THE LONDON POLICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13745, 7 September 1908, Page 2

THE LONDON POLICE.

CHARGES AGAINST THEM

DISPROVED.

CITY LIFE MUCH IMPROVED.

The report of the Royal Commission which inquired into the conduct of the London Metropolitan Police is an interesting vindication of the character of the most famous police force in the world. The Commission has no hesi* tation in coming to the conclusion that the Metropolitan Police, as a whole, discharge their duties with honesty, discretion, and efficiency; that they steer with remarkable skill midway between fussy intervention and negligence ; and that the instances m which unnecessary pain is inflicted by arresting constables are extremely rare. The Commission finds that if ."occasionally constables have been, guilty o misconduct of various kinds and of various degrees," it is only what per* sons with, experience of life and conversant with the difficulties of govern? ing men would ,«fcpect* It & impossible to guarantee the absolute of every member of a body of 17,000 men. The police make 110,000 arrests annually and maintain order, in a population of 6,678,000; sa that the proportion of complaints against them is so small as to prove that there exists "no cause for believing that there is any tendency 1 to make wrongful or improper arrests." The Commission refers to the dimculty of dealing with the morals of London streets. Evidence was given to the effect that molestation of ladies shopping in the West End by welldressed blackguards is on the increase, but the Commission points out that victims will not take action, being unwilling to face the publicity of court proceedings. , Experience also shows that no man^veir comes forward to help the police in ♦ ordinary cases ot solicitation. • The police are praised for their conduct in this' delicate class of case, and it is hinted that the public is too apt to lose its head when a prosecution fails, and, draw unfair conclusions as to police methods. Remarkable evidence was given by a Mr Coote, on behalf of the National Vigilance Association, as to the improvement in the state of the streets. •'I have known London for the last forty years, and my memory goes back to quite forty-seven years. I knew the Haymarket and Piccadilly very well forty-seven years ago, and I say that London to-day, compared with what it wd,s forty years ago, is an open-air cathedral. Then it was vicious in every particular. To-day the change is marvellous, both in the crime and m the habits of the people. Everything has gone fqr the better. That is my conviction as a citizen of London, and I am proud of London." •