How Much Credit to Police?

[FrankO]

The only clues to aid identification were those like what he was able to do, how he did it, and possibly the times he chose to operate .

Very true, Doc, although, of course, they were still vague enough to lead the police to the right door. Or maybe they did arrive at the right door without them knowing that in the end.

[Monty]

This ia true although I'd say there opinions are very flawed.

In what way John?

[Monty]

Hi RD,

I agree that the West Yorkshire police made big mistakes, but that's not necessarily true for the police investigating the JtR case.

Furthermore, you seem to forget that, back in 1888, the police needed to catch such a killer in the act. If they didn't, their best chance of catching him would be if he would come forward & confess or if they got lucky enough with one or preferably more witness descriptions. Otherwise, they had nothing to help them. No fingerprinting, they couldn't even say if blood was human or not.

As to Tani's questions in the OP, I put no particular stock in opinions of individual police officers, as they were 'just' opinions without having anybody behind bars or, as far as we know, having enough evidence to point the finger at any individual.

Cheers,
Frank

There is a lot of ignorance on 1888 police procedure, Comparing it to 1970s or today is akin to comparing Formula 1 racing from 1950s to 2000.

Its a lazy statement
.

[FrankO]

There is a lot of ignorance on 1888 police procedure, Comparing it to 1970s or today is akin to comparing Formula 1 racing from 1950s to 2000.

Its a lazy statement
.

Totally agree, Neil.

[John Wheat]

In what way John?

They are riddled with personal biases and the flawed thinking of the time.

[c.d.]

They are riddled with personal biases and the flawed thinking of the time.

What was their flawed thinking?

c.d.

[John Wheat]

What was their flawed thinking?

c.d.

Preconceived ideas of who the Ripper was. A mad foreigner etc.

[spyglass]

I have always believed that the Police threw out smoke screens and red herrings, especially years later after the events in memoirs and interviews .
when you think on how many senior detectives were on the case, and yet hardly any if all of them name the same suspect.
Abberline supposedly naming Chapman at his poisoning trial being a fine example if true.

Regards.

[Sunny Delight]

We have seen even in very recent times, misogyny, racism and anti-semitism played out in the MET. Report after report. And we are now 137 years from the events of the Ripper. The world of that time is like going to Mars for us it is so alien. So I think there can be little to no doubt that such ideas and prejudices were very prevalent in the 1880's Police force. Most would accept the Police did about as good a job as one could expect in regards investigative process. But the preconceived notions possibly played out in later years.

For instance Robert Anderson after the large scale house to house searches following the double event declared no tangible clue could be found. Years later he has turned that on its head. The house to house searches confirmed in his mind that it was some crazy Jew. That is one example of a kind of warped thinking.

[spyglass]

We have seen even in very recent times, misogyny, racism and anti-semitism played out in the MET. Report after report. And we are now 137 years from the events of the Ripper. The world of that time is like going to Mars for us it is so alien. So I think there can be little to no doubt that such ideas and prejudices were very prevalent in the 1880's Police force. Most would accept the Police did about as good a job as one could expect in regards investigative process. But the preconceived notions possibly played out in later years.

For instance Robert Anderson after the large scale house to house searches following the double event declared no tangible clue could be found. Years later he has turned that on its head. The house to house searches confirmed in his mind that it was some crazy Jew. That is one example of a kind of warped thinking.

An excellent point, I've thought along those lines as well, I'm betting that certain info/statements were judged on the class of person who gave them.

This was very evident in what happened during the sinking of the Titanic at the enquiry, lower class survivors testimonies were disregarded in favour of surviving officers who were considered more reliable because of their standing.

regards

[Scott Nelson]

The house to house searches confirmed in his mind [Anderson's] that it was some crazy Jew. That is one example of a kind of warped thinking.

It would be nice if this statement could be expanded upon. Personally, I think there may have been suspicions recorded about Kosminski by police at his household and only much later confirmed by family members.

[seanr]

Personally, I think there may have been suspicions recorded about Kosminski by police at his household and only much later confirmed by family members.

I don't think so, no. Kosminski appears to have first come to the notice of Police when he gave his name as Aaron Kosminski when he was stopped for walking with an unmuzzled dog. His 'proper' name was thought to be Aaron Abrahams and it was suspected he had given a false name in questioning. His brother Isaac spoke for him / defended him before the magistrate, Aaron either hardly spoke English or preferred to speak Yiddish, and explained their real name was Kosminski but the Abrahams name was adopted because the English found Kosminski so hard to pronounce.

Quite what Aaron was doing in the West End with an unmuzzled dog which was not his own, is anyone's guess, but he was fined for it.

[C. F. Leon]

There is a lot of ignorance on 1888 police procedure, Comparing it to 1970s or today is akin to comparing Formula 1 racing from 1950s to 2000.

Its a lazy statement
.

Poor analogy, Monty, since I'm betting that most of the readership here knows little of the history of Formula 1 Racing. I certainly don't.