A PUBLIC MENACE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 8

A PUBLIC MENACE

■ Fai: too frequently of late there haV" 1 been instances hi which attempts to interfere with the police in tlv, execution of their duty have led to scenes of disorder. . In some eases' persons in custody • of the police have been enabled, temporarily at least, to escape, and in others police officers have been seveiely handled. There is a tendency on the part of thoughtless young men to take the part of a drunken or disorderly person being removed to the lock-up by thp policc, and men of the criminal class take advantage of this to encourage in"iciference with the police, and they also . seek. to incite offenders to resist arrest. There is a very real danger in the adoption of a tolerant attitude to such happenings. The policc represent', the community ; and are acting in the public interest in- the performance of their duties —sometimes very unpleasant and difficult duties—and they deserve all th: assistance that the public can give them. The police are appointed and paid to enforce the law and preserve order, not for their own benefit, or to servo any ends of their own, but for the protection of the community; and to discourage them in any way in the execution of their duty is not only very unjust, but very foolish, for in the end it is the. community and not the police ,that must suffer. Disregard for the law breeds volence and disorder, and citizens owe a duty to themselves as well as to the police to lend every assistance in the upholding of the law. It is satisfactory to note that in two recent cases before, different Magistrates' the occupants'of the Bench expressed stiong views concerning the conduet of men charged with resisting the police or inciting others to resist arrest, but the punishment imposed could list be regarded as by any means severe. It may be hoped thao should any further cases of thU nature occur exemplary punishmeuo will be inflicted. It is not merely the actual trouble occasioned the police that has to be considered, but the harmful effeot of such episodes in weakening that respect for the representatives of law and order which alone enables the comparatively small body of police offi'cers to efficiently carry out duties of. such far-raa.ching importance, to the whole' community.