N.Z. POLICE FORCE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11533, 9 January 1932, Page 5

N.Z. POLICE FORCE

A BIG FAMILY

T.WENTY-FODIt GROUPS OF RELATIONS

GISBORNE FIGURES IN' THE

LIST

Tho surest sign that a man is satisfied with his walk in. life is when fie puts in's son or some member of the family into the same profession <or occupation, for if a man dislikes his- work ho does not want to see other members of tlio family engaged •in it. On these well-founded grounds, the New Zealand police force must be a popular calling, for there aro twenty-four known cases of definite family groups, and there are probably others. When the SubInspector Or. B. Edwards joins the etaff of the Central Police Station at Christchurch to-day he will find not only two officers of that name already at the station, but a brother, Constable Fred. Edwards, tho present very efficient Court Orderly. There 'is also a Constable .1. C. G. Edwards , connected with the Detective Office. Sub-Inspector Edwards has another brother in tho force in /Jorgftant Edwards, who is stationed in. the North Island. There are two other brothers attached to the Christchurch Station in Constables It. Kearton and J. Keartofi. The former is in the Dis-trict'-Olfice, whilo tho second is the etixtion photographer. Inspector J. Cummings is on the lioadquartors staff in Wellington, iiis brother, Inspector D. J. Cummings is ut Napier and another brother, Constable T. J. Cummings is also in the North Island. A sister, Mrs Lodger, is police matron at Wellington. Gisborne is well associated with the family ties, there being no fewer than three cases at the local station. Sergeant F. Culloty has a brother Constable J. Culloty, now stationed at Palmerston North, and formerly of Gisborne; Constable C. King, of tlio local force, is a son of Sergeant C. King, of Hokitika; and Constable A. 0. Strawbridge, of Gisborne, lias a brother, Constable E. E, Strawbridge; stationed at Wellington.

Otlior combinations of brothers include Inspector A. ' Cameron, of Christchurch, and Sub-Inspector D. Cameron, of Dunedin; Senior-Serg-eant John Fox, of Christchurch, and Constable L. Fox, of Naseby; Sergeant D: C. Boards, of Wellington, and Constable A. G. Boards, of Christchurch; Sub-Inspector ■T. Gibson, of Auckland, and Constable M. Gibson, of Coalgato; Sergeant J. McIntyre, of Wellington, and Constable A. Mclntyro, clerk in thq Detective Office, Christchurch; Constables E. Phillips and It. Phillips; and Constables Arthur Skinner, tho noted wrestler, of Tuuranga, and L. Skinner, of Woodvillo, whilo Constable J. Skinner, of Now Plymouth, and formerly of Kopua, is a nephew. Detective-Sergeant Fitzgibbon, of Napier, is a brother of Constable J. Fitzgibbon, who has a son in the force. Constable M. Fitzgibbon. Thcu There are Constables It. T. beadles, North Invercargill, and Ins son, G. T. Beadles, Palmerston North; aud Constable O’Halloran, jW'aipukurau, and his son, Mounted Constable J. M. O’Hftlloran, of Christchurch.

Sergeant O. P. McEnteo, of South Dunedin, is a brother of Constablo P. J. McEnteo, Wliangnrei. Two other brothers arc Constables D. Ryan, of Wctsford, near Hclensvillo, and Constablo M. Ryan. Constablo W. Bovine, of Timaru, and Constable J'. Devine, also stationed in the South Island, arc brothers, while another pair arc Constables' W. and J. H. fdouston, both at southern stations. Other brothers in the t’orco are Constablo It. Audlcy, of Collingwood and Constablo S. A. Audlcy: Senior-Sergeant H. Butler, of Petono, and Constable J. Butler, Waipukuirau; and Senior-Sergeant Caldwell, 'Wellington, and Constablo tV. A; Caldwell, lent to Rarotonga for three years.

PERSONNEL OF THE FORCE

THIRTEEN CONSTABLE SMITHS

SUBSTANTIAL SQUAD OF

BROWNS

If one could imagine the Commissioner assembling the whole of the 1,100 odd men of the force of New Zealand on a large parade ground, and then calling on Constables Brown and Smith to step forward, the resultant Tush might amazo an officer of even such experience as Mr Wohlmann. Tho response would be that thirteen Constable Smiths would step from tho ranks followed by eleven Constab'es Brown. There are thirteen Smiths in tho New Zealand police force and all are constables, which on the faco of it appears a rather unlucky name as far as promotion is concerned. The Browns are a shade- more lucky. There are twelve on tho roll, comprising eleven constables and a serg-

eant. In fact, tho Smiths and tho Browns in the force could man two i police stations each the size of Gisborne.

Nine Constables Wilson and one Sergeant Wilson would also form a hefty squad in themselves, while the Joneses, of whom there affo eight constables and one sergeant, could quoll a small riot anywhere. There are seven Thompsons, a detectivesergeant, a sergeant and five constables, fivo Constables King and one Sergeant King, six constables named Murphy, six Murrays, a detective, a- sergeant and four constables, six Constables Sutherland, and five Constables Robertson and one detective-sergeant of that name. In squads of five are the Butlers, two senior-sergeants and three constables, the Edwardses, senior-serg-eant, sergeant and three constables, five Constables Moore, and five O'Sullivans, ono detective and four constables. In tho force there are five McLeods, four constables and a, detective Of the five members of the force three bear the same Christian

(Continued from previous column)

name, John—Detective McLeod, stationed in Gisborne, and two constables.

Amongst the batches of four in the force are men bearing the names, of Collins, Hammond, Holmes, Henry, Hunt, Kelly, Miller, O’Brien, Patterson, Reid, Mcßae, McKenzie, and White, while there are innumerable cases of three men of the same name enforcing the law in New Zealand. -Still, as Shakespeare .says, “What’s in a- name”, and in tho case of a cry for “Police 1” the per Eon interested usually doesn'twait to ask that a particular constable- shall bo sent. It is the uniform' that counts, and the- power behind the blue-coated guardian of law ~-,4