Some Observations on the Prevention of Crime
| Date | 01 July 1946 |
| Published date | 01 July 1946 |
| Author | K. H. Woolnough |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X4601900311 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
232
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
Parachute Brigade, with whom a very close liaison has been carried on.
The
men have taken full advantage of
the
training given them by these
experts and have responded wholeheartedly.
Before closing, a word about the former police officers who had
suffered the mental and physical trials of
3!
years of internment. I was
able to visit them on the day of our arrival. Considering what they had
gone through, many were in remarkably good form. Some were able to
give us invaluable assistance and advice before they proceeded on leave.
It
is our intention
that
those who return will be able to see
that
the
foundations of the new Force have been well and truly laid.
Some Observations on the Prevention
of Crime
By
DETECTIVE
SERGEANT
K. H.
WOOLNOUGH,
B.A. (Cantab.)
Lincolnshire County Constabulary
ACON SIDERABLE number of articles have appeared recently in
police publications, including THE
POLICE
JOURNAL,
which give a
clear indication of a new
trend
of thought amongst those who would
shape police practice.
This
tendency is to emphasise the importance of
that
part of police duty which deals with the prevention of crime.
The
reason for this line of thought seems clear,
but
why it is only
now becoming' pronounced is not quite so apparent.
An examination of crime statistics will show
that
in this country
the proportion of crimes committed per million of population has
steadily increased since 1919, almost without let. On the other hand,
generally speaking, the percentage of detected crime prior to 1940 is
known to have been high.
Thus
it can be said that, whilst the Police
have attained ahigh degree of efficiency in
the
detection of crime,
crime continues to increase, and
that
it is therefore obvious
that
the
deterrent influence exerted upon offenders by
the
detection of crime,
and subsequent punishment of
the
culprit, is of itself insufficient to
stay
the
increase, much less to reduce the incidence, of criminal
behaviour.
The
duty of preventing crime is no less a part of a police-
man's work than is
the
detection of crime, and therefore
the
only way
by which the Police can hope further to make a contribution to
the
reduction of crime is by paying agreat deal more attention to
the
question of prevention.
The
sudden appearance of this line of thought may be due to
the
effort, which has been necessary during the acute man-power shortage,
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