POLICE PROTECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 14473, 26 January 1911, Page 7

POLICE PROTECTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I desire to bring before the Minister of Justice the inadequacy of the pohce protection in the Cavers ha in disturb Although I pointed out some years ago the largo and thickly-populated district that is guarded over by one police officer, I believe that, the position requires setting forth again. The beat of our solitary officer extends to Lookout Point, embraces Upper Kew and the hills above the railway line, and is bounded by M'tilashan street and Cargill road. As if this were not. sufficient, that largo and denselypopulated district in South Dunedin bounded by Wesley street and Cargill. Macandrew, and Surrey roads is included in the Caveisham police district. But the inadequacy of Caversham’s police “force” is effectively illustrated by comparison with that of South Dunedin, where there are no less than live policemen and a .sergeant to guard a district smaller, and (with th-e above-mentioned densely-popu-lated block transferred to Cavereham) smaller in population. Further than this, we have no guardian of the law from midnight till 7 a.in., for our policeman must sleep, since ho has to protect, 1 verily believe, the largest number of people of any officer in the Dominion.

Perhaps some of your readers are unaware that actual police protection is but part of suburban and country policemen's duties. To deliver the pension forms and jury notices of a population of 7,000 or 8,000 people is no light work in itself. Investigation would discover a case of sweating that our Government would be ashamed to admit being responsible for. 1 hold no brief for the present officer. I have not obtained my facts from him, while inv previous letter was written before he ‘was shifted here. I must, in justice, mention that two other officers reside in Caversbam, but they are not expected to work here. —1 am, etc., William Wnicirr. January 26.