POLICE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11540, 19 May 1892, Page 2

POLICE.

TO TUB EPITOR. Sm,-In your issue of tho 10th inst I saw a "par" from ono of your Wellington cormjpondonta stating that tho polico «-oro likely to bo re-oiganised at <m early |lato. As an ex-consUUe, and o DO ,vho ma served many years in tbo South Isand police, priucipally on tho W est Coast and Us adjacmt inlaad to Wnß>w hcro I spunt a number of yoaw i a active service, I think I cnn spt-aU with som P authority on police matters. llc^rdiZ the force 1U gonwa), tl.o sooner it i s r>. organised tho better. I know men lew.

ing in the South with ten years' servic< and upwards, active and intelligent mer without a scratch against their name and yet they only rank as third-class con. stables— simply the rank of a raw recruit In none of the sister colonies does this deplorable' state of things exist. The prompt arrest or Caffrey and Perm, and also the bloodthirsty Deeming prove the stamina that is in the police force in the T other colonies, and why is our service not S on the same footing? In New Zealand practically illiterate snrgeants and constables are placed over the heads of more ' deserving men, and merit apparently is unrecognised. As a remedy I would suggest that the force beat once re classified and every inducement offered, in the way of promotion, to intelligent and energetic men. It is a well-known fact that there have been more undetected felonies during the past few years than at any other period during thehistory of the servce : and why is this so ? The answei is not far to seek. The men have no inducement to exert thomsolves. The pay is 7s per diem, out of which the constable has to provide all his uniform, which means a lot, including as it does, tunic, trousers, waterproof coat, shako, helmet, gloves, and a host of other sundries j and if married, they have also to prov.de themselves with respectable quarters. The railway and gaol ofßcials are found in official clothing, but the unfortunate policeman has to buy everything. I have nryself, while in the service, arrested men with from J650 to JEI SO in their possession. And yet a man is supposed to keep honest, buy all uniform, parade the streets in all weathers, &c, for a paltry 7s per diem, and expected to remain honest. I ask is it not a farce to expect such a thing? Considerable authority is vested in the police, and I think that the service should be well remunerated and none but intelli- , cent and energetic men allowed to join. -~- Take the force as at present constituted, fully 60 per cent, of the service are utterly unable to pass the fourth standard of education in its entirety. Some police reports that came under my own observation do*n south were neither grammatical nor well written, while others wore devoid of all sense and the spelling simply terrible. While the present state of things exists the sarvice must decay, and the public unfortunately are the sufferers. Take the number of petty larcenies committed in the various towns —how few are detected, and what is the reason? The answer is nob far to seek. Then why not remedy the defect at once by offering every possible inducement for the men to exert themselves ; thus making each constable, as it were, a detective, instead of having co many useless walking statues as the service at present contains. The time has now arrived for the effecting of reform m the manner I have indicated, and by its prompt adoption place the New Zealand police on a level with their comrades on the Other side. Nearly 200 persons ore discharged from New Zealand gaols monthly. Can our police be blamed (while treated as they are) for tbis. I - say no, lack of interest in duty causes j&this large number. Weed out the drones, and the man who cannot frame a report, get up his own brief, and detect a serious crime, let him be shunted into obscurity and his place filled by an abler man. The time has now arrived when must be done, and the sooner " the better. Trusting some abler pen than mine will take this important matter up.— l am, &o. Demosthenes.