POLICE COMMISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1505, 13 July 1905, Page 2

POLICE COMMISSION.

,<Pet Press Association.-)' Dunedin, last night. The Police Commission Bat this morning. It intimated that after hearing Inspector O’Brien’s evidence it would visit some of the places entered. !. Robert A. Weston presented himself to give evidence as to tho laxity of the police in tho performance of their duties. Annie McDermott also Baid she had complaints to make. Both were told to, attend on Friday. • Inspector O’Brien was examined at length. He said the first he heard of the recent police thefts was from Detective Herbert.

Pressed by the Commission for an opinion whethor the supervision of street duty was sufficient, witness said be thought in eaeh of the four centres there should be two sergeants on dnty at night instead of one, or perhaps a sub-inspector and one sergeant, to seo the constables were doing their duty honestly. -He did not believe keyß left at the station were improperly used.

A POLICE SIBERIA. .(Per Press Association.) Dunedin, last night. After lunch (ho Police Commission heard the evidence of Sub-Inspector Green, who detailed bis duties, nod stated that he koew nothing about tho charges against Moses and McDonald till after they wore arrested. He was never called on to see that the sergeants did their duty properly, but ho had known them to bo admonished by tho inspector, and instructed to doublo back on constables on the beat. Witness thought the station should be in charge of a sergeaDfc at nights, who would be senior to those on duty, and responsible for them. Asked by Commissioner Dinnie if a little

more supervision would have prevented the robbories, witness could not say, but volunteered the opinion that if men were dishonest they could not be made honest. Sergeant William H. Higgins said he never had any suspicion that the robberies were going on. As to supervision, it was his duty to visit the men on their beats and he started on his rounds shortly aster 10 at night. There were eight boats and it was impossible to find a constable unless bo (the sergeant) could pick him up at tho starting poinij, In six hours he had to visit ten to twelve men throo times. The beats hero were too largo, heneo the I difficulty in fieding the men. Ho bad done I nothing to try to remedy this, Somo of I tbe beats were over eix miles in extent,and j others ovor four. He had repeatodly { doubled back on the men. Ho had had a I very indifferent lot of men hero for the I past five years. For one good man sent here there were five bad ones. If men I made •*. bloomers" elsewhere they were I dumped down here. It wa» a regular J Siberia, and known as such. As for being I censured for not visiting properly be I utterly denied that it had ever happened to him. )

Tbe Commission adjourned till 10.30 to morrow.