POLICE ORGANISATION

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 159, 1 April 1930, Page 10

POLICE ORGANISATION

CONTROL OF DETECTIVES CHANGES OPERATE TO-DAY Important changes in the organisation of the police force, and particularly of the detective branch, will take place to-day In accordance with the promotions and transfers announced by the Commissioner (Mr. W. B. ‘Mcllveney) on March 21. Three of the most outstanding changes relate to Welllugton. As stated bv the Commissioner, the detective offices at Auckland and Wellington will in future be controlled by sub-inspect-ors. This alteration has been made to keep pace with the growth of the two cities and to cope with the increasing responsibilities devolving upon the plain-clothes branches of the force. Senior-Sergeant R. R. J. Ward, of Wellington, has been promoted to the rank of sub-inspector, with control of the city’s detective staff. The present chief detective, Mr O. W. Lopdell, has been promoted .to the rank or sub-in-spector in the uniformed branch and he will replace Sub-Inspector J. M. Lander, R.V.M., who has been appointed relieving inspector for the Dominion. -■ Senior-Sergeant J. A. Dempsey, of Hastings, will occupy the post vacated by Mr. Ward. From to-day Dunedin’s police status will be raised by the constitution of a metropolitan district to be controlled by Inspector James Cummings, formerly of Auckland, the youngest inspector in the force. It is interesting to recall that it was in Dunedin that Mr. Mcllveney, the present Commissioner, entered the police force as the junior constable in New Zealand. Dunedin has now been brought into line with Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, where the metropolitan district system ensuring efficiency of control of the central city areas has been working so satisfactorily.