The Promotion Exams
| Published date | 01 July 1963 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6303600707 |
| Author | J. Daniel Devlin |
| Date | 01 July 1963 |
| Subject Matter | Research |
SUPERINTENDENT
J.
DANIEL
DEVLIN,
LL.B.
Of
the Southend-on-Sea Constabulary and the Directing
Staff
of
the
Police College
The seventh
of
a series
of
articles
of
interest to examination candidates
and all concerned with training.
TIlE
PROMOTION EXAMS
VII
...
PREVENTION OF CRIME
Many provisions of the criminal law are concerned, not so much
with punishing substantive crimes,
but
with preventing crimes by
punishing conduct which leads to them. These provisions fall into
two principal groups: first, those at common law which are often
called
"inchoate"
or
"preparatory"
crimes, such as attempts,
soliciting, and conspiracy; and secondly, the statutory provisions
whereby incipient criminal behaviour can be dealt with by empower-
ing the police to arrest and proceed against loiterers, frequenters,
and others whose actions bring them under suspicion.
It
is this
second group which is the subject of this and the succeeding articles.
The offences here to be considered are often referred to collec-
tively under the broad heading of " prevention
of
crime",
a con-
venient title which suggests the object of the branch of the law.
This should not be confused with
"crime
prevention" which in
recent years has come to have a technical and precise meaning; it
means the propaganda and other means whereby the public are
persuaded to protect their property and persons and defeat the
actions
of
criminals.
The subject is best considered under five headings: (1) suspected
persons; (2) offensive weapons; (3) housebreaking implements;
(4) persons found in buildings; and
(5)"
seventh
section"
offenders.
SUSPECTED PERSONS
The subject-matter
of
headings (1)-(4) above are offences created
by s. 4 of the Vagrancy Act, 1824, and s. 28 of the Larceny Act,
1916. The offences in one enactment are very similar to those in
the other, the most notable difference being that the Larceny Act
offences may only be committed at night (indeed, they are known
as
the"
night misdemeanours "), while those under the Vagrancy
Act may be committed at any time. Section 4 contains many offences
all
of
which have the effect of making the offenders
"rogues
and
vagabonds"
and four of which are to be considered in these articles.
One of the offences relates to " suspected
persons"
and the appro-
priate limb of the section (it is not arranged in sub-sections) reads:
Every suspected person or reputed thief frequenting or loitering about
or in any river, canal, or navigable stream, dock, or basin, or any quay,
wharf, or warehouse near or adjoining thereto, or any street, highway, or
July 1963 344
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