INSTRUCTIONS.

New Zealand Police Gazette, Volume XLI, Issue 1, 12 January 1916, Page 1

INSTRUCTIONS.

I. Police Gazette. —All communications concerning this Gazette shall be addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Wellington, and the envelope marked “ For Gazette .” Members of the Force in charge of out-stations will forward them direct. They must be of police interest, or no notice will be taken of them.

The non-delivery of the Gazette at any station to be promptly reported, and pressing inquiry made to trace the same.

2. Crime Reports. —A copy of each crime report, bearing the actual signature of the officer authorized to issue such at the orig nating station or detective office, shall be immediately forwarded to the Commissioner’s Office for Gazette purposes. The officers in charge of districts will be held responsible for the proper circulation of reports relating to crimes committed in their respective districts. Where there is reason to believe that the offender is proceeding towards any particular part of the Dominion, the police of the district in which the crime was committed should report the fact to the police of that place with the least possible delay. They should also communicate without delay with the police of any part of the Dominion from which it is thought probable that important information regarding any offender can be obtained.

3. Names. —In all crime reports, notices, or returns the names of persons and places should be spelt correctly and written legibly, the Christian name being given with the surname whenever possible, and written in full to prevent mistakes. (This instruction is not receiving sufficient attention, is evidenced by aliases, such a 3 Johnson, alias Johnston, alias Johnstone; Grey, alias Gray; and Thompson, alias Thomson, &c., which frequently appear in Gazette matter.) 4. Descriptions. Offenders or persons for whom inquiries are to be made should be accurately described: their age, height, occupation, build, country, dress, and every particular likely to lead to their arrest and identification minutely given, and offence clearly defined.) 5. Warrants. —All reports of crime must state whether a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the offender, and by whom and where. Should a warrant not have been issued in the first instance, but one be subsequently obtained, a supplementary report announcing the issue must be immediately forwarded to all places where the original report has been sent. The supplementary report should

give the date of the original crime report, or quote the year and page of the Police Gazette in which the previous notice has appeared. Persons reporting crimes shall be requested to obtain warrants whenever practicable. Crime reports relative to commitment warrants should give the full amount due, including cost of warrant, the term of imprisonment in default, and the gaol to which the committal is made.

6. Arrests. —The arrest or location of persons described in the Police Gazette, or respecting whom crime reports or other notices have been forwarded for insertion in the Gazette, should be promptly notified by the member of the Force effecting the arrest, or location, who will be held responsible for the notification.

When notifying the arrest of persons charged with theft, or suspected of theft, it should be stated whether the property stolen, or any portion of it, has been recovered, and the Gazette reference given. 7. Property described. —When describing watches and jewellery stolen, the trade description given on the illustrations published with the first issue of the Police Gazette, 1911, should be followed, the number of the illustration being quoted in each instance. In describing watches the number and maker’s name should if possible be given, and it should be stated whether they are gold or silver, ladies’ or gentlemen’s, open-faced, hunting, double-cased, or half-hunt-ing, the term “ double-cased ” being reserved for those watches whose outer case is removed in order to wind, “half-hunting” implying a very small glass in the metal cover of the dial. In describing bicycles the numbers should if possible be given, and if they are ladies’ or gentlemen’s. All property should be described as minutely as possible. The age, height, breed, colour, particular marks, value, &c., of horses should be given, and the brands described as fully as possible, and their exact position stated. Cattle and sheep should be also carefully described, and ear marks given distinctly in ariting. In forwarding the brands of horses and cattle per telegram it should be stated of what kinds of letters the brands consist, whether of Roman capitals or otherwise. 8. Property found. —A description of property, supposed to be stolen, found in the possession of offenders, for which owners cannot be found, should be furnished for insertion in the Gazette.

9. Finger-prints.— The efficacy of the finger-print system for establishing the identity of criminals can scarcely be overstated. It is directed that search be made for fingerprints in every case of crime in which finger-prints are likely

to attend the commission thereof; and the result, whether profitable or not, is to be embodied in tbe crime report concerning it, or in a supplementary crime report as soon after as possible. If finger-prints of supposed offenders are found they should be carefully protected until photographed or the article with print on removed. When the body of a deceased person is not identified members of the Force who are dealing with the matter should take the finger-prints of the corpse on the usual finger-print forms, and forward them, together with a full description and a careful note of all distinguishing-marks, through the proper official channel to the Commissioner. When obtaining the finger-prints care should be taken that, after the fingers are inked, the form is folded, plaoed against a small piece of board or other similar substance, and rolled round each finger separately. If this is not done it will be difficult to get a satisfactory “ rolled ” impression.

10. Stray Cattle, &c. —No advertisement of lost horses or cattle will be published in this Gazette, unless they be Government property; but notices of horses or cattle believed to be stolen will be inserted.

11. Supplementary Reports. —ln all reports respecting oases gazetted members of the Force will quote the year and page of the Police Gazette in which the previous notice has appeared, and in reporting arrests or locations of persons inquired for should state by whom effected. Supplementary reports of cases already reported, but not gazetted, where arrests are made or stolen property recovered, should at once be forwarded to the Commissioner’s Office, and should contain such information as will clearly identify the case. 12. Rewards. —No notice of rewards offered by any private person or persons will be inserted in the Police Gazette unless there be forwarded to the Commissioner’s Office the guarantee of some responsible person that the reward shall be payable bo the person who performs the service for which it is offered. If such notice be communicated by telegraph, the addition of the words “ Guarantee received ” will be sufficient; in such case, however, the guarantee must be forwarded to the Commissioner’s Office without delay. 13. Fugitive Offenders. —In cases where extracts are taken from Australian or other Police Gazettes, and inserted in the Police Gazette of this Dominion, for the apprehension of fugitive offenders, no arrests are to be made until communication has been sent to and instructions received from the Commissioner of Pelice, Wellington. 14. Returns of Persons dealt with at Supreme Courts. —These returns will be prepared at the conclu ion of each fixed criminal sitting (see Pelice Gazelle, 1916, page 17), and will contain a record of all criminal cases dealt with by the Supreme Court between the previous sitting and the expiration of the one for which the return is prepared, together with a complete description of every per, on who e name appears thereon, and shall be immediately forwarded to the Commissioner of Police for insertion in the Gazette.

The member of the Force in charge of any case committed to a Supreme Court shall record on the file relating to such case a complete description, including di tinguishing marks, &c., of each person so committed. 15. Offences. —When compiling returns for Gazette purposes, offences must be clearly and fully defined, and not referred to as “Breaches of Gaming Act,” “Breaches of Licensing Act,” “Vagrancy,” &c. Greater care must be taken to see that the latest previous Gazette references are given.

The Member of the Force in charge of each Station will see that these Instructions are complied with.