Pursuit by Science
| Author | Athelstan Popkess |
| Published date | 01 April 1935 |
| Date | 01 April 1935 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X3500800209 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Pursuit by Science
By
CAPTAIN
ATHELSTAN
POPKESS
Chief
Constable of
Nottingham.
THE
question is often
asked:
How
do our police forces
compare with Continental forces in crime detection?
Are we as up to date scientifically?
The
M.O. System, of course, emanated from General
Atcherley, when he was Chief Constable of the West Riding,
and finger-print classification from Scotland Yard, after its
value had been demonstrated in India. So
that
we in this
country are responsible for the two greatest advances in modern
police methods. We have during
the
past few years also made
some progress in mechanization and wireless communication;
and we have to thank
that
fine policeman,
Mr.
Crawley, of
Newcastle, for the conception of
the
police telephone box
system.
There
is, however, one thing in which we are far
behind many Continental police forces, and
that
is in forensic
chemistry.
It
is thought
that
our
efforts in Nottingham in this
direction may be of some interest, as
our
laboratory is now
properly equipped with the requisite scientist personnel and
instruments, in order
that
scientific evidence might be properly
prepared and presented in Court.
It
was recently suggested in THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
that
this
country is not so backward in the laboratory as some people
may
think;
and it was said
that
outside scientists often do
this work for the police. Now,
that
very statement proves
that the police in this country are not properly equipped
scientifically, and have to go outside
the
Service to get such
work done.
199
200
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
A police laboratory, as it is understood on
the
Continent,
is one equipped with all instruments necessary, and staffed
with all the scientists necessary, to carry
out
any task in
connexion with police scientific investigation. Indeed, so
much importance is attached to the laboratory there
that
large numbers of young police officers are sent for special
training to suitable centres where such subjects are taught.
The
idea of this training is
that
they will have a better idea
of what is required for scientific examination, etc., thereby
greatly assisting the work of the laboratory.
Work of the Scientific
Staff
After dabbling with the laboratory idea for two years in
Nottingham, we
decided"
to go
the
whole hog ", and
the
writer went to study the work done in the police laboratories
of Paris, Lyons, Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Budapest, and
Prague.
There
he was advised of
the
absolute necessity for
enlisting aproper staff of scientists before attempting to
do anything. And as the result of this advice,
the
writer
sought the permission of the Home Office to take on his
staff a biologist, a physicist, achemist, and a microscopist.
The
first three with the necessary science degrees, and
the
latter, the police officer in charge of the laboratory, with
much experience of photo-micrography and a Fellow of the
Royal Microscopical Society.
The
writer was asked when he took on these scientists
how he expected to keep
them
employed.
The
answer is
that
during the past year, what with doing cases in Nottingham
and work for other Forces, and research work, the staff are
kept very busy indeed. Also, a limited
number
of students
are taken. At the time of writing this we have one student
from as far afield as Palestine. We take this opportunity of
offering the assistance of
our
laboratory to any Force
that
would like scientific evidence prepared and given in
Court.
We have not apathologist on our staff yet, because of
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