"I'm All Right. . .
Page 31
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ONE of the most deplorable aspects of post-war Britain is the deterioration of relations between the police and the public. One of the reasons may well be increased police activity directed against road users in an effort to reduce accidents and to prevent the complete stagnation of. traffic. Another is the widespread attitude of self-interest epitomized by the popular expression, "I'm all right, Jack."
It is in this atmosphere of apathy and hostility towards authority that thefts of commercial vehicles and their loads are growing to alarming proportions. Crime is, of course, increasing everywhere, and statistics show that it is greater than at any time since records were first kept. Without the co-operation of the public the police are unable to check it. There are only 75,000 policemen to a population of 45m., or one for every 500 acres. They cannot hope to carry out their duties effectively working entirely on their own.
The motor vehicle has not only made criminals highly mobile, but has provided them with a valuable source of loot. The vehicles security committee of the Road Haulage Association have tried to make commercial-vehicle operators aware of the risks that beset them, but the response so far has been most discouraging. ,There seems to be a widespread belief that trouble always occurs to the other fellow and, except in a minority of cases, little is being done to foil the thieves who prey on commercial vehicles. . .
This is the more surprising because much can be. done without expense to prevent thefts merely by exercising normal commercial prudence. In addition, the cost of safety devices is infinitesimal compared with the cost of the loss of a vehicle or its load.
It is true that loads would not be stolen if thieves could not find a ready market for their hauls. The courts must deal more severely with receivers of stolen goods, as well as with the thieves themselves. But far too many thieves go unapprehended because the public, including commercial-vehicle operators, fail to support the police. 'It is everyone's duty to inform the police of any suspicious activity, and all drivers should be warned to notify them, at once of any dubious transfer of loads. The fund being established by the R.H.A. to reward drivers who help in the prevention of robberies should provide an incentive to vigilance, although the need for monetary recognition of the performance of a plain duty is a poor commentary on post-war ethics.