"A LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE"

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 16

"A LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE"

NEW ZEALAND AND IRELAND COMPARED

VIEWS OF RETIRING

CONSTABLE

'•New Zeakmders are a law-abiding race of people." said Constable R. Murray in an interview in Gisborne on his retirement, after 30 years in the New Zealand Police Force. There had never been enough men in the force in New Zealand, in the opinion of Constable Murray, based on the position in Ireland, to which force he was attached before he came out to New Zealand. This was an instance of the more peaceful and lawabiding nature of the people. Gisborne had about 16 men in tne main station. A town of this population in Ireland would ha_ve at least 100 men stationed at the barracks. A sergeant and seven men were established in out-stations at four-mile intervals and there would be a large reserve force at the depot. The reserves would be in readiness to be sent out at a moment's notice to any part of the territory they patrolled. In Ireland might was right, but, notwithstanding that, tact also played a large part in the life of a constable. The "beat" men always walked or rode in pairs and would never think of being separated. They had to keep everyone moving and their "beat' would be about as big as a block of shops in Gladstone road, Gisborne. Speaking of the work of the policeman, Constable Murray said that it was their duty to prevent crime and their presence in New Zealand appeared to be sufficient restraint on the majority of criminally-minded persons. A constable should not be thought of as a man always "out for a bag," but rather as one who would give friendly warning and advice before taking action. People in New Zealand had always a striking sense of the difference between right and wrong and would soon see their faults. There were few who did not break several of the minor laws during their lives, and in many cases it was because they did not look at the matter from the point of view of a policeman. Foolish drunks were the main problem of the police in the Dominion. In the early days they were of the "hardboiled*' type and were often cantankerous and dangerous, but in these days they were mostly "just foolish drunks." While stationed in Dunedin he had an experience with a Syrian under the influence of alcohol and still had the scar on his hand from the wound received while attempting to handcuff the man.