THE REPORT OF THE GAOLS COMMITTEE ON THE POLICE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5484, 24 October 1878, Page 4

THE REPORT OF THE GAOLS COMMITTEE ON THE POLICE.

It will be recollected that the charges made by hlr.jßarton against the police were referred -for investigation to the Gaols Committee seye- ■ ml weeks ago.' The committee brought; up their report yesterday, as'follows : , The. charges against the police may be snm- ’■ marked as follows:—1. Cruelty to prisoners on arrest,’ 2. Neglect of duty in prosecuting offenders, and arbitrary .assumption of : discreT- tionary powers. ■ : 3. Favoritism :and partiality m recommending and objecting to publicans’', ml;/7'’ne9>. ,aud l ,is„tjm general supervision of publie houses. 4T Laxity of discipline and breach ■. 'of regulations. .Tho ~ committee regret ;that ; *' though desirous of obtaining all tile' evidence t obtainable, theytbave not been able in the time W'ati their disposal' to sift thoroughly some- of tlie, . matters, brought under their, notice.''' Soinbof, the cases complaiued of occurred so lung ago ■ t’iat there has been tile ill ty in gi-tting ■ 'Acburatcib formation. I ■ Charges 1 against; the police in, the other, parts of the, colony’havoj - been-tendered to the committee,; bat it was' neebssary to restrict the present inquiry to the 7'case of the"'Wellington police force. , . The conclusions the,committee have arrived at arc as follow : - , , r , ... 1. There is no reason to believe that.wanton and deliberate, cruelty or injustice have been ■ I practised ,by the police, : but the committee ‘•'-‘have 1 been--satisfied that in two cases'citizens - were wrongfully arrested, and'that, they were wrongfully treated. Ithas been proved(hat hand-. ' cuffs are too'readily used, and that handcuffed prisoners, when violent, have , been repeatedly, chained down to rings in the floor of the police' -cell, to hoop them quiet. An attempt has been 7'ffiade'on; thepart of the polioe officera tajustify ■‘' l the bractice' on the'grcuind' that the prisoners '• Blight break the cell down. The practice is ; cruel; dangerous, and under no circumstances jbStlflable.; , 2, .-Tbero.’appears to bo good ground'for this ' *. complaint, in two cases' before the. com.'mittoc, no good reason: has been shown'by the le Inspector for not instituting proceedings,’,, In oun case i when, - , notwithstanding the remonitrkncS 'of: the- prosecutor, the police declined "'to take up a' base; djt, forgery; and'wKeje aconviction was obtained by tho prosecution of . a private individual, the action of the Inspector... ' ; 'w;is inexcusable. • 1 7 1 ■ 3. This charge ban not been made out, but •uathen committee is satisfied . on. the evidence . . that. too .much .power has beep left to the. pßlic’9 in this diati'ict,’ and that ’practically » recommendation .’or objection bn the part of the police without fuller evidence has had too. much'weight in tho granting and refusal of licenses.i r, '.;v " •" ’ -1. There has been considerable ..laxity-with y regard tb ’tho;,police regulations, 'Under tho' ■>-; system recently inaugurated matters .hay'e im- , proved in this resjieot, .But the police'force. . * have hem too much in the habit of frequenting ' pu’qlic-hquseapvand^a/poMcemnn'appears,; ini one case, at any rate,ito have boon allowed to-, .live in one.-Charges have "boon made against i tho polico of improperly accepting rewards I . . from private individuals fir duty dime. . There- ’ ,is no evidence of 'corrupt intention, but .ofH- ' • cers;.have''been-ophtt’,to■’ suspicion ;ih bonsequopcb m ..tho.''prebhlenbb'of a bad system; No reward should btv given for'polico services shy, .private individuate,. except. through tho head of tho department,-who should give infor’its distribution. It has further' •"ccatioa there has been no proper oysters of; re- | 'i&alhg paper!* br'lcbepihgbooks,': ii I “In conclusion,*’" the committee desiro to % * -t-rcCord their deliberate opinion that no polico

system will bo satisfactory, .which allows' officers and men to remain too long in one; place. Even if their judgment does not become warped by local influences, they are sub- 1 jeet to the suspicion of being so influenced.; Tho evidence taken before this committee, and; ; the demeanor and expressions of the witnesses,; ' reveal a few of the consequences of offending; tho police which leaves a painful impressions i : One ot the advantages to be obtained by the ; establishment of a New Zealand police force. ; is the possibility of removing officers and men: from one place to another from time to time.' TUe committee recommend the periodical: transfer of police officers from one station to ; another.” :. ' '■ ■