POLICE MATTERS AT OTAKI.

Manawatu Herald, 15 June 1880, Page 2

POLICE MATTERS AT OTAKI.

It is a difficult thing to criticise ft constable's actions, he T>eing the. representative of law and order. ■■' Nevertheless, it appears to us th(lt Constable Mitchell, of Otaki, Is 11 at present allowing ihis . zeal to carry him too far. For instance, lie summoned a.man to the Otaki Court for being drunk when in : charge.- of -a, horse, and iv his evidence against the defendant, he stated "that he saw the Maori descend from his horse, and " give a stagger," in consequence of which he preferred a charge against him. Then, again, his prosecution of Mr Greenough, of the Telegraph Hotel, bears rather the mark' of aninrns fclian. of a simple desire to, do , his duty. This appeared especially iv the case against Greenough . for supplying liquor to a man intoxicated.;. . The constable swore he saw the man go back to the hotel, and that he watched at the door to see if liquor were supplied to him, and that when a glass of rum was put before him he . entered the hotel and took it from him. The question naturally arises, why did not the constable arrest the man in the street, if he really was drunk? It really seems as if he were more anxious to " catch " Greenough than to prevent a violation of the law. The duty of the police is to prevent offences where possible, and it would have been more consistent with his position if the constable had arrested Jennings for drunkenness when he was ori CIsV way to the hotel, or had" "warned Greenough not to supply him with any more liquor, his condition being "doubtful." Otaki is peculiarly situated, being a Maori district, and* while we do not for one moment desire a license for crime to be given, we think the Constable would do ' well to imitate the manner of his predecessor, who combined firmness with kindness, and who was more anxious to prevent offences than to . catch the offenders.