CRIME INVESTIGATORS AND THEIR PAY-ENVELOPES

NZ Truth, Issue 1128, 14 July 1927, Page 1

CRIME INVESTIGATORS AND THEIR PAY-ENVELOPES

Scandal of Underpaid And Overworked Detective Staff PLAIN CLOTHES MEN wWARE ON NA VVIES' WAGES

»HIL/E conditions generally throughout the whole force are extremely unsatisfactory and deficient m many respects, they are particularly accentuated m the detective branch — the most important of all. The unsolved Burwood murder mystery has not only shocked the public mind, but it has served to focus attention on the disgraceful conditions under which crime investigators are expected to work and succeed — under the existing system of muddle m high places. Individually and collectively the detectives of this Dominion are highly capable men, actuated by the highest motives m their zeal to put down crime. But their hands are tied by regulations and decrees, and their efforts and abilities are choked by the atmosphere of departmental sloth and short-sighted policy on the. part of our politicians. Detectives are little better off as regards pay ;md conditions than the newest constable on the beat, and little better off than the navvy. An acting-detective receives 15s. 6d. daily, seven days a week, which is one shilling per day more than the uniformed man. A detective receives 16s. 6d. daily, but is actually rated the same as a constable at 14s. 6d., the extra two shillings being by way/ of an allowance, the allowance for the actingdetective being one shilling only. Toilers Taken on a seven days' average the detective receives £5 15s. 6d., actually earned, for his weekly wage, but he works, on the average m normal times 11 or 12 hours daily, and m rush times like the Burwood affair 16 and Yt hours a day have been the average. And this is the value that the Department places on its criminal investigators. Truly they earn their pittance. It is an amazing fact, but true nevertheless, that based on a tirne-sheei basis, a detective receives no more or a yearly average than an ordinal* j laborer. He certainly receives more In hit pay envelope each month, but whei the total salary is computed on at hourly basis ho receives little mort per liour than a hod -carrier or .* navvy. And this is how the Qovernmen and the department treats the mer who are expected to keep down crim< and criminals and give to the public that measure of protection that is essential m any. civilised community.

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) I The constitution, staffing, and general working conditions of - the New Zealand Police Force— particularly m the detective branch — are a disgrace to the Government and a direct incentive to an ; ever-increasing incidence of crime of all kinds.

tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii The police force to-day is starved of encouragement, its personnel m the constabular and plain clothes branches is hopelessly inadequate, yet the public wonder and demand to know why crime is increasing and why complaints are not handled promptly. The reason is simply that there are not the men available' to give prompt and efficient service to the public. The shrewd criminal element knows it, and m many cases is trading on : the knowledge to the detriment of the public" weal but its own advantage, , not to mention the opprobium incurred by the police as a result of their seemi i.ng slothf ulness m getting' busy on > complaints. ./ m Christchurch, with a population . of 115,000, there, are eight detectives to 1 handle all the criminal work- and investigate all the complaints that come m concerning loss of property by theft 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiMMiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiii

iiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiii and other means not ascertainable at the time the complaint is lodged. How can they do the work with efficiency and dispatch? The apswer is simplicity itself. They cannot do it, and no wonder. The work that is piling up m the Christchurch detective office since the Burwood murder a month ago must be enough to stagger the staff, whose duty eventually it will be to handle and unravel the multiplicity of complaints and minor mysteries the file represents. Such a state of affairs is eating at the vitals of efficiency, than which there is no more important essential m the. whole organisation. Crime investigators cannot be expected to put their best efforts into their work when they are so scandalously underpaid and so grossly overworked as the detectives m Christchurch are to-day. The men are m the position of not iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiit

3 _ _ knowing which way to turn or what to do .first. Not infrequently the most trifling complaint involves interviews with numerous people, the going from place to place and the {general utilisation of valuable time, so that a whole day may be absorbed m the investigation of some trifling offence unworthy of a fully-trained and competent criminal investigator. And since the Burwood murder occurred to further harass an already overworked and inadequate staff it is safe to say that little • else has been done. .7 No wonder that the force is seething with discontent at the present time. Sufficient and more has been said to explain the large number of resignations from the uniformed ranks, which are due largely to the multitudinous petty and irritating pin-pricking regulations which have to be borne and suffered under ; penalty. All Engaged , Tho whole force wants a thorough overhauling and a complete remodelling. In the first place the Department must concentrate on the detective staff, bringing it up to date and separating it entirely from the rest of the force. It should be controlled and directed by officers with practical experience as detectives, and promotions to high places, should be solely on merit and not on seniority by virtue of length of service. Further, conditions of work and rates of pay should be adequate to the importance of a detective's duties, and all applicants for admission to the ranks of the criminal investigation department — as it should be designated — should be asked to undergo a rigorous examination. Finally, the mass of rubbishy inquiries that arc heaped on detectives under the present system should be delegated to a. plain clothes constabular branch, specially organised with specific duties. In short, the detectives who are responsible, for" the detection nf crime should be what they ought to be now but are not — detectives whoso duties are the detection of crime and the running to earth, of law-breakers. They are doing that now, of course, and most' satisfactorily, but at the price , of long hours, indifferent conditions and poor pay. The detective branch should attract the best brains available, but it will never do so while conditions remain as they ar©, [