COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2935, 22 November 1916, Page 8

COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

SUPERINTENDENT O'DONOVAN ' APPOINTED. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, Minister in charge of the Police, stated yesterday that at a meeting of Cabinet that afternoon the appointment of Supcrin-' tendent J. O'Donovan," of Wellington,, as Commissioner of Police, had been' approved. Mr. O'Donovan will take up his duties immediately, for the present Commissioner (Mr". ,1. Cullen), who has reached the Police Force age limit, retires from the service on Thursday. Mr. Cullen was tin first Commissioner to be appointed v.:io had graduated through the ranks of the Force in this and the excellent precedent has been followed in the appointment of his successor. Mr. O'Donovan has a record of 36 years of good service in the New Zealand police, having joined the Force at Wellington iu. March, 1879. He was for 17 years »-• constable in Wellington, and then he. served for three years at Stratford. He. took the rank of sergeant, in chargeof Hawera station in 1897. but he had been only a couple of months there when he was brought to Wellington By Commissioner Tunbridge to act as section sergeant. Later Commissioner Tunbridge established a training depot for recruits.at Mount Cook station, and Sergeant O'Donovan was selecte:! as instructor.. He was appointed subinspector in Wellington on the retirement of Inspector Pender. This position he occupied until 1908, when he went to take charge of l'almcrston North station as sub-inspector. In. 1911 ho was mado inspector at Inyercargill. Ho was later transferred la Napier, and then to Dunedin, at tho latter station takingrank as superintendent. On the retirement of Mr. J. Ellison from the position of Superintendent of - AVellington district, Mr. O'Donovan came to AVellington in November, 1915, and it has been fairly generally known ever since that he was to be Mr. Cullcn's successor as Commissioner.