POLICE REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 2

POLICE REFORM.

Sir j— -There _are,. I think, : /strong. evidences that the public;conscience- is' being awakened: to 'the fact';that economy \iii the administration.:' of Vtlie- several '. Government' Departments' of .this Dominion; , can.- be, -' and'/will have' to be,' affected-in; the.;hear .future. "I: therefore' will be assisting , :in : .this 'fonvard.niovenioht. if -I' draw,, attention - to:; several matters 'coh-nected'.witli^hei;administration-6f;th'e Police' Department.". I;am' the more- induced' td.'.'ilp/ so because. the, administrative head, recently called to the''position,!:is,-.l.liave.'reason.;:toi believe, a strong man,- who, if • he considers economy.with oflicienoycan , bebrought about,' will Iwork ; to that end. It; is'.well-known ;that many, transfers, and: promotions were to be' given.: effect to some- timeback. -What is the. cause of the delay in carrying them'out?.; :Is, it owing to extreme doinpetition for.the po'si- , [ tions,;.especidlly \vith':regard to junior- men .who.arp,.using all the political influence, they'; can. exert;,• and was - this.. the cause, -or one 'of the contributory ■ .pauses, : iof, the. . Hon.M'Gowan's resignationj-frpm the,- Cabinet ?,■■■■■ !■ ■:.AVith a' strong- Minister ,;we ; may ./hope. (o see a _ .strong. man - holding,, the .position of Commissionerj /.which-.-I'; am -sorry': say is ■far. from being thercase"; at present,./;.lf , : it were might /expect 'to See changes which would bo:reformsj and-would securo; increased-,,efficiency.; with'; v lessened cost. > To'. commence, -.with; . .-.the inspectors. couldiwoll be reduced;in'.number, by..extending .and otherwise altering the boundaries,:ofdistricts.'. Wellington, for 'instance, from this point of view, iis. but.,- a ,-.veryr : small Inspectoral- District, 1 ; since vWanganui'antl. Napier have.been, out.uoff/from-it. , 'These ■latter' could 'we'll ■betaken; over,.by Wellington and Auckland respectively.-..; The .Thames, district oould' remain- as it is.., Again, Inver-. cargill,' with the,, remainder.-of Southland; coujd without injustice to anyone be incSludedin the Otago district, and the northern boundary could be extended,to.'North Otago,.; taking.in Oamaru'. Canterbury is.at present.ly 'far the: largest -district; in 'the. Dominion,, extending" as it does from below Hampdon, in Qtago, to Kaikoura,' in the" Amufi. The , , alteration 1 would suggest would bo tocdin,mehce from the Waitaki ; to,Kaikoura,' apd take in Greymouth,, Hokitika, and' South Westland. Wellington.': now:-includes Nelson' and Marlborough,'and could; without in any way inoreasing_ unduly th!o workof. tho Inspector, ''••■'take- in Westport.■.:'■■' ;.'..;■ ■•'.■'. Sub-Inspectors.—The grade: of. ■; sergeantmajor should' be largely : extended,-'as, districts outside the centres, could, be;taken' over by ; a .sergeant-major whose.rank.would: bo, immediately above that of a . sergeant, and below that- of;'sub-inspector. The. pay .would" bo adequate for the position■''.and yet below that of sub-inspector, l who in tho cases referred, to, could'be. dispensed withy' and reform in this direction could ;be extendod to tho centres.- ir . .;:■;.. ; : j.. . r .y..'~-': '... 'V . ;'-: : Sergeants.—-Tho.; forcd.;.;. is - byer-oißceredj thero. bcinK.Bo .sergeants to "about 700 men all told. ".Now; there is .too large a : proportion of men of this fanklin'the.rnspectors'and Commissioner's offices; and moreover,"•'- many suburban and other small stations which now have sergeants,in/charge could be mosfr efficiently managed •, by - a senior, constable,. and tho Stato.would be relieyod of a burden upon its finances.'' : ~"'.'/' '■ -.: In; this connection I' must" refer ; to , tho Commissiohef, who has a': sta;(f of six; and what to "do.P.Those include one sub-inspector, three, sergeants, and one constable; also a' sergeant in the store. . Four of these- ", ser-_ geants are comparatively.junior men; It may. e advanced that they have baen , long enough

pay than , that of"constable,-and so .they have'-' '' " been advanced to,grade of'sergeants. Very '.; ' good, , then let the State-have fair value fot "' ' the money, aiid tho way. to attain that is by ■'•.'.-, putting them on'to duty-in the respective . - towns. Their places (and this applies also. '- in a, degreo/ to tho inspector's' offices) could ' 'be filled by;cohstablesy many'of ■ whom are " better fitted/for. the work by reason of a superior intelligence;/and much' higher education. They would receive; Is. • extra pay,, . and would have-much -shorter hours, being f relieved from street and night duty, and - . many,of them would be willing to , accept : these;positions.: ; .-■'■..':., '"'.. ' .: ;.'. ' .;■ -'. " \ • We now come: , td-Atfe; :I detectiv'e-.'branch, - which : oannot by any. method of reasoning be considered to be- in.a.satisfactory "condition."'; , -'' Detectives and acting-detectives number -be- '■■':■' ■ tween 40.and SO;:: A veryi substantial reduoVr ■'•■'' tion could be made here. , . -It is a" matter: fot-" : . regret, yet it is the plain-truth, that'with a ■'-.' Y few exceptions this . body -: of. : men: does not"■".': possess _tho : .intelligencp, ■ .educalion,. and, ; . acunien: so;much required" for' the" '■' carrying out of their'i'.duties;' . They -receive'- : ' , higher gates'of. pay than .'conßtablesV,but-;it would lead to increased 'efficiency- and■■ ■ omy-if thoirnumber wera reduced,- andplain-^-:: : clothes constables'taken on. as ..occasion--re- -. quired. Those so employed \yould receive an ■ extra Is. per. day, and there would ..be , plenty'■' ; ■ pi, applicants, for , -, the work;:-Increased'effl- l: '- :aency would follow,.;as,by a-process of 'selec-' r ' tlon , ,°X er . J «rge number, "theiDepartment'l..-. r' ou in "[e-to.'seoure a',better:blass oi''men"-';" : to_nll. up tho permanent"positions.' •"■ "' ■' '" °',- :,It.dpes appear , to, those of the public who are not-m/the.confidence of the-.Department-" " -rand.there.are very many—that : there are ■ ' drones even in this service. It would be in-' terestmg to know'.. if .the. ne.wly-preated posi- ''" '■■ 'fcion"-bf ;extra fchief ,detective: ■■ economy-;.and^fficienc^f; And.equjal:iri{eibst ;: -,' would;'attach; to :a. iju'ery !• made/in. .the. Houae' ■'oi. Representatives'as" to,;tHe , ..natdre.:of'-tha" ? .'[ -work;-and "tKeV:.retuTO".:.fp'r ; -the''.-large ,: pqMdi-'.'.-V : '. ■tureV.w.hich as incurred? IS^p, dbubt'-'great: ob- j :"..: :'iectipn'',will',l)p-taken;-jni.certain'-guarters'-'to'V. , : myrreinark's .and. recommendations,-and every ir.'V 'effoVt.will,,be .-maSs ;'toi?belittle them^^JWeft: , -'f : ' v " •'and good!"r.ain.sure.l.'cah hold my Qwi^'aitft 1 shalli Miv ; Edit<Hy on' ; -''> ■qthetroccasionsV.wheriji if;. necessary, , ;t''sKall^',' ;, ; go; miTOtely;ihto;;detail;r^.'a'my: ; e^o.^:y^i ; ;^^ .;■;; h£tif:&&:-::£f- , ">.;^ATOHDba^C^ ,