POLICE METHODS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15923, 8 May 1912, Page 12

POLICE METHODS.

DETECTION OF SLY-GROG SELLING. TPeb Press Association.] L -WELLINGTON, May 7. Tho methods of tho police in obtaining convictions in cases of breaches of the licensing law were under discussion in the Supreme Court to-day. Mr p \V. Jackson, counsel for accused (Hope) criticised tho conduct of the p o licc which he termed un-British. After’Mr H. H. Ostler (Crown Prosecutor) had addressed the jury, his Honor Mr Justice Chapman said it was suggested that tho constable went to the premises in question not to detect crime but to create it. “A long time back in our history,” his Honor continued, “ such things did occasionally occur and thero was a certain amount of scandal over it. Tho police employed any men they could pick up. to try and induce a sale. . The mail might go to the house of an innocent woman and by 'means of a story about a sick wife or child induce the sale of brandy or whisky or other liquor. That was scandalous. For more than twenty years that method had been entirely discredited and discouraged and disused.- It was a perfectly legitimate thing, however, for the police to send one of their number to see if a suspected person was willing to commit this particular offence. Indeed, it was the duty of the police, if the sergeant or officer in charge suspected that a person was carrying on a sly-grog selling establishment. It was not correct to, call it creating a crime to see if a man wore willing to repeat a crime he was suspected of having committed before. So long as a perfectly respectable agent was employed, or a meniber of tho force of "known respectability, there was no danger to the community. "Was there any other way of" detecting such offences P” ITis Honor ventured to say that the jury would agree. These observations, his Honor concluded, were due to the police. So far.as his opinion was concerned, there was nothing improper in what the police did in this case. >'