8 , .—16b

We suggest that every applicant be required to make a statutory declaration that lie has not at any time been convicted of au ofience, or, if convicted, to supply particulars. Trivial matters such as breaches of by-laws should not bar a candidate otherwise qualified, but any conviction for fraud or dishonesty should exclude any one for ever from the Police Force. An applicant would hesitate to make a declaration, involving severe punishment to him if found to be false, when he knew permanent records were in existence proving its falsity. While serving in Dunedin Moses was under Inspector O'Brien, who, as a detective, had arrested him for his second offence. Detective Livingstone was also stationed in Dunedin while Moses was there. Neither of these officers recognised him as their former prisoner, and so were not to blame for not reporting as to his previous character. 2. The causes which led to the offences committed by certain members of the Police Force in Dunedin remaining undetected were: — (a.) No portion of the stolen property was sold or given away to any person except to those concerned in the thefts; (6.) The goods stolen were not reported as missing until shortly before the arrest of the thieves. It is improbable that thefts will be promptly detected if the thief does not sell or part with the goods stolen, and if the owners of the goods are not aware of, or do not report, the loss of them. We do not find that any laxity of administration of the Police Force contributed to such nondetection. The thieves were arrested and evidence obtained by the detectives sufficient to convict them within a few days of the goods being reported as missing. The laxity of administration in Dunedin hereafter mentioned did, however, in our opinion, give opportunities for the committal of some of the offences by the ex-constables. 3. As to Control and Supervision generally. Dunedin. Evidence was taken here at considerable length, and it has been shown conclusively that the discipline and control and supervision, which are absolutely necessary to the efficient carrying-out of police duties in a large centre of population, have not been as they ought to be. The beats as laid out by the present Inspector are too large for the proper supervision of the men working thereon. There can be no doubt whatever that the sergeants who have been doing duty in Dunedin for a considerable time past have not exercised proper coutrol and supervision over the men under them, even after making every allowance for local difficulties. A lax system had grown up, and each sergeant in turn seems to have been drawn into it. The constables doing duty on the beats, and especially between midnight and 5 a.m., knew in most cases when and where the sergeant would be likely to be met with, and, indeed, appointments with the men were frequently made. This naturally left the men on certain beats absolutely free to do as they liked for as long a period as three hours at a, time. The results speak for themselves. Inspector O'Brien and Subinspector Green knew of the existence of this practice. In October, 1904, the Inspector's attention had been drawn to it, but, beyond writing the following minute in connection with a sectional report that had been brought under his notice, neither he nor the Sub-inspector took any steps to actually satisfy themselves that the practice had been discontinued. The minute reads as follows: — "Mr. Green, —This is most unsatisfactory as regards the sergeant. There should be no customary time or place for visiting constables on their beats, but they should from time to time be visited in different parts of their beats, and the sergeant should thus satisfy himself that constables are working their beats honestly and faithfully. If the sergeant (as seems to be the case) knows the exact time to meet the constable on No. 1 beat at the corner of George Street and the Octagon, he (the sergeant) should also know when he should meet that constable, say, at the corner of Hanover and Cumberland Streets, or at the corner of King and St. Andrew's Streets, &c, and insure a proper working of the beat. A constable who may be inclined to be lax is, under the present custom, enabled to go to some quiet spot and lay down for an hour or more after each visit from the sergeant, instead of attending properly to the work for which he is paid. "T. O'Brien, Inspector. 12/10/04." The Inspector had previously, by a Station Order dated the 22nd September, 1903, warned the sergeants against such a practice in these words: ."Sergeants in charge of sections are strictly enjoined to see that each constable working under them knows the manner in which his beat should be worked, and the}' (the sergeants) will see that each constable works his beat faithfully, and for that purpose the sergeants shall from time to time meet constables at different points of their beats instead of always at a given point." After making every allowance in favour of Inspector O'Brien, by considering the fact that he had under him a weak Sub-inspector and inefficient sergeants, it is quite impossible to hold otherwise than that he did not carry out his duty as Inspector in a way that could be reasonably expected of him, and the same remark in a minor degree applies also to Sub-inspector Green. We found that the Chief Detective in Dunedin does not conduct any prosecutions in the Magistrate's Court. We think that he should be required to do so in all cases in which the evidence has been worked up by the detective branch, for the man who has got up the evidence is in a better position to conduct the prosecutions than the Sub-inspector, to whom the papers are handed perhaps only a few minutes before the case is called on in Court. The detective remains in Court while his case is going on, and so two men are kept engaged when one should be doing other work elsewhere. If the Chief Detective prosecuted in detective cases, the Sub-inspector would have a good deal more time than he has at present to devote to other duties. In Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch the Chief Detective prosecutes in such cases, and the same practice should be adopted in Dunedin.

IV