MAGISTRATE ON THE POLICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20642, 14 February 1929, Page 10

MAGISTRATE ON THE POLICE.

"A KIND-HEARTED BODY” HELPING THE ’YOUNG. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON; December 21. Mr Clarke Hall, the Old street magistrate, addressing the Howard League for Penal Reform, suggested that in each police division there should be one or two officers particularly interested in children’s cases who should be specially deputed to inquire into those cases and bring theni before the court where necessary. " The police are enormously sympathetic and kind,” he said. “They are the most splendidly kind-hearted body of people I have ever come across, and a great many of them are very interested in the welfare of the children. I am told there would be no departmental difficulty about .carrying out the suggestion I have made. As one policeman said to me, ‘ They set apart a particular policeman to look after dead bodies. Why should they not do so for live' children? ’ ”

The Homo Secretary had a Bill prepared to amend the Children’s Act. It would provide, he believed, that any child likely to fall into delinquency by reason, of its surroundings might be brought before the court! If that became law it will be an’ enormous help towards the prevention of delinquency. ■ Children’s courts were not entirely satisfactory in this country, and there was an enormous amount of child deliquency that never came before the courts, and was never checked.

“ There is an erroneous idea that it is not playing the game to go in for child case snatching. The police and public have not yet realised that the only chance for many of these children who have gone astray is to bring them before the court. If they are given a smack over the head by a constable and told not to do it again, of course, they will go on doing it. If they come before the court they will have the great value of the probation officer’s supervision.”

Mr Clarke Hall agreed entirely with the view that in looking after children women made the best probation officers. Contrary to the practice of some other courts, he placed his boys, even up to the age of 15, under the care of the woman probation officer.