BRITISH POLICE

Evening Star, Issue 19994, 11 October 1928, Page 9

BRITISH POLICE

•FIRST SITTING OF GOMSBIOH ITS AIM OUTLINED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 10. (Received October 11, at 1.30 p.m.) “Our main effort must bo to restore mutual'confidence in the police by the public, which hitherto has been a strikingly happy feature of tho national ormmisation, and tho absence of which will undermine and even gravely imperil the basis of the social fabric, said Lord Lee, when presiding at the first public sitting of the Police Commission. Ho added that it would not endeavour to restore confidence by whitewashing. but by the discovery and removal of any causes of iriction and complaint. It must always bo remembered that a law-abiding community did not wish to see the police discredited. In any case, the diminution of confidence, about which much had been said, was possibly exaggerated. Tho Connpission was not trying tho police, and it war not reopening recent notorious cases which had already been settled in the courts. Lord Lee added that questions had already been sent to fudges, Government departments, and the police throughout the country, and other individuals and associations would be invited to reply, and witnesses would be selected aftci perusal of tho replies. Sir Ernloy Blackwell (Legal Assistant, Under-Secretary of State), the first witness, advocated that the policeman’s oath as a King’s officer and the general instructions should be standardised throughout tlio country. Although the Home Secretary did not believe in too precise regulations, he was expecting the police to exercise discretion. Me expressed the opinion that the public generally factitiously believed that the police were more powerful than they really were. He explained that .except for the power of arrest, tho police were little different from ordinary citizens. He denied that the public was not sympathetic towards the police, and added that there was no ground for the supposition that the police exceeded their powers. His twenty-two years’ expedience showed thni there w;ere few convicted persons who complained of the third degree. Lord Lee, commenting on the_ frequency of murder confessions, said it seemed a little odd that so many criminals' were anxious to hang themselves. Sir Ernley Blackwell replied that they usually made a statement hoping that the charge would be reduced to manslaughter. He said ; “i’ou must rely on tho tradition (rf tho force and the careful selection of superior officers. You cannot run flic police on a basis of distrust and suspicion.”—Australian Press Association.