EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM OF MEN WITH POLICE RECORDS

Evening Star, Issue 26103, 17 May 1947, Page 8

EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM OF MEN WITH POLICE RECORDS

Allegations that John Sunde, aged 29, had been frustrated in his attempts to keep honest employment by the intervention of the police were made by couusel, Mr Trimmer, when Sunde came before Mr Justice Callan at Auckland for sentence for breaking into business premises in Albert street. Mr, Trimmer said Sunde had held good positions and had been well spoken of by his employers. When he was managing a cafe the police on four occasions warned the proprietor that he had convictions, but the proprietor took no because he was getting excellent service. When the cafe was sold Sunde got • a position as an hotel porter, but a detective interviewed the manager and Suude lost the job. Then Sunde went to Sub-inspector Walsh, and found in him a kindly and understanding friend, said counsel. Mr Walsh advised him’to notify the police whenever lie got a job. Soon afterwards Sunde got another chance to start at once as an hotel porter. He went straight to the job, before he had time to see Mr Walsh, and within an hour a detective appeared on the scene and he lost the position. After that experience, counsel said, Sunde went berserk. • Hon Honour said that Mr Trimmer had raised a very important question. Once a man had committed serious offences against honesty the public and his employers were entitled to judge for themselves how far they would take the risk of trusting him again. Some offenders were willing and even anxious to reform, and the Tack of charity on the part of others did sometimes lead to great cruelty. The real answer to the question raised was that if a man with a bad history wished to rehabilitate himself, when applying for a job he should volunteer the information about himself to his employer. Such honest, open conduct would make an impression of sincerity upon most decent citizens, who might feel otherwise when they found out that the man had been guilty of something exceedingly like false pretences.