POLICE COMMISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1506, 14 July 1905, Page 2

POLICE COMMISSION.

(Per Press Association.) Dunedin, last night. The Police Commission resumed its sitting this morning. Sergeant Ryan said that when the robbery was committed at the D.I.C. he found -Moses off his beat for 40 minutes; The beats were too large for tho sergeant to visit the men three times in the night. Ho suggested the cutting up of the sections into two, with a sergeant in charge of 'each.; . - . - > - 1 •

Chief-Detective Herbert said the beats were too large for the sergeants 1 to have proper contro'. The cby should be out up into three sections, with a sergeant in charge of eaeb,, and there should be an extra sub-inspector for night duty.- -

SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. THIEVING GOING ON FOR YEARS STARTLING STATEMENTS BY PRISONERS. .

L (Per Press Association.) Dunedin, last night. The Police Commission resumed this morning and took the evidence of Sergt. Ryan, who was in charge of tho relief on two ocoasions whon robberies were committed at tho D.I.C, On ono of these occasions he found Moses off his bent for 40 minutes, and reported him for it. He always took McDonald for a straightforward sort of man. . Chief Detective Herbert considered that everything possible had been done by the authorities in oonneotion with the robberies. He thought tbe area supervised by tho sergeants in Dnnediu was too large, andthat .it should be out up iDto three section-. From information now in possession qf the police the robberies had been going on for four or five years. They started in a small way and gradually grew. He disapproved of appointing detectives of sly grog selling to the police force. Sergt. Ramsay complained that in

Dunedin a sergeant had to gollop round all night if tho men ware to bo ),Qoked after properly. ■ The evidence of Moses was taken-at.tho gaql, and be said the working of the beats in Dunedin was like clockwork. They knew whon to expect the. sergeant 3. Thieving had been going on for a considerable time prior to his arrival. ’ Surprise visits by the sergeants would portafnjy have curtailed it. Witness had not been offered any reward for making statements. He waq looked on as tho block sheep of the force and wanted to eloar himsoif.

James McDonald, atoo under sentence, stated that others were implicated; besides Moses, Osborne and himself, and the articlos were taken a few at a time. He believed that tho thefts were going o.n for three or four years before hq arrived Here. It was a private individual who first ictrodqoed th'a eubjeet to him. He believed these things were going on in other towns. He had heard it was going on in Christchurch, Oarnaru, Tirnaru and Auckland.

Tha, Commission sits again to-morrow.