THE NEW LOCK-UP AT THE POLICE OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 310, 9 November 1864, Page 5

THE NEW LOCK-UP AT THE POLICE OFFICE.

One of tlie many much-needed civic institutions that the rank of Auckland as a metropolitan city has for a long time imperatively demanded, is a properly arranged place for the temporary detention of the numerous class of what tiro termed " night charges." at the chief PoliceStation. This includes otfenders of every degree, from the simple drunkard, who is found rolling about the streets " incapable of taking care of himself," to the burglar or the murderer who is happily caught in the execution ot his crime, or is brought in after a lengthened chace, to await the magistrate's judgment in the morning. These detenus have hitherto been confined m those wretched log-huts at the back of the dogpound in Queen-street, places oul}' fit lor the accommodation of, at most, two prisoners each ; but into which as many as eight or ten have often been thrust 011 a Saturday night, to pass the time until the opening ot' the Court on Monday morning, as best tliey might. These buildings have been found doubly inconvenient, on account not only of the insufficiency of the accommodation, but also ot its distance from the Police-station, to which offenders had first to be taken to be searched and to have the charge formally taken down. To remedy these crying evils, a new lock-up lias been erected on a piece of ground, of 110 very determinate shape, immediately adjoining the Court House, and with frontages towards Chancery-street and O'Connell-street. The block lias altogether the following dimensions : Frontage to Chancery-lane, 57 feet; to O'Con-nell-street, 47 feet; to Court House-lanc, 00 feet; and to Mr. Halliday's workshops and premises, 51 feet. On this a massive structure lias been built of brick, jointed and cemented throughout, having' tne general form ol a parallelogram surrounding an open court of 21 ieet by 29, divided by a seven feet and-a-half corrugated iron fence, bricked and guttered, so as to form a commodious exercising yard in all leathers. Surrounding this is an arcade of six feet wide, the roof, supported by iron columns, so as to protect the cells from the action of the weather, and afford a covered walk for theii inmates, and for the officers of the prison. On one side of this open yard are three cells, on the other two, each 12 feet bj r 9 and 14 feet high, with arched brick roofs on iron girders, and solid sheet iron doors. They are ventilated by

springs in -the roof, ■which communicate witli iron gratings between the ceiling tind the floor of the upper apartments, There arc three waterclosets on each side, provided with traps, pans, and other sanitary contrivances. At the further end of the court is a searching-room of 12 feet (5 inches by 8 feet, which is litted with iron bars to the windows and iron door?, so as to be capable of being used as an extra cell in the event of its being required lhe entrance from Chancery-street has a hall of 14 feet by 10, with a winding staix-ca.se leading to the upper tloor, lighted from the roof. On the lett is the guard-room, 15 feet by 30, with one window towards Chancery-street and one towards Court House-lane. On tlie right is a waiting-room for prisoners of seven feet square, which leads into the lock-up keeper's room, a commodious apartment, of 1!> feet liy 13. On the tipper tloor there is a lobby lighted by three windows looking into Chancery-street aiul opening by folding doors into a corridor entirely surrounding the court-yard and commanding a view of every one of the cells from each of its eight windows. On either side are rooms of four to ten feet broad by from 1-1 to 10 feet long, which are intended as police barracks, and probably one or two of them will be used as the Commissioner's otlice, the present ollice being miserably dark and inconvenient. There are on this floor the necessary conveniences of lavatories. A.C.. supplied by the large zinc-lined cisterns of!) x o x 5, holding 1,500 gallons each, which will supply the whole establishment with water in case of need. The building was planned by Mr. Keals, the architect, but lias been since carried out bv M r. Serin Matthews, under the supervision of Mr. Derroni, the Provincial Clerk of Works. Mr. Beaton has had the sub-contract for the brick work. Mr. Gougii for the plastering and slating, and Messrs. Yickcrv and and Maselield for the eastings and iron work. The workmanship of ' the entire building is highly creditable to all the tradesmen employed, the fittings being of the most solid anil durable materials, put- together in the most workmanlike manner. The original contract was let for and the extra work since ordered will cost about ,t:200 more. It. will be ready for the reception of its occupants about the end of the month, which will be live weeks earlier than the stipulated time, a fact that can seldom be recorded to the credit of a contractor, and which deserves due mention in this instance, as the time has not been gained by any sacrifice of substantiality or proper workmanship.