HARBOUR POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19986, 30 June 1928, Page 12

HARBOUR POLICE.

PATROL FOR THE WA ITEM ATA. "TIME NOT YET ARRIVED." A request for the appointment of prop-erly-equipped wator police to protect the many valuable craft lying in the Waitemata Harbour was recently made to the Minister of Justice, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston, by tho Auckland Yacht and Motor-boat Association. The association was specially moved to make the request owing to the fact that damage, estimated at about £4OO, had been done to yachts and motor-boats at their moorings within the course of a few clays.

A reply from tho Minister lias now been received by Mr. A. J. Collings, secretary to the association. The Minister states that after full inquiry into the matter he has been advised by responsible officials of the Police Department that there has not been . any substantial number of offences of this kind reported to the police, and that it is not considered advisable to incur the expense which the association's proposals would involve. His decision is that the time for providing a special police patrol of the Waitemata Harbour has not yet arrived." Mr. Collings states that only a comparatively small proportion of the losses suffered by small craft owners are reported to the police. The Minister's reply will bo considered at the next meeting of the association. Some ye:t"s ago an effort was made to induce the Government to patrol the harbour. The then Minister of Justice promised to appoint a constable for patrol work, providing the Auckland Harbour Board supplied the launch and a hand to run it. The scheme, however, did not materialise. For some weeks members of the New Zealand Power-boat Association carried out a patrol of the harbour at their own expense, and this had good results. In Sydney a police patrol of tho harbour is carried out day and night. Similar services are provided in nearly all the large ports of the world. It is estimated the value of pleasure craft on tho Waitemata is over .£150,000, and it has been pointed out that no other property of such value is left without police protection.