The Police Commission.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXI, Issue 8834, 14 July 1905, Page 4

The Police Commission.

By Telegraph. Dunedin, July 13.

The Police Commission resinned its sittings this morning. Sergeant Ryan said that -when the robbery was committed at the D.I.C. he found Moses 40 minutes off his beat. The beats were too large for a 6ergeant to visit his men three times in a night, and he suggested the cutting up of each section into two, with a sergeant in charge of each. Chief Detective Herbert said the beats were too large for sergeants to have proper control. The city should be cut up into three sections with a sergeant in chaTge of each, and there should be an extra sub-inspector for night duty. The Police Commission Tesurned this morning and took the evidence of Sergeant Ryan, who was in charge of the relief on two occasions when the robberies occurred at the D.1.0. On one of these occasions he found Moses off his beat for 40 minutes, and reported him for it. He always took M'Donald for a straightforward sort of man. Chief Detective Herbert considered that everything possible had been done by the authorities in connection'with the robberies. He thought tie area supervised by the sergeants in Dunedin was too large, and that it should be cut up into three sections. Prom the information now in possession of the police, the robberies had been going on for four or five years. They started in a small way, and gradually grew. He disapproved of appointing detectors of sly grog-selling to the police force. SeTgeanfc Ramsay complained that in Dunedin a sergeant had to gallop round all night if tha men had to be looked after properly. The evidence of Moses was then taken at the gaol, and he said the working of the beats in Dunedin was like clockwork. They knew when to expect the sergeants. Thieving had been going on for a considerable time prior to his arrival. Surprise visits by the sergeants would certainly have curtailed it. Witness had not been offered any reward for making the statements. He was looked upon as the black sheep of the force, and wanted to clear himself. James M'Donald; also under sentence; stated besides

articles were taken a few at a time. He believed the thefts were going on for thre«| or four years before he arrived here. It was a private individual who first introduced the subject to him. He believed these things were going on in other towns. He had heard it was going on in other towns, the names of which were mentioned. The Commission sits again to-morrow.