LONG POLICE SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21344, 19 November 1932, Page 12

LONG POLICE SERVICE

SERGEANT A. E, ROWELL

RETIREMENT IN FEBRUARY 1

An interesting and varied career in the New Zealand police force, extending over 40 years, will be brought to a close with the retirement shortly of Sergeant A. E. Rowell, the officer in charge of the Otahuhu police station. Next Monday will see the close of Sergeant Rowell's official service, when he will represent the police in tho Otahuhu Magistrate's Court, and vacate office on three months' leave. His 40 years' continuous service will expire next February.

In his long service, Sergeant Rowell has served under nine different Police Commissioners. He was born in Cornwall, England, and arrived in New Zealand with his parents when 14 years of age. He was a coalminer on the West Coast in his early days, and it was his association with the Miners' Union and a personal friendship with Richard John Seddon that led to his joining the police force.

After serving the customary 12 months' service in the Artillery, which was a stipulated preliminary to entrance into the police force in those days, Sergeant Rowell was stationed at Christchurch, and after six years' service there was moved to Linwood, where he remained for four years. He was then transferred to Hampden, Otago, where he was stationed until 1903, when he was moved to Auckland and promoted to the rank of sergeant. After four years' station duty in Auckland Sergeant Rowell was in charge of the Queen's Wharf station for one year, and was transferred to Te Kuiti in 1913. He returned to Auckland three and a-half years later and was in charge of the Mount Eden and Devonport stations for five and four years respectively. After 18 months at Stratford he had charge of the Thames station for fully a year and was appointed to the Otahuhu station three year ago.

In 191.2," while stationed at Auckland, Sergeant, Rowell conducted the prosecution in the first case in New Zealand of a person being charged with manslaughter as the result of a motoring accident. Sergeant Rowell will he officially far«welled at the Otahuhu Court on Monday, when Sergeant H. Annis, from the Newtori station, who has been appointed relieving officer t will be welcomed. A permanent appointment is not expected to be made at the Otahuhu station until February next.