POLICE AND PRESS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20828, 21 September 1929, Page 12

POLICE AND PRESS.

The Christchurch newspapers may be relied upon to defend themselves against the imputation, to which the .Minister of Justice apparently gave his endorsement in the * House of Representatives yesterday,, that they have hindered' the police in their detection of crime. What the particular reference may be we cannot surmise, but the complaint Which the police officials in Christchurch have made and the Ministerial endorsement of it possess a general interest in, so far as they relate to what' seems to be the policy of the Police Department as affecting the publication, of information. concerning crime. Under that policy, the facts that are learned and the discoveries that aria made by police officials in their, efforts to .detect the perpetrators of crime are frequently treated as secrets 'that *are to be closely guarded until arrests have been made and the supposed offenders have been brought before the court. It conflicts, of course, with that" policy if the press, in its natural desire to supply its readers with news, publishes information that may reach it with reference to any crime concerning which \ the inquiries by the police have not been completed. The police authorises at Homo adopt a different practice from that which is followed here. They find .that the use of the publicity that is afforded through the press is of material' help to them in the detection of crime. Secretiveness- on the part of the police in connection with any crime that has agitated the community merely forces the press to institute its own investigations relative to the" matter., It is unreasonable to suppose that np attempt whatever' should be made in such a case to satisfy the public curiosity os .to developments that may occur. If, in a recognition of this on' the part of the police officials, they were to. extend their confidence to the press, and so admit of the,publication of such information as might be communicated to the public without prejudice to the continued prosecution of their inquiries, the outcome would bo generally satisfactory.