not be caught. It was obvious that the police had to revise their methods so as to counter the increased mobility of thieves and get on something like equal terms with them. And so the Flying Squad came into being. A few weeks after the birth of the new branch a wireless apparatus was installed in one of the motor tenders, so that detectives could be in direct momentaiy touch with headquarters. At any time of the. day or night, then, they could be immediately dispatched from anywhere to anywhere in search of wanted criminals, or to attend to any other matter. And then recently came another important boon. The new fast cars with which the Flying Squad have been provided were also equipped with wireless, and all the officers of the Squad are undergoing a course of instruction in Morse. Already wireless has resulted in some thrilling captures. A few weeks after the first wireless van was put into commission, it was returning from Epsom races when the Flying Squad received information that a gang of armed thieves intended setting out in a motor-van from the neighbourhood of Camberw'eli on an organised raid on various jewellers’ premises.

me detectives were, at once headed lor bouth London, where they patrolled the streets in their search for the gang. Midnight bad struck before a man, who was recognised as a notorious housebreaker, was seen to jump into a motor-van, which was at once driven in the direction of Tower Bridge. The detectives guessed that this must bft their quarry, and followed in their tender. The thieves —it turned out afterwards that there were seven in the van altogether—had not the least suspicion that they were being watched. They made a long detour, and at length arrived in the West End, stopping here and there to make an inspection of various premises. They did not attempt to break in anywhere, however, until they reached Piccadilly. Here one of them jumped out of the van armed with a jemmy and went up to the door of a jeweller’s shop; but for some reason or other he became alarmed and ran back to the van, which was driven rapidly away, with the police tender in pursuit. Evidently the thieves now realised that they were being chased, and they put on speed. So did the. detectives, who shot ahead, pulled up their tender broadside-on near Westminster Bridge and compelled the van to stop. There was a terrific struggle. Every one of the seven men was armed, and made desperate efforts to escape from the trap, but they were caught, bundled into the tender, and taken to the police station. They had many convictions against them, and two of them received sentences of fifteen years’ penal servitude. It is the prevention of crime—the timely frustration of serious criminal plots—that the Flying Squad, aided by wireless, will always make its principal aim. Day and night, detectives in private motor-cars which cannot be distinguished from any other cars, are patrolling various parts of London, “dragging” the streets for suspects, keeping a watchful eye on all doubtful characters in motor-cars, hunting bandits of everv description, and ready in an instant to respond to a wireless call for help no matter in what part of the seven hi’j?4red square miles of the Metropolitan Police area they may be wanted. It is a great and a serious business, and demands, on the part of Ihe officers of the Flying Squad, an extensive knowledge of criminals and their ways, and infinite patience and industry. Moreover,- these men must have nerves of steel and be willing to run the gravest risks. Thev are out to combat the most desperate criminal type—the type that will stop at nothing to achieve its ends.