MORE POLICE WANTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20793, 9 February 1931, Page 14

MORE POLICE WANTED.

HASTINGS COMPLAINT.

PROTECTION NOT ADEQUATE.

REPLY BY COMMISSIONER.

" EXAGGERATED STORIES."

[BY TELEORAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] HASTINGS, Sunday.

Business people at Hastings arc seriously concerned over the problem of protecting their stocks, stated to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, which are awaiting salvage from the ruins of the town. The Mayor, Mr. G. A. Roach, informed Mr. W. G. Wohlmann, commissioner of police, at a meeting of the citizens emergency committee to-day that the residents were dissatisfied with the failure of the police department to give the protection thev considered necessary.

The Mayor asked for a force of 60 police officers to take over the guardianship of the town from the patrols established by tho committee. He stated that pilfering was going on and said that in one case goods were removed from damaged buildings by a man wearing a red cross band on his arm I Extra protection was essential for the preservation of law and order. Mr. Wohlmann, who was accompanied by Inspector Cummings, of Napier, said that 30 extra constables had ben brought into the earthquake region, four going to Napier and six to Hastings. There were now 18 members of the regular police force in Hastings. In addition volunteers had been called for special police duty and 25 men had been selected and sworn in. That force should be adequate to protect houses *ind business premises. "/ore Men In Emergency.

" The national police force, naturally, is limited," said Mr. Wohlmann, " and it is impossible to restrict the service in other towns where wo have a responsibility of our own. In an emergency I can get more men, but I do not think that an emergency has arisen. I am bringing in an extra sergeant and believe the town will be well policed from now on. If necessary I am prepared to swear in another 25 special constables." The commissioner added that the special police force was at present established on a voluntary basis, but serious consideration was being given to the question of payment. Ho hoped to make an announcement on this matter in a few days.

Major W. A. G. Penlington, who is in charge of the voluntary patrols, said his men numbered 140, so that watches could bie kept, using 70 men at a time. It was a big strain to ask volunteers to lake.

Mr. George Maddison said the policing of the town was the duty of the police department not of citizens. Valuable stocks waiting salvage were exposed in streets and were in danger of theft. Civilians could not continue policing the town indefinitely and if the police de-' partment could not find the men the department should call upon men of the permanent defence force. The Commissioner's Attitude. Colonel 11. Holderness said the town needed policing by uniformed men, not volunteers in civilian dress. Mr. Wohlmann: I cannot see the necessity for a large force of uniformed men in this town. My information is that practically no crime exists. You have no riots and thieving is not marked. Exaggerated stories are in circulation. For instance, I was told a lorry took away a load of boots at riicht from orte building, but on inquiry I find that only one pair of boots was stolen. If you can tell us of disorders, burglaries, thefts and other crimes we are prepared to accept the responsibility, but up to the present I am not prepared to agree that theso tilings have occurred. The statement was made by a member of the committee that a certain amount of marauding was going on and the perpetrators in normal times would have been arrested. It was the duty of the police department to see that women and children wero not being continually scared as they were at present. Hastings was in a different position from Napier because the firo had been checked in many places and stocks were undamaged.

The Mayor: The residents are not satisfied with the protection at present being given.

Mr. Wohlmann* is now conferring with Major Penlington on the matter.

GUARD AGAINST LOOTING. ONE MAN IMPRISONED. SHOTS FIRED AS WARNING. [|lY telegraph.—special reporter.] NAPIER, Sunday. Shots fired at night in Hastings Street have excited considerable attention here. It is generally known that some of tho patrols guarding the devastated area of tho town carry firearms arid all aro armed with batons, made, in some cases, from axe-handles and iron piping. Shots occurred on' two consecutivo nights, waking pcoplo sleeping in the vicinity, and rufnours were subsequently circulated that tho guards had killed a man caught looting a shop. This is incorrect. Officers in chargo of the pickets state that shots were fired into the ruins, as a warning to persons loitering suspiciously in the neighbourhood. They deprecate the use of firearms and state that they will only bo used officially in tho event of extreme emergency. The use of batons is defended on tho ground that tho town contains a number of undesirable characters' attracted from other / centres by the prospect of looting.

A man who endeavoured to pass the pickets one night was arrested and charged on Saturday before two justices of tho peace with being idle and disorderly. Ho was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. His name was given as William Brown, with several aliases, and the police stated he had several previous convictions. This was tho fust Police Court to sit since tho earthquake. Two other men were arrested last night and will bo charged in the Police Court to-morrow morning with pilfering.