POLICE FORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1933, Page 7

POLICE FORCE

CHRISTCHURCH AND WEST COAST REPORT BEFORE PARLIAMENT. WELLINGTON, October 17. “The year provided a hard time for all members of the service,” says Super, intendent D. J. Cummings, in his annual review to Parliament of the work of the Christchurch police for 1932-33. Owing to the industrial trouble and the outbreak of serious crime, annual leave had to be suspended. The increases in crime related to false pretences, burglary, “receiving” and forgery. There was a substantial decrease in cases of drunkenness.

In the opinion of tile superintendent, the appointment of three additional detectives is necessary to keep pace with the times. “The present staff,” he states, “cannot adequately cope with the work it is called upon to perform or give it the attention it demands. Three more men are urgently needed.”

The report of Inspector Lopdell, covering the Greymoutli district, records a 25 per cent decrease in offences accounted for by a falling-off in breaches of the licensing laws, a result arising out of closer police supervision. Referring to the three bombing cases which occurred during the year, Inspector Lopdell expressed the belief that the motive behind tile offences was to intimidate the police against activity in enforcing the licensing laws. ’As an outcome of the Ross shooting case, the inspector suggests an amendment to the Arms Act, empowering Magistrates, on proper grounds, to prohibit for a definite time a person from hav-'ng in his possession any firearm. Inspector Bird rennrts that there has been n decrease of 215 cases in the Timaru police district, and that no serious crime occurred during the year.