H.-2

XII

The departmental records show that a number of irregular appointments were made to the Force in contravention of the regulations iimiting the selection of recruits to members of the Permanent Artillery. Most of them were made after it was found that this system had broken down. There appears to have been no injustice done, as there were no men available at the time in that body who might have complained of being passed over. The Commander of the Forces tells us that the system of enrolling men for the police from the Permanent Artillery is most unsatisfactory from his point of view, as it deprives the Military Force of many of its best men, whom it has taken a long time to train, and the benefit of whose training is lost to the colony in consequence of their gun practice not being kept up. It was arranged that they should have ten days' drill annually, but they have not been able to attend in consequence of the extent to which it would weaken the Police Force ; even if they did attend it would not, in his opinion, be sufficient to keep them up to the necessary standard of efficiency. We recommend that the present connection between the Permanent Artillery and the Police Force should cease. From a police point of view the Permanent Artillerymen are not the best recruits, they having for the most part acquired habits quite inconsistent with their new duties. We are of opinion that recruiting for the police should be from the general public and not from any military body; but, taking into consideration the fact that some men may have joined the Permanent Artillery with the view of entering the Police Force, we feel it would be right that the opportunity should be given them of doing so, and suggest that all who desire so to do should be called upon to send in their applications by a date to be appointed, after which none should be received. Their admission to the Police Force should be dependent upon the Commissioner of Police being satisfied as to their suitability. All applications for enrolment should be made to the Commissioner, who should direct inquiries into character and fitness to be made personally by a police officer of rank not below that of sergeant. No candidate should be enrolled under twenty years or over thirty years of age, and not unless the Commissioner be satisfied as to his personal fitness and educational qualifications. We recommend that the present standard height of 5 ft. 9 in. be maintained, with a chest measurement of 38 in. Detectives. We consider it desirable that the present regulation limiting the choice of men for the detective branch to members of the Police Force should be abolished, and that the Commissioner should have the power to appoint any person he may consider suitable to be a detective notwithstanding he may not have served in the Force, provided he has passed the examination required to be passed by constables. The Commissioner should have power to appoint any detective to be Chief Detective at any station. Promotions. Promotions from the rank of constable to that of sergeant should be on the ground of personal fitness combined with efficient police service, and not on the ground of seniority alone. Seniority should be taken into consideration only when other things are equaL Cases of exceptional zeal and ability in die prevention or detection of crime, or special ability in other branches of the service, should bo ground for this promotion ; but no constable should be appointed a sergeant until he shall have passed an examination in the law of evidence and in the elements of criminal law. This examination should not be competitive. All promotions should be absolutely at the discretion of the Commissioner, and notified in the Police Gazette. We recommend the abolition of the rank of sergeant-major, Abolition of Classes. The existing division of each rank into classes has been the cause of much discontent and jealousy. Its object is to hold out a prospect of obtaining an increase of pay by promotion from one class to another in the rank to which the member of the Force belongs; in the absence of any rule governing these promotions, it has given rise to the greatest dissatisfaction. The abolition of classes, and an increase of pay with length of service, will