THE POLICE COMMISSION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3437, 19 May 1898, Page 3

THE POLICE COMMISSION.

MR TUNBRIDGE’S EVIDENCE. PAYMENT AND PENSIONS. The Police Commission resumed its sittings in Wellington yesterday, the throe members, Messrs Wanleil (Chairman), Poynton, S.M., and Colonel X J itl, being present. Commissioner Tunbridge was the only witness examined during the day. Ho said ho had been appointed in October last, having previously served 20 years in all ranks of the London Metropolitan Police, from low-grade constable to chief of the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard. He retired on pension in 1895. His duties had taken him to many parts of the world, and ho had been afforded ample opportunity of studying various police systems. Prom inquiries made since coming to the colony he had come to certain conclusions which, if given effect to, might have a very beneficial effect. The method of enrolment, for instance, might be altered in the direction of bringing all candidates to Wellington for medical and educational examination, after which, if the reports were found satisfactory, they should be drafted off to a training dep6fc. In this probationary stage they should be specially instructed in police duties by an officer qualified for such work, then at the end of three months, if giving indications of ultimate efficiency, the recruits could be drafted off as opportunity offered. Recruiting should not be confined to any particular class, but be spread over the whole community, the minimum age being 21 and the maximum 30, instead of 40 as at present. It was generally found that men from rural districts became more competent than those from large towns, and the appointment of all men and sergeants should be left wholly in the hands of the Commissioner. This course was adopted in England, where the executive head in every locality had supremo control. Uniforms should, ho thought, be provided by the Government and a certain sum allowed for lodging or rental expenses. A shilling a day to all men who had served three years would possibly be found to meet the latter difficulty. Then, again, classes should be abolished in all ranks, as had been done in the London Metropolitan force, and a system of increments established. Promotion from the rank of constable should, Mr Tunbridge considered, not be made until the candidate had passed a somewhat advanced educational examination —one including questions on practical police work and practice. The questions under the latter head should be set by a Stipendiary Magistrate. In promoting men from the rank of constable efficiency should be regarded as the greatest factor, seniority, of course, receiving a certain amount of consideration. Police surgeons should be appointed in every populous centre, or wherever a number of men were stationed. Constables on the sick list should have a small stoppage made from their pay —about Is a day—which should go to the pension fund. As at present constituted the force was undermanned, though the number might be sufficient if the men were available for street duty. At least 5 per cent, were continually absent, either on escort. Court or other work, and to provide for these an augmentation was necessary—say of 50, There should also be an officer stationed at the four chief centres, with rank between sergeant and inspector, having the title of sub-inspector. It was not desirable to have sergeant-majors, and the rank should be allowed to die out with the two men now holding that position. There was at present a wide diversity between the rank of sergeant and inspector, which few of the men were capable of appreciating, hence the desirability of creating a stopping-stone by the sreatiou of an office between the two posts. Leave should be accumulative, but, as it was desirable to place some restriction upon it, he would recommend that 30 days be granted at the end of three years, the annual time being 12 days, as at present. Money rewards should be entirely abolished. Upon the administration of the Licensing Act the Commissioner pointed out that the police were under considerable disadvantage owing to the fact that a person found on licensed premises during prohibited hours could not be regarded as. committing any offence. To get over this difficulty the law should be amended by the adoption of section 25 of tho Intoxicating Liquors Act, 1872 (35 and 38, Via., chap. 94), thus rendering it illegal for persons other than boarders to be in a licensed house. As to gambling, particularly street betting, the police were unable to deal with this offence unless itwasnndera system of totalisator odds or the persons betting caused an obstruction. That being so it was .practically impossible for the force to deal with the evil. He would suggest that an alteration should bo made in the law whereby any person who frequented a public place for betting upon a contingency should be held to have committed an offence. „ Commissioner Tunbridge also afforded the Board details of certain alterations which he thought should be made in the rates of pay now given. Tho scale should, he thought, be as follows Probationers, 6s nec day ; constables, 7s per day (with increments of 6d every four years till attaining the maximum of 8s 6d at the end of 12 years); then, as a further reward to those who had not been promoted, 9s a day after 20 years. Sergeants should start at 8s 6d per day, receiving 10s after three years and 10s 6d after six years. Inspectors should commence at .£3OO a year, rising by increments of -C25 every two years until reaching .£4OO. Detective classes should algo be done away with, and though the pay should remain the same it should be by increments on the same scale as that for sergeants. Men engaged in clerical or plain clothes duty could with justice be given an additional la per day. Coming to the question of pensions the Commissioner was of opinion that it would be impossible to maintain a thoroughly efficient service without a scheme of some sort. At present there were a number of men who, through age and infirmity, were scarcely competent to carry out their duties. There were six sergeants and three constables between 60 and 65, one sergeant and two constables over 65, one inspector between 55 and 60, three between 60 and 65, one between 65 and 70, and one upwards of 70. Sergeants and constables should be retired at 60. but with regard to inspectors he was not prepared to make any recommendations. There were now 22 of all ranks with upwards of 30jyaars’ service, who on retirement would not be entitled to anything, though a grant equal to a year’s pay was invariably made. Any constable with not ’ess than five years* or more than 15 years’ service should, if compelled to leave, receive a gratuity of one month’s pay for each year’s service. If, however, he has served 15 years, be should receive a pension equal to 15-50ths of his salary, increasing by l-50th up to 30 years, when the maximum of 3 sths of the salary should be attainable. If the man has completed 25 years’ service, and was not under 55 years, he should be allowed to retire on pension, but not in other oases unless returned “ medically unfit.” To provide for this fund a reduction should be made from salaries of 4 per cent. In the event of a man dying in the service from other causes than injuries received dn the execution of his duty, the money deducted should be returned to the next of kin; but if a man died in the execution of his duty the widow should receive a pension and his children a compassionate allowance. Men who retire from the service or were dismissed should not'receive back their contributions. All fines and penalties imposed under the Licensing, Gaming and Police Offences Acts should go to the police pension fund; also the amount now at credit of the police reward fund. Salaries and emoluments received by constables for services other than as policemen should be paid into the fund, and all Government departments for which the police now do gratuitous work should pay over an annual sum commensurate with the labour performed. If these suggestions were carried out it would not be necessary for the Government to make any very large gran*—hardly more than that now required for retiring allowances.

Some particulars "were given at a later stage of his evidence by Mr Tunbridge as to the relative cost of police protection per head in the colonies, from which it appeared that in New Zealand it amounts to 2s 8d; Victoria. 4s 3Jd; -Veiv South ■Wales, 5s Hd; South Australia, 4s Sd j Queensland, 6s 9d; and Western Australia, 11s 3d. The strength of the force was i—New Zealand, 1 to every 1401; South Australia, X to 1041 j Victoria, 1 to 832 ; New South Wales, 1 to 692 ; Queensland, 1 to 579 ; Western Australia, 1 to 349-54 inhabitants. The suggested increase of 50 men would bring the strength up to about one to every 1400 and the cost to about 3s Bd. Even then New Zealand would have a much cheaper force - than any colony in Australasia. In New South Wales there was a pension system, amounting to halfpay for 20 years' service, two-thirds above, 20 years and under 30, and full pay over 80 years. In Victoria the pension granted at the end of 10 years is 10-50ths of the pay, going on by rises of X-50th of the annual salary up to 30 years. In Sonth Australia there are no pensions paid, bat an allowance is given of one month's pay for each year’s service over 20 years. In Western Australia there is a benefit police fund, to which the whole of ’ the men subscribe and the Government contributes, This is distributed principally by gratuities of one month’s pay for each year's service. In Queensland, after 15 years' service, a pension amounting to one-quarter of the pay was obtainable, an additional l-6Qth being granted for each additional year’s service. There was uo peftstoa paid lu

Tasmania. A percentage of 4 per cent, is deducted from salaries in Queensland, 21 per cent, in Victoria, 3 per cent, in New South Wales, and eub-criptione by sergeants and constables at the rate of 6s and 5s per month respectively. As regards pay the rate in Australia wa>New South Wales, probationers 6s a day, ordinary constables 7s, ifirst-elass 7s 6d', senior, 8-; Victoria, from 6s to 7s 6d for seniors, mounting to 8s Gd by increments ; Queensland, supernumerary constables 3s per day, others from 6122 to 6130 per annum, with long-service allowances and grants to meet increased cost of living in country districts. A number of questions were put to Mr Tunbridge by the Commissioners, arising out of his evidence, after which an adjournment was made until this morning.