POLICE DUTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 172, 22 July 1940, Page 3

POLICE DUTIES.

HAMILTON CHANGES.

TRANSFERS AND PROMOTIONS

MR. McHTTGH'S NEW POST.

A number of transfers and promotions affecting several members of the New Zealand Police Force has been announced by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. D. J. Cumtnings. The most important is the promotion to the rank of senior-«ergeant in the uniform branch of Detective-Sergeant A. G. McHugh after a long and distin-

guished period of duty in Auckland. He is to go to Hamilton to take the place of Senior Sergeant G. H. Lambert, who is transferred to Wellington.

Sergeant Bruce Thompson has been promoted to the rank of senior sergeant, and is transferred to take charge of the Mount Eden station. Senior Sergeant M. J. Angland is transferred from Mount Eden to Onehtinga, and Sergeant S. Brown, who has been in charge of that station for a number of yeare, is to take the place at Ponsonby of Sergeant R. J. Issell, who has retired from the force. Sergeant O. I. Tocher, of Rotorua, has been transferred to Takapuna, while Sergeant T. Dunn, who only a few weeks ago was transferred from Waihi to Takapuna, is now to go to the Ellerslie station. To take the place of Sergeant T. Wolfendale at Freeman's Bay station, Sergeant E. W. Straffon, of Hastings, hae been transferred. Sergeant McDeod, of the Auckland central station, is to go to Rotorua. Well-known Officer.

Mr. McHugh, who is now to return to uniform as senior sergeant at Hamilton, is one of the best known of police officers in New Zealand, and particularly in

Auckland. He joined the Police Force as a constable in Wellington on

November 17, 1912, and after three months in that city he was transferred to Auckland, where he did duty at the Auckland Exhibition in 1913. Following a period of duty as a plain clothes constable, Mr. McHugh was transferred to the detective branch, where he quickly demonstrated his ability as an investigating officer. For some years he was stationed on the Auckland wharves, where he was chiefly responsible for putting an end to cargo pillaging and theft which was rife. During the British seamen's strike some years ago Mr. McHugh and Senior Sergeant M. Flanagan (now inspector at Timaru) were responsible for the arrest of between 400 and 500 men.

In his long career as a detective, Mr. McHugh has played a prominent part in the solving of many Auckland crimes, and in numerous murder cases he shone. brilliantly. Prior to joining the Polir-e Force, Mr. McHugh served his apprenticeship as a blacksmith. Since being in the force his knowledge and experience of this trade has been particularly useful to the Police Department. It was chiefly due to his work in tracing the imprints made by a farm horse named "Mickey" that Samuel Thorne was convicted in 1920 of the murder of Sydney Eyre, at Pukekawa in 1920, and later paid the extreme penalty provided by the law.

The.n a detective. Mr. McHugh was first on the scene of this crime in company with Detective-Sergeant James Cummings, the present superintendent at Auckland. During the invef;ci<ratir>n of the Pukekawa murder, Mr. McHugh examined 1003 horses, of -which 418 were shod and the remainder unshod, for the purpose of looking for shoes showing a peculiar fullering. At the conclusion of the trial, the judge, the late. Mr. Justice Chapman, paid a warm tribute to the work done by the police officers, whom he said had rendered great servi.-e and were deserving of all credit and praise.

Formerly well known in the wrestling and boxing ring, where he was for some years the Auckland heavy-weight champion, Mr. McHugh was also a prominent Rugby footballer. Ho played for Auckland against the Springboks in 1921. For many years he has acted as police prosecutor in the Police Court at Auckland. Leaving Hamilton. Senior Sergeant G. H. Lambert, who has been in charge of the Hamilton police station for five years, has received notice of his transfer to Wellington. Senior Sergeant Lambert has been in the police service for 32 years, joining as a constable at Auckland in 1908. After nine years he was transferred to Kaikohe and after five years was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He then served at Auckland, Otahuhu and Ponsonby, and in 1933 was promoted to senior sergeant. He served at Newton before coming to Hamilton. Station's Status Raised. Other transfers end promotions announced by the Commissioner are as follow. — Sub-Inspector D. J. O'Neill, Wellington, temporarily transferred to Dunedin with the rank of sub-inspector to take over the duties of Inspector Roach, who is at present ill. Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle, of Wellington, promoted to the rank of senior i detective. Sergeant D. C. Beard, (Wellington, has also been promoted senior sergeant. I The Onehunfia station, now to be in I the charge of Senior Sergeant M. J. Angland, has been raised in status.