THE POLICE FORCE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1350, 30 January 1912, Page 9

THE POLICE FORCE

Sir,—l notice by the press that Mr. Waldegrave, Under-Secretary for Justice and Commissioner of -Police, is retiring after 38 years' service. I desire to take this opportunity of placing beforo you for publication some inatters i of moment in reference to the control of police affairs. The Police Department is one of tlie most important branches of tho Public Service, being entrusted with the lives and properties of all members of the community. No Department in the Public Servicejias been so shumefully treated by the AVard Gvcrnment, who handed tho management of the police force over to a few Civil Service clerks, who had no police training 'whatever,, and were totally unqualified for the positions entrusted to them. Mr. Waldegrave, as Under-Secretary for Justice for years past, had quite enough to do in that capacity, but the Ward Government burdened him with prisons and Prison Board affairs, with the management of the police force thrown in, the result being that it has bean impossible for him to do justice to this important State Department;. This gfavo error 011 the part of the Ward Government was full recognised by Mr. during last session, when he pointed out that Inspector Cullen, an officer of large experience and undoubted ability, was available, nml should be appointed Commissioner of Police. Why, I-ask, was Inspector Cullen not appointed? He is the senior inspector, . and thoroughly conversant with New Zealand police affairs from A to Z. Ex-Commissioner Dinnio, in sworn evidence beforo the last Police Commission, stated .that Inspector Cullen was the most competent man in the force. No wonder, sir, that the police force is a seething mass of discontent and inefficiency. I say inefficiency, .becauso tocont events at Iviwitea anil Mangaweka provo this. For the past twelvo months each police inspector in' the Dominion has been his own Commissioner, dictating to, and laughing "up his sleeve" at Mr. Waldegrave, who has been but a figurehead drawing a princoly salary. Many of these inspectors, from their ages and length of service, should now bo retired: some of them have more tlian forty years' service, which entitles them to "a full pension, yet they are kept on, retarding young and vigorous men. There is one other inat.ter,_ sir, to which I desire to draw attention, there are numbers of young men who were born and bred in New Zealand, and who have hud applications in for appointments in tlie police force for some considerable time. These voting men have all the necessary qualifications, yet it frequently hapiK'iis (hat new arrivals front the Old Country, whose previous characters are unknown to our "civilian clerk" heads, are taken mi in preference. T= it anv wonder. sir,"that I and the majority of the electors of the Dominion desire to see Mr. Massey in power on February 15 next? I am sure he will not countenance such a _'tato of affairs in an important but mismanaged State Dnnnrtment.—T am etc., ItEFORM WANTED.