The Influence Of Vollmer On Policing

Vollmer also was interested in the “hard sciences” and how they could be used in policing. He was one of the first police chief to recognize that nearly every phrase of policing was complex and that not only was training of officers required, but so was using technology.

This resulted in his establishing a forensics laboratory to assist his police force in solving crimes.

He was aware that in France and other countries they were often focused not just on the crime but on the criminal and he imported the concept of modus operandi – which translated from Latin means the method of operation; in other words, how does the individual criminal typically operate? By understanding the way certain criminals went about their business, Vollmer believed,