THE AWKWARD SQUAD

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1180, 15 July 1911, Page 6

THE AWKWARD SQUAD

■ ♦ POLICE IN THE MAKING, AN HOUR AT THE TRAINING DErOT. I. do swear, thai I will well and truly serve Our Sovereign Lord tile King in the nolicc force, without favour or affection, malice or ill-will, for the period of three years from this dale, and until I a'm legally discharged; that I will see and cause His -Majesty's peace to bo kept and preserved; that I will.prevent to the best of my power all offences against tho same; and that, while 1 shall continue to hold the said office, I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all tho duties thereof faithfully according to law.—rolice declaration on joining.

Started in an obscure and unpretentious way, with the object of inculcating the police work in tho probationer, the police training depot at Newtown has gradually developed until it is now a very valuable factor in tho service, and distributes half-fledged policemen all over Now Zealand.

At tho training school, the test which decided whether tho raw material will mako policemen, or whether they will bo "sent back to (he bush" is as follows: —Aspirants for a policeman's life present themselves to the inspector of police nearest their place of- residence, and the inspector personally interviews applicants. If, after conversing with a man, the inspector thinks that he has sufficient intelligence, and is of satisfactory physical proportions, tho man is given an application form, which he has to fill up. In this form tho candidate has to set out particulars of his career from the lime at which ho left school up to the time of making the application. If the application is approved at headquarters,, further inquiries arc instituted as to tho character of the candidate, tliesa even going tho length of interviewing the keepers of boardingliouses at which the applicant has lived. When the man's turn to go into tho depot arrives, he is notified that lie must, present himself before a doctor, and, if he passes the medical test, he is instructed to coiue to Wellington, and go through a course of training.

The Training Routine. Duties at the depot commence at G. 30 a.m., when a gong sounds.. The first call is to assort the sleeping quarters, and then certain fatigue duty is portioned out, and is expected to last until the call for breakfast at 8 o'clock. At meal times, the men aro visited by the sergeant', or the inspector, who receives any complaints that are oflering. From fl to 10, tho rceruits are drilled by ail instructor from the Alexandra Barracks, and they then go into tho class-room. At 11 o'clock a few minutes aro allowed for "smoko," and the class then reassembles, and goes on until midday. The instruction consists (irst of the study of the Police "Force Act, and the Police Regulations. Each man is given a manuscript, book, and the instructor reads simplified extracts from the regulations, etc.. which the class copy into their books. From this the students delve into the criminal statutes, the Crimes Act, the Justices of the Peace Act, the Gaming Act, and the Laws of Evidence, or anything else which occurs to the instructor as likely to bo useful in the course of a policeman's daily duties. Periodically—say once in two or threo weeks—tho instructor submits a series of test questions to his class, the test being practically a preliminary examination. 1 A final examination is held at tho end of tho course of training, and the. results of this examination aro submitted to the Commissioner of Police for his approval. If ho approves the educational standard of the recruits, tlicv are ordered to be measured for tlio blue uviifovirt aiul sliaUo. Throughout the course of training, the men also receive lectures from Dr. Henry on first aid, and the instructor also gives instruction in first aid, and puts his pupils through tho. practical portion of the work, such as bandaging, etc. Finally the men aro subjected to an examination by the secretary of the St. John Ambulance Association,'who appears on the sceue'a' day or two before tho drafting-out process. Whilst the secretary of the association puts the men through the theoretical portion of the examination, n doctor takes them for,, practical work. This course has been particularly successful (marks generally being high), and a number of students have achieved tho possible. Tho whole, course of training, from beginning to end, lasts from two months to' 10 weeks..

A closo watch is kept on the behaviour of the recruits during their apprenticeship. Every man has to ho in his quarters by 10 p.m., unless a special extension has been granted. Otherwise he is reported to the inspector. Any suggestion of insobriety is strictly dealt with, and, if a man is late on more than two occasions, ho is not given another chance, The Quarters and Extensions. The depot is a comfortable building, and contains accommodation for twenty, men —all in single rooms. In addition to the class-room and cooking department, etc., there is a comfortable reading-room. Alongside the depot is a drilliug!grouud. and, on the .eastern side, .1 new brick gymnasium is in course of construction. On the top floor of the new building there will be accommodation for another eight recvuits. The instruction is now in tlio hands of Sergeant M'Naniara, formerly of Auckland, an officer who apjicars to understand exactly what is required of him.