THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1882. NEW ZEALAND CONSTABULARY ANNUAL REPORT.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2589, 25 July 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1882. NEW ZEALAND CONSTABULARY ANNUAL REPORT.

This report was laid on the table of tha House ou the 13th instant. It contains Colonel Roberts’ official report on the Parihaka demonstration, and also statistics as to the number of general offences in tha two islands. With regard to the Parihaka report it will certainly not he necessary to allude to it, as the public arealready so well acquainted with the facts of the case. As to the crime statistics,, we are glad to observe that there has been a decrease of 953 general offences in the North, and of 249- in the Santh Island, giving a total throughout tha colony of 1202: Taking the mors serious cases, we find that in tha North. Island there has been a decrease of 89’ committals for trial, and in the South. Island a decrease of 31.

The report farther gives soma statistics as to the strength of the police in boroughs ia comparison with the population, and it is to this question that wa propose now to devote onr attention. The following are the principal items Timarn, 1 policeman to every 356 ; Hokitika, 1 to 371; New Plymouth, 1 to 473, Auckland, 1 to 490; Christchurch, 1 to 490; Dunedin,! to 625; Napier, 1 to 639 ; Wellington, 1 to 663 ; Nelson, Ito 152; Invercargill, Ito 872. The total number of policemen throughout the colony—the Armed Constabulary force, of course, not being included—ia 447, there being 191 in the North Island and 256 in the South Island. As the population is little short of half & million, this gives an average over tha whole colony of one polio jtnau for 1084 inhabitants. Glancing superficially at the report it would seem as if the district including Christchurch and neighborhood were as well off as other boroughs and their environments, and soma wonder might naturally be expressed that, as regards prevention and detection of crimes of violence against the person, wa are evidently behindhand. Bat if tha question is gone more thoroughly into wa shall see at once that the police here have great difficulties to contend against, and that, in point of fact, taking in tha suburbs, the report is very likely to mislead. It is true enough that in Christchurch there is one policeman to every 490 inhabitants, there being thirty policemen, including inspector, sergeant-in-charge, detectives, clerks, mounted men, &c. But let ns taka tha suburbs, which are, to all intents and purposes, part of the ci'y, and what do we find ? In Sydenham, with a population of 8500, there are only two policemen; Papanni, with its 3500 inhabitants, has only one; Phillipstown. with 4000 inhabitants, has one; St. Albans, with, the same population, has also one; Bingsland, with 3500 inhabitants, has one; and Addington, with 4000 inhabi* tants, has again one. Taking the snbnrhs then together we find that the 27,500 residents in them are only protected by seven policemen! Or an average of about one to every 4000 ! And, further, the districts of Opawa, New Brighton and Snmner have no police protection at all, a constable being merely sent foe when required. Taking Christchurch and suburbs it would appear then that tha average is one constable for about 1200 of inhabitants. And finally, in all other portions of this police district outside of tha city the average ia one policeman to every 2100 inhabitants. So that, taking the district as a whole, we are considerably worse off than the average, which, as we have seen above, is Ito 1084. As to Christchurch and its immediate vicinity, it is only throwing dnst in onr eyes to say that we have one constable for every 490 inhabitants. In truth we have hat one constable to every 1200 residents. No wonder, then, that complaints as to the ease with which crimes of violence are committed here are constantly arising. It is not tha fault of the police, who do their bast and are an active and energetic body of men. Bat the force here is undermanned, and a constable evidently cannot be at more places than one at the same time. Tha Government is niggardly with regard to Christchurch, and it is vtry evidently the duty of onr members in tho House to sea that this is rectified.

With regard to the country districts, if we examine the report, we shall form soma sort of idea of the dnties that have to bo performed by single policemen. Going northwards we find that there are two police at Kaiapoi, two at Oxford, and t wo at Rangiora. The next station is at Amberley, where one policeman is stationed, who evidently must have his hands pretty full, for between Rangiora and that place lie the Ashley and Lobnm districts, and the township of Sefton. Beyond Amberley the next constable is found at the Hurnani, before reaching which the Weka Pass, Waikari, and Mason’s Flat districts have to be passed through. Taking the country to the westward of Christchurch by branching off at Rolleston towards Springfield, wo shall find that the whole of the country between the Waimakariri and the Rakaia, on the west of the railway, is served fay two men, stationed iesp ctively at Sheffield and Coalgate. The Sheffield man has to look after the following districts:—Aylesbury, Kirwee, Darfiald, Sheffield, Courtenay, Kimberley, Halkott, West Melton, Russell’s Fiat, East Malvern, Annat, Springfield, and Kowai Bush. To the man at Coalgate is entrusted the whole of the country round the base of the Malvern Hills, including the Home Bush, Coalgate, Glentunnel, South Malvern, Whitecliffs, Hororata, and Greendala districts. In other words, this man has to look after the whole country southwards between the branch line to Springfield and the main line to Rakaia. In another direction the w.rk is not much more easy, for there is one policeman at Lincoln, one

iat Leeaton, and one at Soul hbridge. It moat bo remembered that the constables settled in these districts are, by reason of the ground they have to cover, able to do bat infinitesimal work in the direction of protecting the public. They have no time for patrol duty. They are at their stations when summoned for any particular case: otherwise these large districts pretty well look after themselves.

In the Commissioner’s report are given . some as to the proportion of police to inhabitants in Australia. In Brisbane there is 1 to every 272; throughout Queensland, 1 to 425; in Sydney, 1 to 633; throughout New - South Wales, 1 to 609 ; in Melbourne, 1 to 609 ; throughout Victoria, 1 to 774; in Adelaide, 1 to 375; throughout the colony, 1 to 745. From this it is very evident that the up-country districts in Australia are much more stringently guarded than they are in New Zealand. Indeed taking both the rural and town populations into account, onr Australian neighbors have nearly two policemen to every one that wo have. If we can afford to do this well and good, and it speaks well for onr general population, but the report is silent as to the proportion of crime in those colonies to the population, by which alone we could judge of results. Bat this much we may at once fairly declare, namely, that Christchurch and its neighborhood are not sufficiently protected. We have shown that the police force is undermanned in proportion even to other parts of this lightly policed colony, and we all know the result. It is not cheering by any means.