The Property Index of the Criminal Record Office at New Scotland Yard
| Date | 01 October 1939 |
| Author | J. A. Kennedy |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3901200405 |
| Published date | 01 October 1939 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
The
Property Index of the Criminal
Record Office at
New
Scotland Yard
By
DETECTIVE-SERGEANT
J. A.
KENNEDY
Metropolitan
Police
YOU have no doubt read or heard agreat deal about many
of the branches of the Police Service operating from New
Scotland Yard,
but
there is one branch, the working of which,
through the mere fact of its utility, has not been advertised,
eulogised or even mentioned in any newspaper, periodical
or broadcast, and yet it merits as much praise as any. I refer
to the Property Index, a section of the Criminal Record Office
of New Scotland Yard.
How many people, seeing a big conflagration, stop to
think of the fireman at the hydrant round the corner, working
unostentatiously, supplying the necessary water for the men
at the actual scene of the fire?
The
Property Index is analo-
gous to the man at the hydrant, its duties do not bring it under
the eye of the public, and the credit for its successes more
often than not go to the officer investigating the case, who in
all probability could not have brought his enquiry to a success-
ful conclusion without the collaboration of Property Index.
Even by police officers themselves it is not sufficiently realised
what an important factor property can be in the successful
conclusion of an investigation.
It
always has played an
important part, because in every case of stealing and in many
cases where property is obtained by fraud, a description of
the articles can be obtained.
All police officers realise that very often at the outset of
an enquiry the description given by the loser of property is
of varying degrees of accuracy,
but
by a certain amount of
judicious questioning, cross-examination if you like, it is
possible to obtain a really good description. In cases where
no person has been seen, and there is no suspect, as in the
majority of cases of housebreaking or burglary, or in many
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