The Police Commission

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9062, 10 June 1898, Page 4

The Police Commission

PROCEEDINGS IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland, June 8. The Police Royal Commission to inquire into the general organisation, enrolment, discipline, general conduct, sobriety and morality, etc., of the police forc'o of the colony commenced its sittings in Auckland at the Harbour Board public room at 10.30 this inoruing. The members of the Commission flroMr H.S. Wardell. S.M. (Chairman),. |Lieut,-Col. Pitt, Mr J. W. Poynton, '8.M., Mr J. B. Tunbridge, Commissioner of Police, and the ex-Com-missioner, Colonel Hume, Inspector Hlcksonwas also present. Mr E, W. Kane is secretary of the Commission, and J. Dunbar Gray, of the' Hansard' staff, shorthand writer.

Mr Frank Lawry, M.H.11, gave an emphatic denial to the report that he had used political influence to obtain the appointment of Constable G. H. Nixon.

Colonel Hume stated that what Mr La wry had said was perfectly true.

THE AUCKLAND poLICE.

Inspector Hickson said he was a first class inspector, and was in charge of the Auckland district, which was the largest police district in the colony, There were 53 police stations in it, representing a force of 10 ser geants, 92 constables, 8 district constables, and 3 native constables. The present strecgth of the bead station was 49, but there were always a great number. of these absent from duty from time to time. For instance, there were eight absent at present, and two, including the senior sergeant, who met with an accident at the.fire, were absent on sick leave. The men were all efficient physically and fairly efficienbjas constables. A large number of them were young men who,had not longbeen appointed, and they were as efficient as could be expectedVof inexperienced men. He recommended the establishment of a central depot in Wellington for the training of recruits to the police,; He did riot think the present force sufficient for.; the requiriments of the districtv.and in the Auckland city lie Would recommend an additional constable at''P6nsdnby and Newton; a new'station at;EHerslie for that district and Remuera ; also s constable at Birkenhead, Te Kuiti (in the King Country), and one additional at Pae* roa and Waihi. He would recommend a new station at Te Kuiti. He had recoived no complaints as to any member of the. force. A AfrW. Mit-. jchell had made a complaint, which .was in the course.of inquiry, Two constables had been dismissed for intemperance during the year ending March, and one since, They were young men who had not been long in the force; one of them had only been two months in uniform. He thought the morality of the force in the district was good, with two or three exceptions. He had made some very strict inquiries'' in this respect lately, and found there was no truth in the allegations.. He thought the pay of the police was inadequate. If it was increased it would induce intelligent men to join thd force. He would recommend that the police be supplied with uniforms free. He did not think the police should be deprived of the franchise. He thought there' were too' many classes.amongst sergeants and constables. Two in each, he thought, would be sufficient, Instead of classes he would : recommend an increase of pay, according to service. The lowest pay of a man joining should be 7s, rising in 15.years to 8s 6d. On a sergeant attaining his rank he should receive 9s per day and should rise to a maximum of 10s. Herecom mended married constables should re'« ceive '• a house allowence. He was strongly of opinion that a pension system should be established iii connection with the force. He believed the force would be prepared to con tribute towards it from their pay, but he though contributions ought to be small, owing to the present small pay. He advocated that all fines inflicted oir constables and emoluments received by constables from outside offices j should go to tlio pension fund. Inspector Hickson said the Auckland district was far too. large and he was not able to. properly supervise it. He thoughtDunedin and Uhiistchurch were also too large/ He had practical experience of both. He recommended the 1 appointment of sub-inspectors iu every police district as at present constituted. In some cases he thought it would be better' to have new districts. For all districts there ought to be a sub inspector. He had not been able to visit all stations once a year. The district clerk took charge when he was absent in the country. V • > - •

LICENSING LAWS, In answer to MrPoyntou, Inspector Hickson said that public houses in the city were better conducted than many other place in. the' colony. OTHEE MATIBKS. Inspector Hickson said they had had many complaints about sly grog selling in the King Country,' and they had done as much as they possibly could do to suppress it. The difficulties of detection were great. There were four tote shops in Auckland, against three of which convictions had been obtained. There was a good deal of prostitution in Auckland, but he knew ofnoexistiug legal brothels. There was no established brothel so far as he knew.