POLICE PAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 230, 23 June 1919, Page 6

POLICE PAY

FURTHER INCREASES ANNOUNCED ' CONCESSIONS TO SENIOR OFFICERS „ ,A. statement regarding the .pay of -■police officers was made on Saturday by ' the Minister of Justice (Hon. T. M. Wilford). The Minister mentioned some of the difficulties and complications that had been encountered in the consideration of police salaries, and summarised the increases authorised in the cases of sonior officers of the Police Force. ~ "In view of the increase of pay grant.ed to .-uniform sergeants and constables asYrom April 1 last and in consideration of the fact that theso increases brought the pay of uniformed sergeants up to the minimum ' pay of .the rank immediately senior, to them, I have had to consider increases to senior- sergeants, members -ofthe-detective branch, sub-inspectors, ..inspectors, and superintendents," said Mr. Wilford. "In view of the report of ■ the. , committee of incfuiry at present before Cabinet, I have had also to consider the complicated question of adjusting p»y in connection with 27 senior sergeants and 8H sergeants. This adjustment re- . quired also the provision of a working . basis, in connection with eeniorsergennts and 'members of the detective branch. 1 felt that there must bo a "marked dis- ■ tinction between the-rank of constable and sergeant and sergeant and senior sergeant, and I had also to consider tlio question of the constable in charge of a station and receiving other emoluments, which he might lose in the event of his promotion. Interwoven with this complicated question, the adjustment of pay of non-commissioned officers and detectives had to bo considered, and various adjusting increases had to be made to prevent anomalies occurring. "Tinker tho first proposal made to me the detectivo sergeant, on promotion to be chief or senior detective, would have received jio increase in pay. . Thi9 anomaly, I have met by allowances to senior detectives, This brings about in my. opinion a reasonable adjustment at no increased cost. Tho commissioned officers, superintendents, inspectors, and Bub-inspectors have received no increase in their scale of pay since 1914, and as all other members of tho forces have received or have been recommended for substantial increases I decided to review the commissioned officers' scale of pay as .'well.. . ■ . ■ ... ' "I found that tho proposed maximum pay o* chief detectives in relation to Bub.inspectors was anomalous, and I have, therefore, provided that tho,scalo for sub- , inspectors be' increased by two annual /increments to produce a fiiir result. • Thu four superintendents have been granted, an increase of .£lO per annum, the eight inspectors a similar increase, while the sub-inspectors and senior sergeants havo been granted that scale increase which relatively places them in a fair position as regards tho branches of the service to which increnses have already been made. I have-remodelled tlie house allowances • and brought them in line.- This has cost very little. Tho house allowanoo of ■uniformed porgeants and constables has recently been increased to .£39 per annum. I have granted tho same to certain, senior sergeants, totoctive sergeants, and-detectives, ' "The total cost of the increases I-have ' outlined is estimated to bo between. ,£4OOO ' and iBSOOO, and this sum, with the-.£23,000 ''per annum formerly granted by Cabinet 'to sergeants and constables on my recom-. mendatioii will bring the'.annual inl creased cost to the taxpayer to between ■ iE2fl,ooo and annum. In refer-, once to the question of the status and rank of the uniform branch with relation to the detective branch, I have no ■pronouncement to make until Cabinet has finally approved of tho 1 report of the committee of inquiry. The approval of . that report will necessitate the drafting : of regulations to give effect to the recommendations, and in order to avoid delay I have prepared these regulations so that they may be submitted to Cabinet in event of approval being given to the .report;"' "