THE POLICE FORCE. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 19

THE POLICE FORCE. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER.

(From Our Own Co-respondent.)

"Wellington, July 29. In his first annual report on the police force of the colony, Commissioner Tnnbridge states that on March 31 the total strength was ■563 of all ranks, being an increase of 20 during tne year. Augmentations have been made at the following stations: — Auckland, 3; Paeroa, 1; Parnell, 1; Ponsonby, 1; Thames, 1; Hastings, 1 ; Wellington (head station), 4 ; }Jount Cook, 1; Reefton, 1; Hokitika, 1; Christchurch, 2 ; Invsrcargill, 1 ; South Dun■edin, 1.

Criminal Statistic^.— These statistics, .vhich. include all the offences reported, arc made up for the year ended the 31st December, 1897, and show an aggregate increase of 546, as compared with the totals of the preceding year. The most serious increases of offences against property have been — Burglary and breaking into shops and dwellings, 49; malicious injury to property, 89; theft (undescribed), 180; and theft from dwellings, 28. The rise or fall in tho number of offences against, property are generally accepted as a fair criterion of the inefficiency or efficiency, respectively, of a police force, the primary duty of which is to prevent crime, and a^ offences against property are, as a general rule, admitted to be preventable crimes, it necessarily follows that so long as these preventable crimes increase the police force cannot be considered efficient. The principal increase in serious offences against the person have beon— Abortion, 4; carnally knowing fl-ir'-i. 13; cutting and woundine', 5; manslaughter, 5; and murder, B;— total increase, 35. Tho total number o f these of fonce-5 repoTted during the year was 51, and the total number of persons arrfr," bonded or summoned for those offencco was 49 Jfc will therefore, be scan that the polioo have been ablo to cope fairly well with tins class oi offences. Reference to previous veturns show that there has been an annual incioase in U iC number of offences reported since the year 1891, the highest being 663 for the year VQB. Tho principal causes for the inefficiency of the force disclosed by these annual increases

in crime are four-fold — namely: (1) Numerical weakness ; (2) a want of proper training of men on being taken into the force; (5) a lack of subsequent supervision ; and (4) incapacity of many members of the force owing to advanced age or bodily infirmity. Towards remedying tho above, the commissioner suggests — (1) An immediate augmentation o'i 50 men; (2) the establishment of a training depot at which recruits should be kept for training at lea-st three months; (3) the appointment of four sub-inspectors to have general supervision over tho four populous centres, thus leaving the inspectors in charge of those districts greater liberty to supervise their districts; and (1) the establishment cf a pension sj'stom.

Drunkenness. — The total number of persons proceeded against for drunkenness throughout the colony during the years was 5604, be'ui.^ aa increase of 199 on the figures of the preceding year, and although this is not so largv^ an increase as that for 1896, which was 369, still it is a matter for regret. Sly Qirog-solling. — There were 146 persons proceeded against for this offence during the year, an increase of 92 on the figures of the pic ceding year. Although this may show an increased activity on the part of the police, it cannot be accepted as an indication that the evil is being stamped out. The prosecutions sery-i to make the dealers more wary, and now it is only in rare instances that they can be induced to sell to persons who are unknown to them It therefore follows that after each piwecution the police experience greater difficulty in getting the necessary evidence to justify proceedings being taken, and it is O2ily by tho adoption of subterfuge, or the proaiis'e of a money reward, to persons to become informer? — both of which practices should only bo resorted to in extreme cases — that in the great majority of instances can any evidence whatever be obtained. No doubt if liquor was allowed to be sold under license in tho districts where sly grog-selling is most prevalent the traffic could be more easily reguIfitsd by the police; but ihis question of li( ense versus non-license is one moro of poli'jy than of police procedure.

Sunday and After-hour Trading. — That there is a great deal of illegal Sunday and after-hour trading on the part of many publicans throughout the colony cannot be denied, and s:> long as the law remains as it is this cannot be checked to any appreciable extent, even if the whole police force of the colony were engaged on this particular duty, it is well understood by the unscrupulous licensees in many parts of the colony that in the e\ em of proceedings being taken against them all that is necessary to break down the cvidoiire of the witnesses for the prosecution is to bring forward an equal number of persons to swear to the contrary, and although it is palpable to everyone that in most cases in evidence of the persons so called is entirely unreliable, still as it is a case of one person's oaUi against another's, the prosecution usually fails. The commissioner states: — " My predecessor has in his annual leporis advocated the inclusion in the Licensing Laws of tho colony of something equivalent to the 25th section of ' The Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1872 ' (35 and 36, Viet., 0. 94), and I repeat his recommendation most strongly, in justice to the po'ice force, who are now blamed for no( enforcing a law which is practically unenfciceable.

Gaming Laws. — The laws relating to gambling, particularly street betting, reqiu-e amending. As the law is at present, the police are unable to cope with the evil. In tho streets of Ihe principal cities of the colony street-botting is becoming an intolerable nuisance to tho inhabitants, who have no sympathy with the persons conducting this traffic. It is also becoming a danger to young perrons using the streets, who would probably never think of betting if the law made it possible for the police to cleanse the thoroughfares of those belting men, and thus remove in a mcasuie the great facilities that now exist for indulging in this form of gam bling'.

TnFpeetcrs — The inspectors, considering the immense amount of work they have to perform, especially in the four lar&e districts, have performed their duly well, lm( it is impossible to disguise the fact that owing to advanced age some of them arc incapable of throwing into their work tho amount of energy, both menial and physical, required of men holding such responsible positions, and consequently the efficiency of the force suffers to some pxlcnt. They are, however, with one exception, men of vast experience and very long service, during which they have faithfully served the colruy. and there fore have a right to expect liberal treatment in their old age.

Sub-inspectors — The cities of Auckland, Welhnglcn, Chiistchurch, and Dunedin <le m.Mid the ivholo "services of an office) above the rank of sergeant, or sergeant-major, and the noalidi of ihe rank of sub-inspector is recommended. A sub-inspector would be an assistant to the inspector, and would assume charge in the absence of the hitter from headqonrlors". Sergeants. — The '■erqeanls of the force are its weakest^part. The commissioner has promoted 17 constables to the rank of third-claps sergeants, but up to the present, with few exceptions, these freshly-promo'ed men pcau'ely realise their r.mv position. AN itli a little more experience in their now iauk, and by bcinq- kept up to Ihcir work, mo<-l of thnu will luTdoubt develop into Q-ood rcrgeants, but means should bo found to clear away many of the older pergea-nts, and thus make room for as many younger and more active men A penr-ion system would meet this difficulty. . Constable.— The constables are a fair average lot of men. ('ol, orally they cany out their duties satisfactorily. The force would no doubt be improved if some who are of

loose habits, and others who are either mentally or bodily unfit, were got rid of. Tli.vt the men as a body are not lacking in intelligence is clearly demonstrated by tho general satisfaction they give in carrying out the multifarious duties outside that of police constable, which they are called upon to perform for the various Government depaitments and local bodies.

Detectives. — The detective branch of the force is doing its work lairly well, but is not sufficient in numbers. If the augmentation asked for and .the application for an allowanco of Is a day to men employed temporarily in plain clothes be granted, it will gieo greater opportunities to employ men in plain clothes work, and thus enable the commissioner to discover any latent detective talent that may e^ist in tho force.

Recruiting. — Bcforo any candidate is taken on his prhate character should be carefully inquired into by a responsible police officer. lie should be inquired to attend at Wellington to be there seen by the commissioner. He should be required to pass an elementary educational examination, and should be certified physically fit by a medical gentleman appointed and paid for by the department. The present age is from 23 to 40. This should be changed from 21 to 30. If tho candidate is deemed suitable for the force, lie should be drafted to a depot at Wellington as a probationer, and there placed under a competent sergeant to bo instructed. If at the end of three months the probationer is found to possess tho intelligence and aptitude required to make a good constable he should be drafted into the force, but if he lacks those qualifications he should be sent about his business.

Districts.— After dealing- with questions of pay, uniform, pensions, and gratuities, the commissioner states:— "l think the headquarters of the Wanganui and West Coast district should be removed from New Plymouth to Wanganui, and the Palmerston North subdistrict now in the Wellington district be transferred to the Wangamii district. This would relieve the Wellington district, which is at present unweildy. The Auckland district is also much too large, but it is so situated that no portion thereof could with advantage be transferred to any other existing district. Therefore, the only remedy is to create a new district with headquarters at the j'kiiues, but I do not recommend this change an present. If, however, the Thames district goldfields continue to go ahead the above suggestion will ultimately have to be carried out. ' Sick and Insane. — As regards the sick and insane, the commissioner recommends that a special cell or room be at once fitted up at the following stations: — Auckland, Wellington, Christohuroh, Dunedin, Nelson, and Wanganui. During the year 1897 the number of insane persons detained at the above stations were: — Auckland 23, Wellington 56, Christchurch 34, Dunedin 37, Nelson 10, and Wanganui 8.

Increase of Population.— The cities of Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin are extending their respective areas to such an extent that in the near future the question of police protection for those^place.s will have to be very seriously considered. The great bulk of the crime of the colony, particularly against property, occurs in these cities or the immediate neighbourhood thereof. In many of these suburban districts tho system of police protection is by stationing single constables ot various points, each constable acting independently of the others. Better results would follow if many of these isolated stations were, done away with and larger ones instituted, with at least three constables under a sergeant attached to each. A system of reliefs extending over the whole 24 hours could then be established. This system is already in operation in some of the suburbs, and it should be extended as far as possible as occasion arises.

THE OTAGO rOLICE.

Inspector Pardy, reporting on Dunedin, Southland, and Lake districts in the police report , says : — The numerical strength of the district at the present time is 111, consisting of 1 inspector, 15 sergeants, 93 constable?, and 2 detectives; also 1 district con- | stable stationed at Stewart Island. Them I aio 21 troop horses distributed among 50 police stations. By the annual officers' return already furnished you will see that the total number of offences reported during the year was 2376, being an increase of 97. In comparing the offences for the two years 1896 Vand 1897 you will see that in some offences there has been a considerable increase during the past year. Especially is this the case in regard io drunkenness, while in others there has been to a certain extent a corresponding falling off. Two serious crimes against the person wore committed during the past year--viz., one of wife murder and the other of attempted murder. In both cases convictions wore obtained, and in the former case the death penalty has since been carried out, and in the latter a penalty of 15 years' imprisonment inflicted. The recent increase in the number of sergeants has hod a beneficial effect on the force through increased supervision, ond the new hope it holds out to intelligent and honourable men of advancement in the service, such hope for yeais past, haiiug been completely dend. As regards sly grog-selling in Ihe Clulha district, every effort has beon made by tho police to obtain convictions, and such efforts have been fairly successful. Although Chit ha is called a prohibited district it. contains a licensed public house and a wholesale liquor store, so that the residents arc not altogether dependent on the sly grog-sellers for their liquor. The casualties during the past year have been as follows: — Retired on medical grounds, 1 first class do'oclive; resignations, 1 third class constable. While eight members of the force have been punished for minor offences, with few exceptions tho conduct of the police of all ranks in this district has been satisfactory!

and, ccnsidci nig the iniineruiis duties those members of Ihe force in charge of stations have to perform outside their duties as constables, it ia highly creditable to them that they have been so successful in keeping down crime, seeing that their police work has often to give precedence to other outside duties. Many of the police buildings afe old and in constant need of repair to keep them habitable, while others are in the same state from

faulty construction