Hints for Young Detectives
| Date | 01 April 1940 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X4001300212 |
| Author | Arthur Pelling |
| Published date | 01 April 1940 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Hints for Young Detectives
By
DET.
SUPERINTENDENT
ARTHUR
PELLING
County Borough of Brighton Police
PERSONAL
QUALITIES
WHEN a young officer enters the
C.LD.
he usually has
a vague and queer idea as to the way in which the work
is carried out. He quickly finds that it is not
run
on the lines
adopted by Sherlock Holmes, and possibly for the first few
months he is engaged on circulations, Crime Index and
interviewing callers, etc.
Eventually he is drafted to a district and shown
"the
ropes " by an experienced officer. He soon begins to realise
that he requires to have imagination, a good stock of patience,
tact, courtesy, a sense of fairness and consideration for
prisoners and, above all,just
common
sense.
As he proceeds he will become possessed of an immense
and intimate knowledge of the private lives of many people.
Yet he must never hint at or make this knowledge public.
Imagine the social mischief that would ensue otherwise.
In
the course of his daily duties, the detective will
encounter many matters of much difficulty upon which he
must decide on the instant. Unlike the solicitor, who can
refer to his musty law books and generally has time for
reflection, the detective must carry his knowledge of law and
duty in his head.
There
is only one way in which he can do this.
He
must
be prepared.
If
he makes a wrong decision, he is likely to
come in for plenty of criticism in the courts. Indeed, it
sometimes appears that the detective is as much on trial as the
prisoner.
Too
frequently His Majesty's Judges administer
severe rebukes.
I would recommend any young detective not to be
196
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