THE POLICE FORCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1697, 13 March 1913, Page 6

THE POLICE FORCE.

! . " - ' ♦ . —.' ' «- ! » NEW REGULATIONS. 1 STATEMENT BY MR. HERDMAN. [■-■ ' v ■.. . REPLY TO CRITICISM. ' -- , DETECTIVES AND CLERKS. j. iJV'HiJPy;Telej;'rhpli.-TPress..Association;) , Christchurch, March 12. I . Some recent criticisms of the new police i .'/regulations were; brought under the notice j. 'of the Hon. A. L. .Herdman (Minister for : Justice and Attorney-General) by a ] , "Press" representative', to-day, and. the i Minister made the following statement:— | It. is "iiiis-statiug'facts' to say that the ' I regulations "mean promotion, by iex- !■' ami'natioiuand nothing .else, and it j is. an ; . exaggeration,',to suggest' that the element- , ary tests of intelligence which the regu- ! . lations prescribe are in the. least degree f ; . difficult. A glauce at the new rules will | show that, apart altogether from ele- : ; mentary. educational qualifications, the .. followiiigv, matters aro to be taken into l , ■ considbratioriWhen tho advancement, of i niembers'of the.'force is beiiig, considered: L , ! "..!,(a)': Seniority' of service, i '-■'AW Good.'conduct; and: " . "' ! .. - (c) Zeal and integrity in the discharge T of police duties. ;

Further, in each'year officers in charge ; of districts are bound to ■ furnish to tho. , Commissioner ..recommendations' in fav- • our of the promotion of senior aud.-other sergeants and constables in their"."! district -who have passed the prescribed "T test, .'and' who are considered, eligible lor promotion., to higher . rank. Jl'he rules point out,, clearly that a man- may bo well educated and well conducted, and yet, owing to want of energy and tact and efficiency in the discharge of his duties, he may not bo fit to be'placed in '. higher rank where these qualifications are '. essential.,, .' , ' The object of providing simple tests of -, elementary knowledge'ii; to ..enable .those '-'..'who' are charged the duty ofvseeing that the people of' New Zealand pos- ;... .sess a highly efficient police force ',fo;'jdis--1 criminate between a mail 'who is incurably dull and a man Srho possesses normal ' intelligence. Here, let me say that some . of' the most efficient' of modern British ' { police ..forces require them to I pass' ex-. ' animations more difficult than those prescribed ■ by the New Zealand'regulations. 1 Modern conditions make this necessary. ■ Communications arc constantly hein«; re- ' "ceived from all' parts 'of .the world, busjS -Bess is becoming more complex and difficult, - and the-'duties of it polico' officer of itoday'are varied and complicated; ' He must ■j-ho'uble to understand' communications re'ceivedj.: and he must be' able to. answer *" 'them .intelligently; he is sometimes called iipon ito.act-as clerk of Court; he has to ' , Itake ;down 'depositions, prepare"'informa'■•■jtions,;and; keep books; his daily unties re- ■ 'quire him to have some kriowledgo of ac- . founts;'fee' has'to'prepare'reports for "'his fsitijerior officers, and for probation o.BtSrshe' must know something of the Poliee'-Offences Act, Licensing- 'Adfcs, and Crimes Acts.' A policemap is, in fact, the handy'man of nearly every, other State ' He helps to prepare brief's ,'for liis'superior" officer, who prosecutes in "the polite court.' lit may; 'happen'."that in.country districts he conducts the prose-■u-.cution himself. This being"so, .he. jnust hate' some. knowledgo of tho elementary rules of-evidence.. He .'is-sometimes in- ! Bpector, .'.of ; Weights\and/.t&easures, some-, times clerk to. the. Licensing Bench, sometimes inspector 'of.,factories. He is an important. man of ,tho' country village, - having- to perform multifarious dirties "in' additioii to doing the mere police work of preserving order, and: the keeping of liis station books and Accounts.' In Victoria and in South Australia regulations prcfxribe;examination;}';in ,'■. polico. systems, 'such }a's,,the London,; Metropolitan C-ila=-t gow;' J and Koval Irish: Constabulary.' Tests of elementary, knowledgo such as those contained lir - tht) New Zealand regulations nro.prescribeil-as a stepping-stoncHo higher rauK. -

•V; • ;:to .seo''the standard of , the:force ot New Zealand ".raised will v favour regulations which prescribe simple examinations. Those who wish to sec st Sßn«te, and who .believe that political pull and intrigue arb legitimate r .flieans of securing advancement, will denounce them in the strongest terms. To an intelligent' policeman, the new rceulations will be acceptable, and if lie gives Jus mind to his duty he will stand the ■ '°f' examinations .without tile least i ~.c ult. y- - I ' o AKian who is both uniu- - telligent and .dull it will prove a stumbles block, and this was' deliberately inP". ky the. authors of -the new rules. &ince.'tli(!':jc'r ,^u^ s viisve,beeii gazetted . X have personally, inspected the Wellington, Christchurch 1 , 'Dunedin, 'Palmerston worth,:and limaru stations, and at each place 1 have invited officers and men possessing any grievances to -seo: me and . make their complaint.' Strange to say,' not a single member of the force has com■M plained of the regulations relating to ex- , animations. Xf the'men--have complaints why. don't, they, speak' out? They liavu spoken about other matters, but not about examinations. - Ihe detectives, according to newspaper paragraphs, are displeaseu. Th'sy have Jiot saiil so. As a matter of fact, they have been too precipitate. Certain necos- , fcary alterations had to-stand over till the Commissioner paid a visit to southern stations. _ Upon, ' his -return to Wellington • the position . -of some of . the detectives . will be .dealt with, aiuLthey will'then see, ' X hope,'that they are receiving full-jus-ticc. ■ ..- ' ■ ■

Apart from few isolated cases, the bulk of the 'force' is well satisfied- w'itb the new rules.

Some misapprehension appears to exist as to the position of clerks. The regulation' provides that no man shall bo allowed to remain at clorical duty lor a longer period than four years without the special approval of the Commissioner. This rule is designed to' enable a'.greater number,of men in the :foi'ce to gain experience ot"clerical;duty. -The rule which enables a. man to stay at clerical duty indefinitely prevents other men irom gaining clerical experience. It js,lo be noted here, that the. allowance at present enjoyed by meii, doing.'clerical work is licit being taken away in .'.the case of officers now doing .clerical'" work -and who have completed, or are completing, their'term of four years. In some eases the Commissioner will exercise, special, powers which the regulations < give, hlm> > rind-men'!will remain where tliey'are. In'other cases, for example in the catti of married men, they will be given suitable country stations where tliey will be able to learn general duties. ' No police clerk will latent to do street diilv except for misconduct or inability. Thp chief object of the'regulation, itS'l IliiVd'Said; - is'to eftsure that as many ..officers as possible shall have the opportunity" ; of passing through a course of office.duty.

Reference has beeii made to the applications of Detectives 'Kennedy' and Thompson to be placed in charge of the 'Ambsrley and Rakaia stations respectively. The reason for these applications is not hard to find. Certain valuable perquisites are attached to both these stations. In the case of Amberlcy, for instance, Detective-Kennedy will be able to ■earn over and above his ordinary pay, about =EIOO a year for performing various services as. ollicer in charge of that station. , '. ; .

I think that I have now dealt with all the points- raised. The police force in New Zealand is a good one, and an efficient one, but it can be made better still. I am anxious'to remove all causes of discontent, but at the'same time in the interests of tho I'lim bound to see that discipline is maintained and that a proper spirit of duty prevails. For ten years, to my knowledge, new regulations were asked for, and promised. Mr. Bishop, S.M., in his enpaoity as Royal Commissioner, condemned the old obsolete regulations unsparingly..' Within six months of the present Government coming into power new rules were completed and published. They would have been ready before had it not been for tho continued absence of Commissioner Cullen on duty at Waihi. They arc framed with due regard to the best police regulations in existence, and when in full working order they will, I feel certain, do niudh towards making the New Zealand, police not only a contented body of men, but also one of the most intelligent and efficient forces in the Australasian colonies.