POLICE CHANGES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 251, 22 October 1919, Page 8

POLICE CHANGES.

STRENGTHENING DETECTIVES. BETTER PAY FOR SMART WORK. The detective department of the Auckland Police Force has been reinforced by the addition of three plain-clothes constables, Constables H. Knight, _ O'Sullivan, and J. K. Rohertson, who have, under the new regulations, been removed from the direction of the uniform branch, and attached to the de» tective branch. They now serve for six months on probation or detectitk, work, and, if satisfactory, will receive the rank of detective at the end of eighteen months. This change was mentioned to a > "Star" representative as an indication that under the new regulations a systematic strengthening of the detective branch was being undertaken. He stated that the plain-clothes throughout the Dominion were being attached to the cW-ective side on probation, while t number of them who had already proved j themselves had been given the rank of detective. One such had been appointed in Auckland this month, Detective Gour ley. The officer went on to point out that members of the force who haj recently criticised the new regulations had not put the position fairly. They bad stated that detectives were ranked as constables for transfer and promotion, but in their work were given more difficult duties and greater responsibilities without any compensating recognition. He pointed out that in reognition of the special class of -work they had to do detectives were given extra pay, in the shape of an allowance of sixpence a day more while on probation, an increase of 1/(3 a day on appointment to detective rank, and a further increase of 2/ a day after three years' servic* Thus, be said, smart detective work was recognised by increases in pay over the constable on routine work, which was an encouragement for the smartest constables to take up ' detective duty. Further, arrangement had been made higher up to keep the most capable of tlie trained detectives in the branch where their experience was most useful to the force, and at an adequate increase in pay. Consequently it wM more than misleading to state, as had been stated, that the detective branch was not developed under the regulations. That was on a par with the statement that what had been tlie "right" of annual leave under the old regulations had been pruned down by the new regulations to merely a "privilege"; it wjl distinctly laid down in the old regulations that annual leave was a privilegi whilch could not be claimed by th* members of the force as a right.