CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 234, 26 June 1908, Page 4

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

A DETECTIVE'S EXPERIENCE. HABITUAL CRIMINALS' ACT. Chief Detcctivo Chrystal, of Christchurch, has, on the eve of. severing his connection with the Detcctivo Force of New Zealand, ~ a good word to say for tkp class against which he had to wage .constant war. During his many years of servico lie has como into contact professionally with a very largo number of criminals, and ho asserts that thero is one side of their, character that is'never seen by the public of which ;ho can speak with gratitude. "I havo found," ho said to a "Press" representative, "that where criminals are treated justly by_ a police officer they invariably appreciate it, and do not bear malice against the officer, who, in the course of his duty, has to apprehend them. They are tho most forgiving of any class of men I havo had to deal with. They forget a hiding when they know that they deserved it. I, never molested any criminal except in self-defcnco, and whero there has been a physical conjtfst, my man has never shown any animus after things woro settled to my satisfaction, In fact, they have never met mo afterwards without a smilo as if the recollection of the encounter was a pleasant one. I knew tho criminal class in tho Old Country, and compared with those wo have no criminal class at all: In my oxperienco here I havo known very fow men whom we should class as cracksmen in the Old Country, probably not more than a couplo of dozen. As to the Habitual Criminals' Act, I am satisfied that nothing could bo better. It is a knock-out blow to crimo. The legislation which makes it an offonco to'habitually consort'is a most humane enactment. There can be no question that when criminals consort together it is for the purposo of planning tho commission of a crime. The mischief 0110 does not think of otlio other \yill. If they are kept apart they will no doubt meet with people who aro honestly disposed, and they may' fall into somo decent employment. Of all things consorting among the criminal classes is the last which should bo tolerated, and the clause which makes it an offence strikes at the root of tho evil. There is an idea prevalent that tho object ,of inserting it .was to givo the dotectivo power over tho criminal, but that was not tho purpose. _ Tho object was to stamp out consorting infinitely more for tho sako of the criminal himself than for any other consideration.; It is tho best and most laumano clauso in tho wholo lino ofcriminal law that I know of. As to tho indetorminato sentenco, I think it is a firstclass thing for incorrigiblcs. Tho only sensible thing to do with them is to shut them up until they show somo unmistakablo signs of reformation. Tho criminals know all about the indefinite sentence, and it has. already had a dotorrent effect. Tho results of its coming into operation aro already telling," '