34
Wednesday, October 17, 1973
and listened to. It soon became apparent that the public was anxious
for a rapid expansion of a permanent police presence in estates by the
construction of new stations. Though some of these were in the pipeline
the building programme could not meet these wishes overnight, so the
system of reporting centres was greatly expanded. We now have 43, and
they are being supplemented by mobile units equipped with radio stationed
at fixed points.
The public for its part set about organising itself to make the
life of the criminal more difficult in various ways. By increased socurity in
the home and the shop and the residential block; by reporting crime when
seen; and by raising a hue and cry after criminals.
This has been done
through the excellent work of area and mutual aid committees, assisted by
the City District Officers. Might I say in parenthesis what an excellent
system that of the C.D.O's has come to be, and how constantly it proves
its worth.
This was backed by a strong publicity campaign.
A very large element in what was done was a maximum effort by
the regular police and the Auxiliaries to deter and arrest criminals and,
though tactics necessarily change from time to time, this effort is
continuing and will continue.
Five months is, of course, too short a time for decisive or permanent
results to be achieved, Moreover statistical analysis is confusing because the
success of the campaign in encouraging people to report crimes they would
not previously have done has distorted the statistics - as we always expected
/would be ..***