THE POLICEMAN'S LOT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20300, 6 July 1929, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE POLICEMAN'S LOT.

SCOTLAND YARD AS IT 18.

"Where's the pelisse?" cried Mrs. Gamp, meaning tlio constabulary. "If they greased their whiskers less ami minded the duties which they're paid so heavy for a little more, no one needn't bo drove mad by scrouding so.'' Police aro like doctors, ambulances, and hospitals: wo like to keep away from them, but to have tliein instantly available if need arises, and many of those who think that the police aro never about when they are wanted aro ready enough at other limes to denounce them as interfering busv-bodics.

Tlio Whitehall Scries, issued by Putnam's, aims at providing aceurato and authoritative information on all public departments of tlio British Civil Service. Volumes have already been published dealing with the Post Office, the Treasury, the Board of Trade, and tlio Hoard of Education, and while it may surprise some readers to find the present volume on " Scotland Yard and the Metropolian I'olico" contained in the series it must not bo forgotten that, as tlio author, Mr. J. F. Moylan, points out, the polico aro a branch, in some ways the most important branch, of the civil service of the country in the broad senso of that term.

Despite occasional outbursts of dissatisfaction with the methods and personnel of (lie polico force, as exemplified by the recent Hoval Commission 011 polico powers, tlio general British attitude to the force is very unlike the Con tinental atmosphere of fear and dislike in which the policeman's lot cannot indeed bo a happy one. A popular hand book on the French polico recently pub lished begins by propounding as an axiom that " There is no human institution which inspires so much mistrust and enniily as the police." In England, on the contrary. " there is no body of ' public servants' who, on the whole, have more deserved that name or gained so largo a measure of public trust and affection." Origin of tho Name. Scotlann Yard owes its name to tho fact that it once was the silo of a palace for tho reception of the kings and queens of Scotland when they visited the English Court. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, sister to Henry VIIL. and widow of King James I. of Scotland, who was killed at Floddcn, seems to liavo been tho last Loyal occupant from Scotland. Tho official name of this headquarters office of the Metropolitan police has been for 'the last 40 years " New Scotland Yard," but popular usage pays no moro attention to tho " New " than did George Stephenson's engine to the " coo." Then, too. though ihe " Yard "is the central ollico for tho general administration and control of the 20.0C0 men of the Metropolitan police, in tho public mind nothing but tho particular branch known as tho C.I.D. is ever associated with (ho name. A further shock for the reader of mystery novels is cruelly dealt by the author in the blunt statement that " ari inquiry into a murder is not a common type of criminal investigation, and the majority of detective officers arc never called upon to tako part in one." Prevention, not Punishment.

Ono of the features of tlio centenary, celebrations of the Paris municipal police in March of this year was the bestowal of tho Cross of the Legion of Honour 011 a policeman who had made over ICOO arrests. As tho author drily remarks, "in England wo would think that the less said about it tho better." " Iho absence of crimo will bo considered tho host proof of the efficiency of the police." These words arc taken from tho original instructions to the Metropolitan police, ami represent tho test of success from tlio British point of view. A policeman's efficiency, then, is not judged by liis activity in the matter of arrests or summonses. It has long been tho rule in all forces that promotion is in 110 way dependent on the number of " cases " to a constable's credit, and no amount of prosecuting zeal can make up for failure to pass the examination test for promotion. A great deal is heard at times of corruption in the police, but. considering that 120,000 men have passed through tho Metropolitan form since. 1829 it is certainly not surprising that, in Mr. Moylaii's words, " there should liavo been more than a few to whom Juvenal's ' Quis cuslodiel ipsos custodes?' (who shall guard tho guards themselves?) has, unfortunately, been applicable: but taking tho police as a body, this question is one that there has been little occasion to ask—singularly little if one considers the temptations to which policemen are exposed and how poorly they wero paid 111 the past." The Gutteridp,o Case.

Finally, as an illustration of the C.I.D. of to-day at work, and perhaps also as something of a concession to the general love of what 11. H. Irving called a " good, bloody murder." an appendix is given on tho Gutteridge caso of 1927-1928. P.C. Gutteridge, a villago constable in Essex, was found dead one morning at sixo'clock lying dead 011 tho road with his whistle hanging loose, his pencil in his hand, and his notebook lying near. _ Tho patience and perseverance shown in tho ensuing inquiry by the police, aided by an extraordinary stroke of luck, resulted in tho discovery and conviction of tho murderers. The story is of absorbing interest, and goes to prove that the modern detective, if not ouito so brilliantly intuitive as Sherlock Holmes, is still a long wav ahead of tho plodding unimnginativo Watson.

" Scotland Yard and the Metropolitan Police," by J. P. Movlmi, Receiver for tho Metropolitan Police District (Putnam).