MAN ON THE BEAT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 141, 2 July 1937, Page 8

MAN ON THE BEAT

People of N.Z. a "LawAbiding Raee" POLICEMAN'S EXPERIENCE "New Zealanders are a law-abiding race of people and I have little to say regarding my experiences within these shores, ' ' said Constable R. Murray, of Gisborne, an an interview on Wednesday. Constable Murray retired on Wednesday after having served 30 'years in'the New Zealand Police Porce, ^0 years of which period had been spent in the Gisborne district. When he -first joined the foree in New Zealand the wages1 amounted to. £10 a month, which was an average based on the standard of a good trades-. man, but now the wages were more than doubled, he said. The hours, too, were now in favour of the man on the 'beat." In the early days it was a "four on and four off" duty and the men never seemed to be finished their work and certainly did nofc have much timo to themselves with the Court work extra. Work was started at 5 a.m., compieted at 9 a.m., restarted at 1 p.in., and finished at 5 p.m. The following day it would be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p-iq-to 9 p.m. Night duty was a straight skift from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Now, however, the conditions had changed and it was an eigbt-hour shift a day, work commencing at 5 a.m. and iinishing at 1 p.m. one day and lasting from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the following day. The night shift was still con-' tinuoua. New Zealand and Ireland Compared. There wero never enough men in the force in New Zealand, in the opinion of Constable Murray, based on the position in Ireland, to which force he was attached before he came out to New Zealand. This proved a good instance of the more peaceful and lawabiding nature of the people. Gisborne had about 16 men in the main station and a town of this population in Ireland" would have at least 100 men stationed at the barracks. A sergeant and seven men were established in out-stations at four-mile antervals, and there would be a large reserve force at the depot. The reeerves would be in readiness to be sent out at a moment's notice'to any part of the territory they patrolled. In. Ireland migkt was right, but, notwithstanding that, tact, also played a large part in the life of a constable. The "beat" men always walked or rode in pairs and would never think of being separated. They had to keep everyone moving and their "beat" would be about as big as a block of shops in Gladstone road. Work of a Policeman. Speaking of the work of a policeman, Constable Murray said that ii was their duty to prevent crime and their pTtesence in New Zealand appeared to be eufiicient restraint on the majority ' of criminally-minded persons. The uniformed men were often referrel to as the "preventive" branch of the force. When on the "beat" a young policeman saw a variety of things and was intent on his job. Some of his Jnvestigations might not prove of value as his suspieions might have been falsely aroused, but a young man was keen.

As they grew older in the. service they gained the eecond sense that discriminated between a wrong worth investigating and a trivial matter, that would be better left alone. He was of the opinion that a policeman should be. a friend of the public and act as a guide. A constable should not be thought. of as a man always • ' out for a bag, ' ' but xather as ono who would give friendly warning and advicc before taking action. Discrotion was a great gift. People in New Zealand had always a strikdng sense of the difference between right and wrong and would soon see their faults and agree with a constable. There were few who did not break several of the minor laws during their life time and in many cases it was because they did not look at the matter from the point of view of a policeman. That was where a friendly warning carried so much weight and the responeibility was thrown on the citizen not to repeat the breach. Foolish druniis were the main problem of the police in the Dominion. In the early days they were of the "hardboiled" type and were often cautankerous and dangcrous, but iu these days they were mostly "just foolish drunks. ' ' While stationed in Dunedin he had an experience with a Syrian under the influence of alcohol and still has the scar on his hand from thc ! wound received while attempting to 1 handeuff the man. After a short time . his arm had swelled up with poison from the teeth of the prisoner. The i bulk of the deteetion of crime fell to the lot of -the plain-clothes- branch. |