Norwich Mercury Dec 8 1821

[Fitty]

On Monday last three men, supposed to be Londoners, went into the public house kept by SKIPPER, the pedestrian, and offered to the master of it some goods for sale:  he told them he had not money sufficient, but requested to call the next day. In the interim Skipper gave information to KEMP,  the Mayor's Officer, who laid wait for the men: they however did not make their appearance. Kemp having gained intelligence that they were gone to Thetford to get rid of the goods, immediately pursued, in company with Skipper, and, on arriving at Thetford, apprehended the persons at the Griffin public-house, with the property upon them. Considerable praise is due both to Kemp and Skipper for their immediate exertions, and there would be less danger of robbing to be apprehended were such active and immediate pursuit constantly adopted.
On Wednesday T W STEVENSON apprehended ---- POLL, for having a copper boiler in his possession belonging to Mr WOODROW of Lakenham. It is a curious fact, that on the night the boiler was stolen, Mr Woodrow in company with his wife, met a person carrying a boiler, which Mrs W suspected was her own, and communicated her suspicion to her husband who did not suppose it to be his property, but it proves be the same now found on Poll's premises.
On Wednesday evening HARDIMENT, who was lately apprehended in Yorkshire on a suspicion of being concerned in the murder of Mr BAKER, sen of Wells, arrived in the custody of the Governor of our county gaol, and was safely lodged in that prison.
The recital of these repeated scenes of plunder must prove to a demonstration that they are not the casual effects of necessity, but the regular efforts and occupation of professed thieves. The frequency implies the whole train of receivers and salesmen. To put down the trade they must be hunted out by  a police as regularly trained, supported and paid. We heard of a meeting some time ago of country gentlemen with a view to such an establishment, but no practical purpose appears to have been answered. Indeed nothing can be well less efficient than the general police seems to be. We hear continual complaints of officers who do exert themselves receiving no adequate remuneration for time and peril. We believe that Kemp, Mayes and Stevenson, all of them most meritorious and active men, who seem to have as much interest in following a thief as a hound in pursuit of a hare, have seldom and sometimes never been paid for their exertions. For the apprehension of Howlett after the bu!
rglary at Hethersett, Stevenson has not yet received a penny. But the evil is gathering to a head, and we earnestly wish we could incite our citizens to shut the stable door before the steed is stolen. There should be a public meeting called, and efficient measures proposed for the protection of property and life, for unless something of this sort be done it is probable the sacrifice of the one will be considerable, if not of the other. But let the sleepers beware, for
"Following crimes on former wait -
The worst of creatures fastest propogate."