THE MOTOR'S PART IN L
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
)(ON'S POLICE EFFICIENCY.
THERE can be no doubt that a great part of the high efficiency of the Metropolitan Police is due to the extensive employment of motor vehicles, these including cars, vans and tenders, and it may surprise many of our readers to learn that the mileage of the fleet amounts to approximately 2,000,000 a year. The number of vehicles employed totals about 190, made up of 79 commercial vehicles and 110 cars of various makes, there being many Austins, 40 Beans, 42 Jowetts, Talbots, and some Lea-Francis.
As regards the commercial-vehicle fleet, this includes three ambulances, one of which is employed 'solely for sitting cases, whilst each of the others has two stretchers' with Carter's fittings. These vehicles, which, incidentally, are on Bean chassis, are solely for the use of police officers attending hospital, the sitting ambulance being used chiefly for massage cases. Of the other vehicles, 23 are 10-cwt. despatch vans, six are 25-cwt, vans employed on the Wootton-lantern service, and then there are 18-prison vans, developed from the old "Black Marias " and each carrying 12 prisoners. One
of these vehicles is a Dennis, Thilst the others are of Tilling-Stevens make. Tenders, including special Flying Squad vehicles, account for another 24, and, finally, there are four store vans, one of these being a 30-cwt. and the others 25-cwt. Beans.
It is of the utmost importance that every police station within the Metropolitan area be kept in regular communication with headquarters, and to enable this to be effected what may be termed a Carter, Paterson system has been organized and every station is visited twice a day by a despatch van, and as there are about 200 of these stations, distributed over a district the radius of which is approximately 16 miles from Charing Cross and the area 700 square miles, it is easy to judge what this system involves in the way of mileage, which is approximately 100 per day for each van.
One of the tasks undertaken by the vans is the collection of lost property, which is all conveyed to the Lost Property Office, in Lambeth Road. To avoid unnecessary mileage, the area of operations is divided, there being an inner and outer despatch organization ; thus tans from the outer stations deliver to main divisional btations, utilizing these as collecting centres from which other vans form a link between them and headquarters. At one time a fairly large fleet of motorcycles and sidecar machines was employed, but there are only 24 of these now in use, the others having been replaced by Jowett cars, which afford better protection against inclement weather. It was found that with the sidecar fleet in use much time was lost through illness amongst the drivers: • Private cars are used by superintendents and certain of the inspectors in the divisions.
Every vehicle is subjected to a conplete overhaul annually, this involving removal of the units.
The chief engineer to the Metropolitan Police is Major T. EL Vitty, Ti)., M.I.Mech.E., A.M.I.E.E., and he holds a special yearly inspection occupying three days, during which time the opportunity is taken for the issuing of new licences. There are, of course, periodical inspections on a smaller scale. Road transport forms only a portion of the work of the engineer's depaetment, which includes all the engineering services for the police and police-court buildings of the Metropolitan Police district, the maintenance and run fling of motor boats, wireless equipment, the electriclantern service, lifts, etc.
The main police garage is on the site of the old Lambeth Brewery and is in a block including the Lost Property Office and the Public Carriage Department. The garage is well designed, with large and extensive bays at the sides of a long yard, which is covered in by a roof affording ample light. The floor throughout is concreted and no freezing trouble is ever experienced, as the whole garage is heated on the hot-water system. Part of the garage is below the level of the road, and above a large proportion of it is the testing area of the Public Carriage Department, this also covering the well-equipped canteen, recreation room, office, etc. Two slopes for incoming and outgoing vehicles respectively give access to the lower part. There is also considerable accommodation for light vehicles above that part of tile garage not covered by the testing area, a slope leading to this.
The equipment is excellent, including a four-gun B.E.N.-Myers washing pump, a Black and Decker electric tyre pump, and a large Tecalemit greaser on a trolley. For the supply of petrol there are two 5,000gallon tanks, one a Bowser and the other an Anglo 'American, whilst oil is obtained from Bowser pumps.
The garage is run by a civilian staW ; as a matter of fact, there is quite a large number-of 'civilians in the Metropolitan Police service, in
cluding several hundred drivers,
fitters, electricians, etc.
At the Lambeth garage there is a branch of the main stores for consumable sup
p1 i e s, springs, wheels and tyres, and a small running repairs shop, in which a fitter and an improver are employed. The equipment here consists of a small lathe, a pedestal drilling machine and a forge, but the main works, where extensive overhauls, cellulose-spraying, bodybuilding, trimming, etc., are carried out is at the repair shop in High Street, Barnes, S.W., where are also the main stores.
With regard to the washing pump, two of the guns are employed in the lower garage and two in the upper. It may be mentioned that this pump has been working practically continuously some 18 hours a day for the year it has been in operation.
A TillingStevens breakdown vehicle is always kept in readiness at the garage, this being Mahned by the fitter and the improver to whom reference has been made. It is equipped •wi th block and tackle, towing gear, a work bench with vi c e, etc., and light plugs so arranged that the lamps employed can be moved from the work bench to the rear The hoopstick at the end is made of channel steel, well Stayed, to carry the chain tackle, and there is not a vehicle in the fleet with which it cannot deal. The other equipment carried consists of bottle jacks and fire extinguishers. Protection is afforded by a cape hood and the floor and sides are covered with steer
One of the large 30-cwt. Bean vans is used for the Receiver's Store. It is employed for conveying mattresses and other bulky but light loads.
Included within the lower part of the garage are well-built concrete loading bays with several large elec of the vehicle. tric lifts, by which the flow of goods in and out of the clothing store, etc., is expedited. '
One of the most useful types of vehicle employed in the fleet is the standard tender, with drop tailboard, upon which is a folding step. Along the sides are arranged seats which can carry 12 persons and which, when not in use, can be hinged up out of the way.
A new type of prison van is now in course of manufacture. It will include certain new features, which . will increase the safety of the occupants. It will be slightly Smaller, will run at a higher speed and will be cheaper to operate.
While looking over the vehicles we. noted that each is equipped with the new standard 131nemel number plate. This is of metal, On to which are riveted celluloid figures andletters, whilst above the plate is a• small triangular casing containing the lamp, the light from which is thrown downwards upon the number.
Another type of vehicle which we examined with interest was one of the wireless vans for the Flying Squad. This differs greatly from the old-type, Crossleys with external hinged aerial carriers. In the new vans the aerial is inside.
We were distinctly impressed by the cleanliness and the general air of efficiency which are displayed throughout the garage at Lambeth and the works at Barnes. The garage would set a very good example to many in civilian use, whilst in the works at Barnes ordinary commercial conditions obtain and it would be difficult to draw any distinction between the work carried out there and that done solely for profit. Waste is kept to a minimum and all scrap has to pass a condemnation board.