POLICEMEN'S GRIEVANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 197, 19 August 1913, Page 6

POLICEMEN'S GRIEVANCES.

SERGEANTS TAKE ACTION. PETITION TO MINISTER. A circular emanating from the Minister of Justice, issued recently to the police force, specified conditions under which members of the detective staff could reenter tlie uniform branch after a period of service and assume a rank corresponding to that of sergeant. This was regarded by the present sergeants as "the last straw," and the result was immediate and united action of the police officers in that position throughout the Dominion. It is understood that several meetings of the Auckland sergeante were held to go into the matter, and opportunity was taken at the same time to ventilate a number of long-standing grievances. After due consideration a definite decision was reached, and various requests were forwarded to the Minister of Justice through the ordinary channels. Although the letter was dispatched over three weeks ago no reply has yet been received. In the communication it was pointed out, in the first place, that, according to the terms of the circular, provision was made whereby, under certain circumstances, a detective of less service could be placed on a better footing than a sergeant. If this was carried into effect it would mean that a detective who had had comparatively little service became senior to sergeants who had been in the force for twice as long. It is stateil that it is the opinion of the sergeants and of the detectives that the uniform and plain clothes branches should be apart and separate, the detectives being specialists in crime detection, while the uniform branch were utilised more particularly in crime prevention and the control of traffic. The petition sent tr> the Minister also asked tlv.it provision should be made for sergeants to have one day off a month. At present sergeants have no recognised time off duty other than one Sunday in three, which more often than not works out at one Sunday in four. It is pointed out. in comparison, thai members of tihe detective staff are -off duty on every second Sunday, and have a regular weekly Iksdf-'holrclay. A general increase in the ravtee of pay ,ts desired, -and the Auckland sergeants have requested that, the minimum pay be increased from 11/ to 11/(i per day, and the .maximum from 12/6 to 14/6. As an ars;vrment in favour of these increases, il is stated tha-t the present minimum is only od. in advance of' a con6ta.ble T s miximum pay. while the maximum is - 2/(i a day less than Phat of the maximum detective remuneration.' A suggestion was added to the petition that 60 years be the compulsory retiring age in all branvh-es of the force, with o.t years as an option for any -member who has completed 30 y< w .trs service. Although the requests fro,m the different centres in the Dominion differ in detail, it is understood that the sergeant** are unanimous in their disapproval of (he ■proposals regarding the facilities granted to the detectives for Te-*>rrtonn<j Ihe uniform branch.