That is probably true regarding law enforcement agencies, but the banks certainly do. When my wife worked for a bank about seventeen years ago she used to get a heads up when they came into town from the management. Check kiting, short changing and stolen checks would increase dramatically.
Islington , in North London , used to be a very nice place to live back in the late 70's and early 80's when I used to hand out around there quite a bit ( had an English girlfriend who lived there doncha know ) ...Looks like things have changed , and for the worse ...
I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that! They all have very similar, and often identical, first, middle, and last names, so it's hard to keep a paper trail on them. What I wonder is, what do banks do when the check is legit, gotten by intimidation out of an eldery person for a roofing or paving "services" done by the Travelers who are demanding immediate payment? Their MO is (or was, at least) to cash the check within an hour or so of receiving it.