Recent Book: Good Plain Tale: Murder on the a 34
| Author | Quaestor |
| Published date | 01 October 1970 |
| Date | 01 October 1970 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X7004301017 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
subject,' the writer does an
important
analysis of the
"operating
time
interval" or "response time" as we
know it, into constituent parts: 1 from
the commission
of
the crime until
someone lifts the telephone to inform
the police, e.g. an interval which is
reduced to zero by the silent automatic
burglar
alarm;
2. time interval from
then until the police answer, largely a
matter for the telephone engineer;
3. from police answering, until the
despatch
of
a police
car;
4. from
radio reception by police car until
arrival at scene
of
crime.
He comes to the conclusion, with
which few
can
disagree,
that
atotal
response time
of
less
than
three
minutes is to be aimed at, as only then
fully justifying the expense
of
the
whole communications system and
giving reasonable apprehension capa-
bility. In view of the long history of the
"999"
system here, it makes strange
reading
that
something similar is only
just being adopted in the United
States.
Quite rightly, emphasis is placed on
the correct training
of
operation
room
personnel, but not everyone would
agree
that
mere volume of message
traffic, as in large conurbations,
necessitates separation of the functions
of receiving messages and the dis-
patching of cars. To do this inevitably
means delay while a message is made
out
for the dispatcher, who is
not
always in a position then to receive
follow-up information which may be
vital. In this position, too, the separate
dispatcher may have the unenviable
task
of
deciding priorities.
Bearing in mind
that
"response
time"
governs "apprehension capa-
bility", there is a notable omission in
that
there is no mention
of
the collec-
tion
of
the block plans of premises in
which alarms are fitted, and which are
to be found in most police
operation
rooms. The relaying over the air
of
the
number and position
of
exits,
of
the
number
of
men required to
man
them,
and
of
any special means of escape
from the burgled premises, to patrol
cars on their way to the scene, is in-
valuable
both
in cutting down
"run-
ning time", and avoiding intruder
escapes.
The teleprinter is dealt with fairly
briefly, except in its possible use in
mobiles,
and
the potential
of
police
television in crime detection is not
explored in any depth.
The
development
of
the computer,
both
for traffic and for record purposes
and nationally as well as locally, forms
a useful section,
of
value to readers in
this country, who still await their
"NPC"
and it will hearten them to
know
that
average response time from
the U.S. National Crime
Information
Centre of 15 seconds (from terminals)
and 90 seconds (from police radio in
street) are currently being obtained.
National disasters from floods,
tornadoes or snowstorms are far more
common
in the United States
than
in
this country, but a comprehensive
account
of
a mobile police station is
to be found in this section.
Professor Leonard's book includes
abibliography for those who wish to
pursue their studies in this field.
In an early chapter, he is
of
the
opinion
that
the police officer's tra-
ditional indeoendence of status was
the result
of
lack
of
communications
at the outset, and some of his readers
will inevitably wonder whether the
instant communications enjoyed nowa-
days will begin to erode
that
principle.
GEORGE
TWIST
GOOD
PLAIN
TALE
HARRY
HAWKES:
Murder on the A 34. John Long. 35s.
This is a seasoned crime reporters'
account
of
the investigation of the
murder
of the little girl, Christine
Darby, one
of
the longest and most
sustained criminal enquiries ever made
in this country. Mr Hawkes is crime
reporter of the Birmingham Evening
Mail and it is appropriate
that
a
newspaperman should have been the
chronicler of a case in which, as Mr
Arthur
Rees, Chief Constable of
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ack-
nowledges in his foreword, the press
played a helpful part.
340
The story is told accurately and
temperately, without the sensationa-
lism and moralizing
that
such matters
usually give rise to, and due credit is
given to the work
of
the local force as
well as to the splendid effort of Mr
Ian Forbes and Scotland Yard. Mr
Hawkes writes with feeling for both
police and public sentiment and the
book gives useful insights into tech-
niques
of
criminal investigation.
It
may be confidently recommended to
police officers or to members of the
public.
QUAESTOR
October 1970
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