THE POLICE FORCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14507, 26 April 1909, Page 2

THE POLICE FORCE

NOT TO BE RETRENCHED.

STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER..

In tile reorganisation, of the civil service nothing has been <lono wit-h the l'olic« Department, and some newspaper correspondents have been asking ''Why?" It lias been publicly suggested that there is plenty of opportunity for retrenchment in the Commissioner's office, and to this Mr W Dinnie (Commissioner of Police) lias made, a reply

" Considering that the Commissioner's office stall' is the same to-day as it was in 1882, there is not much chance of proving that, unnecessary men have been engaged," remarked Mr Dinnie to a New Zealand Times representative. "In view of the work done, we have probably the smallest clerical staff of any department. Wlien the late Commissioner l'uubridge took oftice in 1869 thero were four clerks on his staff, the number of men in the Polioe Force was 484, and the population totalled 652,125. Now there are 770 men in the force, fooking after a population of over a million, and our clerical staff still numbers four." The Commissioner explained that the Finger Print Department was also located in the Government Buildings. It <vaa -established in 1903, and consisted of two clerks who not only carried out tho extremely valuable work of their special department-, but also did the photographing of prisoners, which was formerly dono by outside contractors. "Wo save' many hundreds of pounds yearly by having the police to do the photographing, outside tiruis being rarely employed," remarked the Commissioner. "We also have a specially-qualified detective whose business is to investigate matters which take him all over the Dominion. lie has been extremely busy ever since his appointment,and both tho Railway Department and the Post Ollice will testify to tho value of his serviftes, " As (or promotion, a selection is' made from the whole force when there ar« vacancies on the head office staff. The men. work hard, their duties arc highly confidential, and they must not bo overlooked for promotion when their turn comes.''