His Old Shako

NZ Truth, Issue 1175, 7 June 1928, Page 6

His Old Shako

A SERIES of transfer appointments and superannuation retirements has been keeping the farewell hankies of the Auckland police force fairly damp of late — with tears, that is! Some there are who will say a policeman is immune from emotion; maybe, but even the most stoic of Auckland's constabulary felt a quiver of sadness, a pang of regret, when Senior-Sergeant Richard Lanigan, for the last time, took his old shako down from its peg at the Newton police-station. the past ten years this son of the Ould Shamrock has held official sway over the Newton station. But thus immersed m responsibility, Lanigan never allowed officialdom to drown his humanity. Always, Lanigan was just Lanigan — loveable limb of the law, - enjoying as wide a range of popularity as ever came the way of a man m blue.

Lanigan, when he landed m the Dominion, 35 years ago, didn't take the Irishman's proverbial short-cut to the neax-est police headquarters for the purpose of joining the "furr-rce." He had a cut at various means of livelihood before signing to the colors of the N.Z. Artillery, which was then a subway to the police force.

Thirty-two years with the force sees Lanigan discarding his uniform for a well deserved retirement. *