POLICE CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 277, 28 February 1941, Page 5

POLICE CONTROL

MORE OFFICERS NEEDEO

COUNTY COUNCIL'S ACTION

Support for the Chamber of Commerce in its desire to obtain. an increase in Police personnel in the Whakatane district was forthcoming when the subject was introduced at the monthly meetiii<* v -■ " _ v>j. me County Council held on Tuesday, and! a definite move was made by the Council to have, what it considered a very unsatisfactory state of affairs, improved. The discussion commenced when, rising to address the chair, Cr D l . W. Spence stated that he had noted thai" at a recent meeting the Chamber of Commerce had made some remarks in connection with police control. This was a matter which had been before the Council's jiotice some time before, and. the mention made of conditions in the country areas had his endorsement to a great extent, and ha wished that the Council would appeal to the authorities for something better in the way of police control.

"I feel that for a district .in which there are some 11,000 people there are not enough resident policemen," he continued adding that in his opinion the Borough Avas served but that the country districts required closer supervision. "I am somewhat diffident in bringing this matter fonvard," said Cr Spence, "as no doubt there is some feeling caused Avhen such subjects are discussed, but I feel it my duty to the area of County I represent to make an effort to conditions improA r ed."

The fact that natives at Te Teko were supplied with far too much liquor was a fact stressed by /Cr Spence who said that most cases! he could put up with, but when noticing repeatedly how young Maori wives had to visit the hotels to endeavour to obtain some of their husband's money with which to buy food before all was spent, made him feel that the time,' had arrived when some action would have to be taken.

At this stage the chairman, Mr ,7. L. Burnett, stated, that some time ago the County had communicated with the Commissioner of Police with a view to obtaining more police in the county, but the report had not been very favourably received. Tt w'a-s pointed out that only one full-time constable was stationed outside the Borough, at 'faneatua, while a part time man was at Te Whaiti.

Speaking strongly Cr H. C. McCready supported Cr Spence his opening remarks being that millions of pounds were being spent annually on education and yet the lax application of laws Avas undermining the whole system. He quoted an instance AAdiere he had seen a Maori IcaAung a hotel Avith. a parcel of bottles in full vieAv of a police officer and yet no action had been take<n. He differed from; Cr Spence In that he did not feel that it Avasi so much a case of asking for an increase in numbers of police as asking that the laws be more rigidly applied.

"We have 60, 000 young bloods out of the country at present—less people by! far to control—and yet the position grows Avorse and Avorse," he said adding that last year £10,000,000 had been spent on 'booze' when if the Government had allowed three millions of this to be the limit and diverted the other seven millions to something useful, such as house building or some other great need, there Avould have been more sense displayed.

"You can go to any pah in the district and see how hundreds of pounds are spent on booze," added the speaker. We have enough laws in this country to govern the world but they are not applied—they are only a joke. We want the men now paid to do the job to do it,"# —'the position had not reached the limit and must be taken up."

Replying to a question Cr McCracken stated that the position at Te Teko was. a disgrace.

The chairman suggested that a letter could be written to the Minister of Justice and if the Council was not satisfied with thei reply or action taken then it could act further in the matter.

I.t was the feeling of the meeting that the only way in which to keep order in country districts was to have resident police and with this view it was decided on the motion of Crs Spence and McCready to write to the Minister for Justice asking him to appoint a resident officer on the Eastern side df the county as well as on the JVestern.