POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 656, 5 November 1909, Page 8

POLICE DEPARTMENT.

[ o, \f ♦ —r V l . lIEW CONTROL 1 SUGGESTED, i 1 There \i a general opinion in tho Houso I result of the Eoyal Commission's t rsport, it will be necessary to mako an altora- [ tion in tho control of 'the Police Department I It is fsurlj generally suggested that the Department should be placed under the direction of Mr. WfJdogravo, 'Under-Sccretary for Justice, who ha« had a long record of efficient Departmental administration. Mi Waldcgravo's Department of Justice was ono of the few which scaped the pruning knifo when tho recent letrenchmont took placo, having never been allowed Co run to seca. Ihe Department *' of Prisons was recently added to Mr, Waldo- ' grave's charge If he should bo placed m con- ■ trol of the Police, it would probably be necebBary to appoint a superintendent or senior inspector- to act under him, and for this position the names of Inspector Cullcn, of Auckland, : " and Inspector Ulhson, of Wellington, have been mentioned., ■ r- An alternative suggestion is that Mr. Bishop, 6.M , should be placed in charge of tho Police ' Department, to carry, out ,the reforms which | he indicates as necessary in his report. It is interesting to recall that a suggestion to this effrot w,ia made by Chief-Detective Herbert when giline evidence before the commission in Dunedin, and. Was discouraged b> Mr Bishop, | ' Tho matter Iβ thus reported m the official report— >> * "Mr Herbert. I will finish with one more reference, and that is the question of the qualifications required by a man having control of a pollen force hie that of New Zealand. 1 recognise 1 am presuming greatly when I propose to make any reference to that »t all, but I am absolutely in your hands, sir, is to whether I have the nght to mako it But It is not with tho intention of rejecting upon t iny commissioner v past or present, or upon 1 anybody who may be considered eligible for ihe position at present I am sure, with all the boast von may,hear from members of tho v force as to their great experience, you will f tiot find one who- has served under as many I < vommiseionors as I havo, and I know, v because f -It is a good billot, when onco they get it thoy ,Ml hold on, to it for a long time Now, I presume to ,eay that it does not matter a ' i fttivr whether 7 a commissioner is a man with thirty or moro years , qf tho best exponenco a policeman ui'fl ha,ve, or whether he is a man , who never was a but who by reason 1 »f his genernl life and occupation, say, as a solicitor, or tomehody in some such calling, ' who is well in touch with the work, who has the- brains and who knows how the thing ehonld be run Experience as a policomau •Rould not have endowed him with something that v.e call a judicial mind, or with the r power to innuonce men and to deal with thom as only a man with a judicial mind can If ho is a policeman, and has that mind, so much tho better, but if, not, he is bettor than tho experienced policeman who lacks tho born Dualities .that go toi make the judicial mind 1 submit that the groat thing in the management of a police'force is to Jiavo a man at its head who has influence over tho men, in the next place, ivho has self-respect, and in the next place, who is almost incapable of Sealing unfairly with any man, however httlb he may deserve sympathy I do not know whether your Worship will pull mo up when I sav this, btt T, know of no ,man in New Waland who; in my oxperiepce, holds qualifications in that particular respect equal to Four own. '"The Commissioner (Mr., Bishop) • Do you Hiow what the emoluments of my office are, .end vhat the emoluments, of the commissioner 2fnLf y< £ l thlnK ]t wo "! d Promotion to appoint me Commissioner of Police ?-Witness it f tnln *. fteconntry will discover that it will 1[ be worth while to give no consideration to tho question of emolument. I think it would be a IZ «' «xpense whatever they paid Worship. I may not be entitled U, say it mnf S£ Omm , ls ? Oller l I thmk *™ tad belter not Dureue that qupsbon further" A large number of members were sr.ten.tty S, t0 fnrther discussion m the Hbuso J an opportunity „ g lven by the Got I ' JPi \ D , l ? a,e ' t rfa '? s that h « '"tends to sub,R\ ' tte M, l lster for JnstlCo a reply to Mr ]^ OpS fJ* P * rt M an ! J? a ' k that » shall be E , laid on the table of the Hon«s - PBESS 'OPINIONS. IBy Teleeraph -Sni'cial Corrcaoondent)' tt>t«™ * h. Au , ckland . November i ' to tho conclusions arrived at hv P SM, the -HeSd-^eSeS nßednoed fa.tha.simplest terms they amount tation, which is so unmistakably incapable get a prompt change is inevitable The imtaediate work of the Government and of Parbafcont is to rel le ve the force of the dcadSreight K «">« * the shape of incapable superfetendence, to removo the trun grievances whYch i wiser sapenntendonce woultl have attended Vo long ago; and to place headquarters adminisfc? ?h S?, thw ™S & y competent hands. As I ' £«,« *£$*% itself, which t Kfi the time has arrived to r StSUt? BOOd 'S? bU a nt>quated system Spr^ri™ B S °P* T 60 tralnlD « ha , ! been 1 y j ? n ? nder conditions fundai S« 7 t l26 '® ll * to ose Prevailing in this M tno reward of colonial merit, and shonltl be tte recognised goal of laudab o and le^ti- ! <nate colonial ambition ?" v ' ° ' 1 r«~ « ' Noverabor 4 Commenting onv the report of the Police ' , th .? romarks--' S rh, fi C , wsential to putting the force on a proper foot Wg the appgintmeilf bTa n°« Chief Commissioner possessed of tho necessary experience judpeit, and organising capacifa at roform are foredoomed M-failure*' j -