WHERE ARE THE POLICE?

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 8

WHERE ARE THE POLICE?

AN INADEQUATE FORCE. OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS. There is a, very general impression, whiol; has boon strengthened by the report of several assaults having been committed lasl week in secluded parts of the city, that the police force of Wellington is not large onougli. Investigations seem to show thai the impression is a correct one, though the recent interference with citizens have apparently been much exaggerated. Inspector Ellison assured a Dominion representative that there are as few unruly characters about the city as at any time, and the public need have no unusual alarm \ in passing a dark corner. The Inspector, however, would not give an equally definite assurance that the city is sufficiently policed. Judging from his last annual report, he could hardly' do so. - The annual reports of police inspectors arc only shown in the Department's yearly report, and therefore, presumably, onlyi laic] before Parliament in the form of " extracts." The extracts are apparently chosen so as to placo the Department in tho most favourable light, but one criticism, has been allowed to see - print in Mr. Ellison's report which is\oxpressive, though brief: — "The expansion - of tho city and suburbs," it is stated, " demands a considerable increase in tho police staff •in order to afford reasonable protection and keep pneo with tho progress being made in all directions." If " reasonable protectioji " can be afforded by the addition of two constables, appointed to suburban charges, the public need take 110 alarm from Mr. Ellison's warning. Two more constables have been provided, and we understand that these are the only additions which have been'made to tho force sinco the report wa3 written. Tho Local Force. i For information about tho police force one can never "ask a policeman," for, from constable to inspector, lie regards his lips as closed. But tho police como in daily contact with other 1 authorities,' who ar'o fully competent to express an opinion on their efficiency. It is pretty well agreed by those in a position to judge, that the local force is small in proportion to population, and that a surprisingly large number.'of tho men are raw recruits, .whose usefulness must be much impaired by their necessary ignorance of localities and city by-laws. The chaotic irregularities of. traffic, which have jftcn been subject of comment, are doubtless largely attributable to the-natural hesitation cf recruit constables to a proper supervision. As regards tlio '■ numerical inadequacy of tlio force, . a reporter mado a sareful tally of policemen on a busy afternoon whilo',on.,the tram routo, via Vivian Street, from rthe junction of that thoroughfare "with Kent Terrace,' to tho Government Railway station. At Voitch and Allan's corner- lie 'noted . two constables—tho ..first seen—in Manners Street, one; Willis Street ano, and. one guarding tho. whole length of. Lambton Quay. Thero was no guardian of the, law at or about the railway station,-but ten minutes later ono emerged from t-lio Government Buildings and proceeded in that direction. . No other constables could be seen 3mvn any side street, and it seemed impossible that tho scanty'force" on patrol could' supervise, efficiently, such a length of busy' thoroughfares, or could have 'combined with my promptness in case of a disturbance. If the patrol is. so small' in the crowded parts }f the city, jwhat must it.be like in-the outlying portions ? One,can only-derive,'com-fort from tho thought that this is a peaceful town; and that if it docs harbour reckless iharricters they regard it as " not :'oriii" to commit,, really sdrious : ottoncesivheretlie opportunities are so easy and unixciting. '■ The Commissioner's Views. ' It may be another source of satisfaction* that Mr. W. : Dinnie, Commissioner ■of Polico, regards the situation quite complacently. Ho informed a representative of this journal that ;he city forco is not too small; increases are mado yearly l ; 32 constables . were added to, the whole force;of the Dominion during tho year which ended March 81, 1907. N This is' lot an unusually large addition, and most jf the new-men go to tho large towns. Moreover,; as Auckland" and Wellington "are 'increasing. faster in . population than the two Southern cities, they get tho chief proportion )f ,the increase. Against this is to bo set she varying loss by casualties Mr. Dinnio idmitted that : a largo proportion of tho Welington force consisted of recruits, but wlierc, ic asked, can the recruits bo trained,- if not' u the city? The'important thing was not ;he number or quality of' tho-men 'employed, in patrol, but the v supervision- exercised jver them, j That was the main thing, super--vision; indeed, ho might say that it was the inly tiling. The adcqnatcnoss of tho force ivas proved by the criminal statistics, which showed, tho best results of any country. Results were the great thing; if the results ivore shown not to be satisfactory, one might say that there were not sufficient police. It ivas the worst' possible thing for-constables ivhen they had not'enough to do. When the lity grew larger, half a dozen points would )o selected at-which a constable could always bo foui)d. For the present, Mr; Dinnie evidently feels that all is going'very well. No Lack of Recruits. There as 'no. difficulty 'in getting men-for tho police force.it was learned. Some time igo there was a scarcity of recruits, but that has passed.. An increase of sixpence a day has recently been,mado to the wages of the police .of all ranks. An unmarried constable now earns from 7s. 6d. to 9s. 6d. a.day; he lets his uniform for nothing, buys his underclothes,. boots, etc., at wholesalo rates from the polico stores, lodges free in barracks, and pays .weekly i_for his .board., .The married constable, wlio has to keep a houso of his owii. gets Is. a day more,'and he may. be appointed to a country chare", carrying with it other offices, those of bailiff, clerk of the court, etc!, all of which assist his income; Though ho does Work Sundays, who says a policeman's life ip not a happy ono?