POLICE PROMOTION

Evening Star, Issue 20440, 22 March 1930, Page 3

POLICE PROMOTION

DUNEDIN GETS INSPECTOR IH-lUKCTIR CUMMINS APPOINTED 1 . - "~ I ■ U-NITW3 Puss Amociatioh .3 WELLINGTON, March 21. . The Commissioner of Police, Mr W. B. ■ M'Uveney, announced this afternoon the following promotions and transfers in the Police Force, to take effect on April 1: Sub-inspector P. J- McCarthy (Auckland) to bo promoted to the rank ot inspector , and transferred to the charge of Invercargill district, replacing the late Inspector Fahey. , J. ■. Lander, R.V.N. (Wellington), promoted to the _ rank Of inspector and attached to headquarters staff for duty as relieving inspector throughout the dominion. „ ‘ Sub-inspector , J.. Cummings (Dunedin) promoted to the rank of inspector and placed in charge of Dunedin Central District, which will -be constituted under the co-ordinated district system in force in- Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Senior-detective —C. W. Lopdell (Wellington) promoted to the rank of sub-inspector and to replace Sub-in-spector Lander at Wellington.' _ ■ ..Senior-sergeant Thomas Gibson (Timaru) promoted ,to the rank ot Mih-nupector, and to take charge d the detective, staff at Auckland. - K. K. J. Ward (Wellington) promoted to the rank ot; sub-inspector • and to tako charge ot jjie 'detective. staff at Wcllington. The appointments of Sub-inspectors oiheon and Ward will place the detective staffs at Auckland and Wellington in charge of commissioned offiesrs ju future. • m , Senior-sergeant .T. Shanahan (Christchurch) promoted to the rank of sub-inspector in tho uniform branch it. Auckland. . ' . Senior-sergeant J. J. 0 Grady ’(Auckland) is to replace him at Christchurch. ■ Senior-sefgoant John Powell (Napier) is transferred to Auckland Central • Station no rep’aoe Senior-ser-geant 9’Grady. Senior-sergeant John A. Demi ? scy -s transferred from Hastings to Wellington to (replace 'Sub-inspector Ward. ■ Sergeant 1.. H. Mathieson is reappointed to the • grade of _ semor-ser-. geant and transferred to Timaru. . Sergeant A E. J. Stark, Frankton station, is appointed senior sergeant *v Napier. . Sergeant W. E. Packer, of Gore, is appointed senior sergeant at that sta-, ■■ t)on. ■■■ ■■ ’ Sergeant E. J.; Carroll (Tokomaru Bay), replaces Senior-sergeant Dempseysat' Hastings. Sergeant R. R. Millar, Newmarket (Auckland), takes charge of Tokpmaru Bay station. Sergeant E. Finch, district clerk at Wanganui, takes charge of' Newmar- . kefc. . • , . Sergegnt T. Moriirty, district clerk at; Palmerston North, takes charge ot tlio, Frankton station. Sergeant 0. Harley, district clerk at Timaru. replaces , Senior-sefgeant Mathieson at Hamilton. Constable. J. Kennedy, of ToKuiti, takes charge of Pamnure station. Auckland. . Constable T- J. Collins. Auckland, goes to .To Kuiti. TttjE YOUNGEST INSPECTOR , ■ —■ ‘ . \y^'‘ A REMARKABLE CAREER Tho promotion of Inspector Cumrhingfl ?s another step in a meteoric rise to eminence in the force. He joined tlip force in ■ 1907 in > Wellington, where for four years ho,was engaged oh street and clerical work. In 1911 he was transferred to Auckland, iu which centre he was stationed for seventeen years, until hfe’. last transfer l at tho beginning of 1929, when he Came to this city. When he went to the northern city it was as an acting detective, a position which ho scon, exchanged for that of detective. Later he became a detective sergeant. His work-in the plain clothes branch of the service brought him : still more under the notice of tho authorities, and ten years after his ' arrival in Auckland he assumed the rank of Oirief _ detective, a post vyhich he held for six years. Less than a year be- ’ fore, his removal to Dunedin ho again entered; -the ranks of the I 'uniformed police, this time as senior sergeant, lie continued in that office until January, - 1929, when he was promoted to sub-inspector, with headquarters at Dunedin. Now, fifteen 1 months after, he has been offered the newly-estab-lished post of inspector! of police in charge • of tho Dunedin city and suburbs. V ..‘lnspector Cummings " enjoyed the unique, distinction of being tho youngest man in tho force to secure the rank of chief detective and also ot sub-inspector, and now .with his latest appointment he is tho • youngest inspector in the force, no officer having «-yer attained .that rank, at his age be- ; fore. : : • ■ Among 1 the 'important cases which Inspector, Cummings has handled were two Auckland murder cases during the past ten, t years, in connection with each of which the convicted men were hanged. Ho was _ responsible for the arrest and conviction of Dennis Gunn in 1921 for the murder of .au Auckland suburban postmaster, and later In brought Samuel Thorn into court for the murder of a farmer at Tuakau. . Sir.. Frederick' Chapman was the judge/in these cases, and subsequently wrote a book on each of them, devot ing a considerable amount, cf space in both of them to the' very excellent work done' by Inspector Cummings in his then capacity* of detective. Sir Frederick paid tribute to Inspector Cummings not only for the able manner in which he, conducted the investigations, but also ■ 1 for his scrupulous fairness ,to the prisoner. » , The promotion of this able officer r means that, ho is now in direct charge of. the local detective staff, and also of alt work in connection with police administration in tho city.