THE DETECTIVE FORCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 145, 19 June 1915, Page 9

THE DETECTIVE FORCE.

A GRAVE BLUNDER. SERIOUS TROUBLE THREATENED. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star") (-ffiISTCHUR-a, this day. A reporter was toJd yesterday as a piece of "'-side information" that unless some more daylight is shed on the alleged proposals of the Commissioner of Police in regard to the detective force, it will he found that v grave blunder has been perpetrated without wariiln_ and the force will be quietly dissolved. Wliefe-or tin- iiiebiiluous proposals arc going .to take form or not reni-iiis to lie Vivn. One member of the force -tatct. that it is intended *,o put plain clothes men on detective work for three lean's under the drectiion of the senior i-er geants. who are U-iforoied officers wit 1 : no aptitude for _etwtlv« work. TUt plain clot lies men thus smleeted would sioiply mark time, waiting for the eoun try appointments, which seem to he part nf the scheme. If detectives were ro taiucd in reduced numbers for speeia cneea there would be divided authiority and -the two branches would ekt-h. Th< represvntatives ni the uniformed brand \vm_d he trying to get all the eniril possible for thei-Celves, and tlie resull would be bungling. More than one de tevtive referred to the years of tr.ii-in} required to 111 a man fur their particuln: br.UK-h of w.,rk.

FEELING IN AUCKLAND. SKELETON DETELTU'E BRAM.H. HEINC SECRETLY STRANGLED. There is undoubtedly a growing di-cnn-tent ami uneisincss in the Auckland detective branch the attitude nt headquarters, a- shown in a number "I recent happenings. .\ remark passed to a 'Star" representative, "the detective branch is going to be wiped right out." voices a suspici.ui that 111- for snine lime been manifested among the Auckland detective- whenever conversation has turned recently nn matters euueerning the pnl," for-,-. Though nn ilet ■,- five w-mil-l venture 1 detinite individual npinion when the question vva.s put directly by .1 pn--mau. the whole tr, ml of stray remarks showed a dcep-se.iteil uneasiness, and the general rniiliiuie.i opinion that the detective as a spec 1:11 is ; is about to be wiped out of existence. Further, it is believe.l that the proves.- - of obliteration has already tM'en systematically undertaken, and is intended tn jbe carried out quietly, unannounced, and furtively, in the face of all existing regulations. |~ The "facts gleaned by ,1 -Star repiv- . tentative in recent weeks as having 'caused discontent in the detective ranks 1 and _ dread that they arc doomed tv ' s,vret extinction can be tubulated thus: Detectives of high repute and skill in criminal in_—itigation and year- ut -\ perienee, have been transferred to the 'uniform branch as sub-ini-p-.-cio - ; actin_I detective.-, whos- service, re.-oid .itid skill cntitied them by th.- regulation- tn be given rank as qu.ililici detectives, have not been given that lank; actingI detective- approaching the -rwi,-,- and j record when th.-.v may. hv the re-iila-|tiori«. •leinaiid the rank nf detective, have bwn transf»rr>-,l l>. the iiiutoriu branch a- ,-on.stabk- -it mlUide nn a,-!i:i_'-detc-tiv es have been nppmnted for twelve mon.h-. Tho effect "I tins i.s that the detectives sec the men at the top 20 out 10 the uniform brim h. md t i- ; men at the bottnni -ilsn remuvcl. while revriliting 1- =:oppe,l. .ml th- plainclothes branch ;s thus becoming .mluiiMtically elnniniited. Menniiitie. in order lii keep the detective vvnrk from I overwhelming the skeletoni-.'d detective fori-r. .-cvcral <-on_tal-es at each centre have been put on plain-clothes ,v,,rK under a senior-sergeant, who, nf i-uurve, is#not connected with the detective branch, and ha- no special «'xperu-n, c ni criminal detection. In addition, nf rc-i-eiit montlis. information that had pre-!\mu-ly be<'ii transmitted to the Press concerning police transfers has been withheld, and very few of the clranges have reached the Pi >'.--. and then unl.v through 1 unofficial scurces. Last year it leaked nut in Wellington that uhulamle trans-

f.-rs were tn be made, and a few names «,re published, bin the full list was withheld from publication, and the notn-es of tran-fer sent out were marked "cnntidential." Th—- thing- have caused di-.-nntcnt in both detective and uniform bran.-he-, in \llck and. I'm the in-rush of d.-lectivi-in Cm- uniform I,ranch ha- .iil-.i,-,l Hi" ■ •vpc.-taiiiiii- of the uniform men for pmnintinn. I'ne ..f the men approached today mi the -übie-i by- n "Si 11" reporter ~,-de no se.r<t nf the f,din_. "IV-rh branches of the sen ice are -oelhing with discontent." h- -aid. "and would gladly vv-lc.m- .1 change of Muust.-r tnr -Jiisliee." Another member of th- force remarked Ural' the .li.tn.i' was being wurked -o -.'i-retly and i.vstemat ically •_hat the public wn'uld not awake to the fact that- t-e detective force had been -Iran-led until a sudden wave nf crime ■occurred,, and they found themselves without any trained and skilled detectives 10 meet the emergen,-y -ml ,-afc-gua-d property and life.