U.S. police stress on education

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32639, 22 June 1971, Page 19

U.S. police stress on education

Greater emphasis was being placed on education in the training of policemen in the United States, a Christchurch detective who has returned from a 21-month study tour of America,

Detective Chief Inspector M. T. Churches said that some police districts he visited would not accept recruits unless they were university graduates, or were studying part-time for a degree. Mr Churches visted America on a Harkness Fellowship of the Commonwealth Fund of New York. He studied police administration and developments in crime investigation. “Many states now have a minimum standard for lawenforcement officers,” said Mr Churches. “This varies from state to state, and can range from anything from a course of 10 weeks to one of 16. A large number of officers are now attending university, some of which offer a special degree in criminology.

“In the last three or four years great accent has been placed on police training and education.” Mr Churches said that illegal sales of narcotics were highly organised and reaped

huge sums of money for the dealers.

The increasing problem of drug abuse brought with it rises in other crimes, such as robbery and burglary. Addicts turned to other crimes to raise the money to finance their drugs or, to the burglary of chemists’ and doctors’ premises.

“Many crimes, including some of violence, can be traced back to drugs,” said Mr Churches. He said he was not in favour of legalising marijuana as all research in the United States so far had revealed nothing to show it was harmless—and the possibility that it was existed.

“Certainly the long-term effects of marijuana will be harmful,” he said. “Research is continuing, but there is little really known about the drug.” Meaningful research into T.H.C. the active ingredient of marijuana had become possible only recently, he said. Mr Churches said that the impression often given that marijuana was becoming socially acceptable in the United States probably was not strictly correct. “Admittedly, I spoke to only a small proportion of the population, but of those I did speak to, only one or two held this veiw, or thought

that it should be legalised. Certainly, there has been talk of marijuana being legalised, or of lesser penalties for its cultivation, possession, or selling, but not at a Federal level.” However, New Zealand—even on a proportionate basis—did not have a drug problem anything like that of the United States.

“Here our problem is not nearly as serious,” he said. “I certainly hope that it never becomes anything like America’s.”

Referring to the use of firearms by police in the United States, Mr Churches said that this was necessary to protect members of the public as well as the officers.

“Guns are regarded as part of the way of life, and firearms, especially handguns, are readily available. Most homes have firearms and young Americans are taught to use them from an early age for sports and as a hobby. Many Americans regard it their constitutional right to possess firearms for self-defence.”

Mr Churches said that many American policemen he spoke to, when told of the system in New Zealand, replied: “That’s all right for you. We’d like to be able to work without guns, but we’re not able to. For example, how would we pro-

tect the public and ourselves in an armed robbery of a bank?”

Computers helped considerably the task of lawenforcement agencies, from administrators to the man on the beat. They enabled rapid dispersion of information, and often aided members of the public, Mr Churches said. Asked if much of this equipment would be valuable to New Zealand police work, he said: “Some departments have a terrific amount of equipment not applicable to New Zealand—it just would not be needed. However, other aspects of their electronic systems would be a great help to us.” Mr Churches will be stationed at the police headquarters in Wellington, acting in an administrative capacity. He will present recommendations to the department based on his studies of American law enforcement.

Divorce Decree.— Marie Lillian Burgess (Mr B. J. Drake) was granted a decree nisi by Mr Justice Wilson in the Supreme Court yesterday on a divorce petition against Ray Norman Burgess, a car trimmer, on the ground of adultery with Jill Kemp, of Ashburton. Mr R. A. Young appeared for the respondent and co-respond-ent.