How would YOU catch the Ripper?

[GUT]

Thanks, Michael. This is pretty much my own thinking. The problem, as always, is the practicality of it. This would have required more men than Warren could reasonably have had available. I do think, as I posted earlier, that if the police made a mistake it was in challenging only those they perceived to be from the working classes. All men aged 20 to 50 who were out and about between midnight and 4am should have been stopped and searched. If necessary specific emergency legislation should have been passed to enable such action to be lawfully undertaken.

G'day Bridewell

But I think you have the same problem, if not a greater one, with the stop and search as with the checkpoint manpower if you wish to do a half decent job of it.

[Bridewell]

The thread asks what would you have done to catch the Ripper...and for me, since the police had already acquired the right to go door to door and enter premises checking for clues,..that they petition for the right to install checkpoints throughout the district, to be manned all night by the men that normally would have been walking beats on those nights.

Checkpoints at intersections, checkpoints along major throughways, checkpoints in places where alleys and streets converge, checkpoints at suspected Lodging houses, like the Victorian Mens Home or at Batty Street. The right to stop and question anyone. The right to search anyone who appears suspect. The right to arrest and/or question anyone who seems in any way mentally challenged or compromised.

Either they would have run into him via a checkpoint, or they would have reduced his opportunities, stopped him from going out at night, or increased his risk of capture should he be unable to stop despite the police precautions.

Cheers

Thanks, Michael. This is pretty much my own thinking. The problem, as always, is the practicality of it. This would have required more men than Warren could reasonably have had available. I do think, as I posted earlier, that if the police made a mistake it was in challenging only those they perceived to be from the working classes. All men aged 20 to 50 who were out and about between midnight and 4am should have been stopped and searched. If necessary specific emergency legislation should have been passed to enable such action to be lawfully undertaken.

[GUT]

The thread asks what would you have done to catch the Ripper...and for me, since the police had already acquired the right to go door to door and enter premises checking for clues,..that they petition for the right to install checkpoints throughout the district, to be manned all night by the men that normally would have been walking beats on those nights.

Checkpoints at intersections, checkpoints along major throughways, checkpoints in places where alleys and streets converge, checkpoints at suspected Lodging houses, like the Victorian Mens Home or at Batty Street. The right to stop and question anyone. The right to search anyone who appears suspect. The right to arrest and/or question anyone who seems in any way mentally challenged or compromised.

Either they would have run into him via a checkpoint, or they would have reduced his opportunities, stopped him from going out at night, or increased his risk of capture should he be unable to stop despite the police precautions.

Cheers

G'day Michael

At least they would have had a better idea of who was out and about. However f he was a local, he may well have still slipped by.

[GUT]

Frankly said, that's nonsense, why would he kill them to survive?

Because that's what he believed, or because he was so unbalanced the only way he could continue with his life was by killing, people with mental instability think some strange things.

[Michael W Richards]

The thread asks what would you have done to catch the Ripper...and for me, since the police had already acquired the right to go door to door and enter premises checking for clues,..that they petition for the right to install checkpoints throughout the district, to be manned all night by the men that normally would have been walking beats on those nights.

Checkpoints at intersections, checkpoints along major throughways, checkpoints in places where alleys and streets converge, checkpoints at suspected Lodging houses, like the Victorian Mens Home or at Batty Street. The right to stop and question anyone. The right to search anyone who appears suspect. The right to arrest and/or question anyone who seems in any way mentally challenged or compromised.

Either they would have run into him via a checkpoint, or they would have reduced his opportunities, stopped him from going out at night, or increased his risk of capture should he be unable to stop despite the police precautions.

Cheers

[JadenCollins]

G'day Jaden

You say the victims did what they had to to survive. That can, you know apply to Jack as well.

Frankly said, that's nonsense, why would he kill them to survive?

[GUT]

G'day Jaden

You say the victims did what they had to to survive. That can, you know apply to Jack as well.

[JadenCollins]

I can't wait for that day to come, time traveling would be so awesome.

If I could go back to 1888, I would so change history, make it all undone.
I don't think anyone deserves this, so what if the victims were that kinda people, still humans you know, they did what they did to survive, which I can understand and have respect for. JTR was a monster, and he's the only one that deserves to be punished like that or worse. Someone like him is not human, he probably looks like one, might act like one but has no humanity at all! I would go back in time and do anything I can to stop him, stopping him is possible, but no one can do it alone. There are people saying they can do it all by themselves, wait 'til you're face to face with JTR, you'd act differently. I know many of you would disagree with me, but it's my opinion, my thoughts, and I'm gonna stick with it.

[Abby Normal]

First,I would have taken photographs of all the male witnesses who could also have possibly been the killer and shown them to all the other witnesses to see if there was a match.

Secondly, I would have paid women/prostitutes to act as bait and have them watched by disguised detectives and in lew of actually catching the ripper in the act, would then arrest every man who gave them money and question them about being the killer.

thirdly, I would not have erased the GSG, but would have photographed it to see if it matched any of the handwriting of suspects, and also done the same with the Dear boss and From hell handwriting.

[dahler101]

Hard one

This is a hard one to answer, I know how I would try and catch the Ripper if I had modern police tactics, equipment, forensic techniques and such, but this is a hard question to answer.

If I could go back I suppose the best way would be to catch him in the act knowing were he would strike would be useful, and I could employ several undercover PC's and possibly run servaliance from the apartments were Chapman was murdered.

[Harry D]

Revisiting this topic for a moment (if people can prize themselves away from Shawlgate), having given it some consideration, I think if I had one chance to catch JTR, it would have to be after MJK's murder. Generally considered to be the peak of the Ripper murders and with the killer himself cornered, it would present me with my best chance of nabbing our man. I'd wait in the alleyway outside Millers Court and catch him on the way out.

Of course this throws up its own set of problems. For example, loitering around the place would attract unnecessary attention, possibly from our friend Mr. Hutch, if not the victim and killer themselves. Then of course the moral argument of allowing an innocent woman to meet a grisly end, but technically speaking, she was already dead. With some doubt over MJK's exact time of death, what if I end up jumping the wrong fella? Oh, and the tiny matter of tackling a knife-wielding maniac in the darkness. Just goes to show that even with the benefit of hindsight and a time machine, catching the Ripper would be no mean feat.

[Beowulf]

So we'd actually have to "stake out" each of the canonical five cases, as well as those that might trouble us (i.e. Emma Smith, Marther Turner) just to make sure that the killer is the same or that they are different...Jeff

Yes. This you would have to do. Then of course, knowing it was the same man you could follow him home where to be sure the implements of destruction must be kept. Report him as a suspicious character, pointing out you saw the weapons and observed him one of the nights in question.

Once they searched his house I would think they'd nab him.

The case would be solved but the women would be dead just the same

The other thing that would be interesting would be to hang around and see why he stopped after 1888.

I think I would not miss having a drink at the Ten Bells if I were there back then. Course as someone said you'd have to be there a while, bringing clothes with you, and this might necessitate staying in White Chapel's awful dos houses.

[Robert]

He probably defaced his library books by writing in them. I mean, if you're reading "Pride And Prejudice" do you really want to see "Grand work, the last job was" scrawled in the margin?

[Wickerman]

Assuming we have the benefit of hindsight, I want to know what is up with the GSG. Did he write it? If he did, it would be great to apprehend him as he chalked the message. Tap him on the shoulder (someone with long arms should do this) and inform him he is under arrest for defacing property and littering.

And don't forget making racist comments.
Our Jack was a really bad boy, I'll bet his library books were overdue too...

[Barnaby]

Assuming we have the benefit of hindsight, I want to know what is up with the GSG. Did he write it? If he did, it would be great to apprehend him as he chalked the message. Tap him on the shoulder (someone with long arms should do this) and inform him he is under arrest for defacing property and littering.