Arrest of a Burglar
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6103400504 |
| Date | 01 September 1961 |
| Published date | 01 September 1961 |
| Author | Rex Fletcher |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DETECTIVE
SUPERINTENDENT
REX FLETCHER,
Criminal Investigation Department,
Nottingham City Police
Arrest
of
a
Burglar
This is an account of events leading to the arrest of Ronald Wells,
30 years, in Nottingham, on October 6, 1957, for 154 offences of
burglary committed during that year in Nottingham City and
Nottinghamshire.
The objects in publishing this account are:
(1) The investigation, which lasted over many months, was typical
of many of the less publicized and less
"glamorous"
in-
vestigations the police conduct from time to time.
It
has none
of the fascinating aspects that some major crime inquiries have
and neither did it receive, or deserve, any of the sensational
press reports that so often inspire investigating officers to
perform incredible feats of endurance and detection.
It
was an
investigation regarding burglary and
caI1ed
for patient routine
and sometimes dull work. In passing, it may be asked if this all
too prevalent crime has now become absorbed into the general
category of breaking and entering offences, without real appre-
ciation of the special terror that its commission can cause?
Parliament certainly passed silent comment when it imposed
the liability of a life sentence on any person found guilty of
committing such a crime.
(2) The success of this investigation was entirely the result of
practical police work. At no time was there opportunity to
utilize the many scientific aids available to the police and which
so frequently form the basis of articles in
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL.
It
thus has the value of emphasizing the all-important human
element in criminal police work.
(3) During the inquiry several hundred members of the public
were questioned under circumstances of the kind that some-
times result in complaints regarding the manner in which
officers conduct their inquiries. As will be seen from this
account, the police/public relations in this investigation were
as they should
be-tact
and efficiencyon the part of the police;
tolerance and understanding on that of the
public-with
the
result that no complaints were received.
323 September-October
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