CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1527, 24 August 1912, Page 13

CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

THE COMMISSIONER EXPLAINS. NO PATRONAGE IN THE FORCE, ■ The promised statement by the Minister for Justice regarding tho prevalence of crimo in tho Auckland district nnd tho criticism by tho "Now Zealand Herald" of tho polico forco was given by Hip Uon. A. L. Herdinaii ill the Jloiiso of Reprosenfciitives yesterday afternoon. Ho rend a memorandum on'tlio subject by Mr. J. Cullcn, Commissioner of Police, who was lately inspector of police at Auckland. "Tliero is no disguising tlio fact," tho Commissioner states, "that Auckland has always enjoyed an unenviable reputation for having a larger mimb:r of prisoners for (rial at its quarterly sittings than any of the other large centres in tho Dominion." Kβ explains that with the exception of the few rases dealt with at the half-yearly sittings at Hamilton, all cases committed for trial or sentence in the northern half of the North Island aro tried at Auckland, and all prisoners committed at New Plymouth and Gisborno aro sent to Auckland for sentence, unless the half-yearly sittings at tho former places lakes placo immediately before one of the Auckland sittings. Tho European and Native population of the Auckland Supreme Court district was at last census 274,005, slightly over one-fourth of tho Dominion population, and as tho district is progressing rapidly, its population must now be well over 280,000. Tho total number of polico in. this area is 222, of all ranks, a number slightly abovo onefourth of the total police force. According to Inst census, the proportion of police to population was as ono to. 1234, and in ' tho rest of, the Dominion, one to 1287 inhabitants. If the exact number of inhabitants in the district at present could be ascertained, it would be found that tho proportion of police would be the same as for the rest of tho Dominion. There are many conditions existing in the Auckland district that help to swell the criminal statistics, the Commissioner states. Some of these aro its past isolation from the rest of the Dominion, and the frequent intercourse between itself and Sydney, the Islands, and the Pacific Coast of North America, the result being that many undesirables came from one or other of those places, and made Auckland their temporary home, while they pursued a career of orime. There are some undesirables who follow gum-digging, coal and gold mining, sawmilling, and bushfelling for a time, dnd at other times follow a career of crime. There are also the hardened criminals sent to Auckland Gaol for safe keeping, and who, upon their discharge, prefer to remain about Auckland. There is also a number of "spielers," pickpockets, and racecourse "guessers" who spend tho whole of the winter about Auckland, and last, but certainly not least, is the locally-raised Auckland criminal, who can hold his own in the walks of crime with, the best of overseas undesirables who visit the Dominion. Mr. Culleii says the "Herald's" con> ments upon the alleged inferiority of certain members of tho Auckland force are hardly fair to the men now serving in that Sistrict, who will compare favourably with the members of any police force south of the Line. There are, no doubt, he adds, a few men in and about Auckland who are not as efficient as they might be, but it is only a question of time till they get sharpened up in their work. The states that ho has asked for four additional sergeants. and twenty constables to bo provided on this year's appropriations, ■" and if effect in given to this request, a fair projKirtion of the extra men will be added to tho Auckland forco. The force could well do with an extra fifty men, instead of the twenty-four he_ is asking for, and even thon tho Dominion would not be overstaffed with police. In conclusion ho states that ho knows nothing of tho alleged political influence referred to in the "Herald's" leaderette. A brief discussion followed the statement. Mr. Myers (Auckland East) reminded the Minister of the statement that habitual criminals were released prematuTely, and to this Mr. Herdman said he did not think there was much cause for complaint on this point, as every caso was carefully investigated by tho Prisons Board. ■