§ MR. WALSHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the numerous robberies of jewels that have lately occurred in London and its neighbourhood, and whether he will institute an inquiry into the conduct of the police on account of their apparent inability either to prevent the crimes or detect the perpetrators?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSSir, it is quite true that valuable jewels have lately been stolen from the Great Western Railway Station, and that a number of burglaries, resulting in the loss of similar property, have been reported from the neighbourhood of Windsor. But in no case have these occurrences happened within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police. I am happy to say that within their jurisdiction robberies have been extremely rare of late, owing, as we believe, to the system of night patrols which has been established for the special purpose of preventing burglaries. Every assistance will be given to the county police in the neighbourhood of Windsor for the detection of the perpetrators of the recent burglaries there, and the prevention of similar occurrences in future. At the same time, it would be well that a little more care should be exercised by the owners of valuable property than has sometimes been the case hitherto. I may also state to the House that several members of a well-known gang of burglars have recently been apprehended and sentenced to 20 years' penal servitude.