CID Flashcards
Why wasn’t a detective force set up until 1842 in Whitechapel?
Since the start of the met, people were suspicious of the idea of detecting crime and seemed too much like snooping.
What did commissioner Henderson do involving the CID?
Decided to recruit more detectives, but also to move them out to the divisions, so they could work with the constables and use their local knowledge.
Commissioner Henderson’s detectives did not perform very well. Describe the ‘Trial of the detectives’.
In 1877, a group of detectives were found guilty of accepting bribes in return for protecting a gang which had stolen thousand of francs from French gamblers in an international betting scam.
What did the trial of the detectives lead to?
A reorganisation of detectives in London and were brought back under the control of a new single organisation known as the Central Investigation Division based at Scotland Yard.
Who was given the leading job of the cid and what were his tactics?
Howard Vincent and he centralised control of the cid and increased pay of detectives in order to attract the best constables. He also encouraged detectives to do more plainclothes operations, and to investigate crimes they suspect are going to happen and not wait for them to happen
Detectives worked in plainclothes to shadow suspects. Describe the other jobs they had?
From 1878 they had to look out for habitual criminals, who repeatedly committed a crime and they also had the job of supervising prisoners who had been released early for good behaviour.
What was the detectives main job?
To observe and gather information
Describe the techniques used by the detectives?
They were starting to use photography but there was no reliable way of gathering fingerprint evidence. The most usual method of getting evidence was to gather descriptions and witness statements, take cast of footprints, or to get a tip from an informant
