POLICE INQUIRY

Southland Times, Issue 20618, 17 October 1928, Page 5

POLICE INQUIRY

ROYAL COMMISSION EVIDENCE OF SIR W. T. HORWOOD TAKING OF STATEMENTS fTotted Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) London, October 15. Brigadier-General Sir W. T. Horwood. exComm Ls&ioner of the Metropolitan Police, giving evidence before the Royal Commission agreed that the poorer classes of the public were probably unaware that the police had no right to extract a statement. He added that after all the police were there to detect, besides prevent, crime. Viscount Lee observed: “And the Commission is here to consider the rights and liberties of the subject besides the interests of justice.” Brigadier-General Horwood denied that the police had sheltered colleagues; on the contrary the force did not want black sheep. He was of opinion that the Metropolitan Police needed an additional 500 men owing to the motor traffic. He suggested that if the police had the right of entry to all clubs it would not be necessary to send disguised constables to detect offences. He recommended that the street offences law be made applicable to both sexes. Replying to Dame Meriel Talbot the witness agreed that the police were being increasingly used for welfare work. He did not think women police could be sufficiently trained to undertake responsible work such as inquiries into sex cases. He added that under present conditions a male offender needed protection as much as a woman prisoner.—Australian Press Association— United Service. The Royal Commission referred to in the cablegram was set up early in August to consider the general powers and duties of the police in England and Wales in the investigating of crimes and offences. The personnel is:—Viscount Lee, of Fareham (chairman ; Lord Ebbisham (formerly Sir Rowland Blades' ; Sir Howard Frank, Dame Meriel Talbot, Sir Reginald Ward Edward Lane Poole, Mr James Thomas Brownlie, Miss Margaret Beavan. Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and Mr Frank Pick. The terms of reference of the Royal Commission are:— To consider the general powers and duties of police in England and Wales in the investigation of crimes and offences, including the functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the police respectively; to inquire into the practice followed in interrogating or taking statements from persons interviewed in the course of the investigation of crime: and to report whether in their opinion such powers and duties are properly exercised and discharged, with due regard to the rights and liberties of the subject, the interests of justice, and the observance of the Judges' Rules both in the letter and the spirit; and to make any recommendation necessary in respect of such powers and duties and their proper exercise and discharge. Mr E. E. Bridges, of the Treasury, is secretary of the Commission, and Mr G. D. Kirwan, of the Home Office, assistant secretary.