ABOLITION OF THE PROVINCIAL POLICE FORCE.

Southland Times, Issue 757, 2 December 1867, Page 1 (Supplement)

ABOLITION OF THE PROVINCIAL POLICE FORCE.

(From the Southland Times, Not. 27.) The whole tendency of the debates in the General Assembly, on the question of a change in the constitution, has been to illustrate the incompatibility of the Provincial system with the existence of a strong, central government, a united colony, and hereafter a powerful and prosperous nation. Provincialism, in the words of more than one speaker, meant the abuse of power, the perpetuation of the system of log-rolling, and frightful extravagance. Among the important debates that took place during the last session of the General Assembly may be mentioned that arising from a motion tabled by Mr Teavebs, a Canterbury member, as to the " Control of Public Departments." The resolution proposed by this hon. member was : — " That in the opinion of this House it is desirable that for the future the entire legislative and executive control over the following departments of government in the Colony, viz., I police, gaols, and harbors, should be vested in the General Government, with ! authority to delegate the administration \ of those departments to the Superin- \ tendents and Executive Councils of the various Provinces. But that the entire legislative and executive control over the ordinary colonising functions of Government, including provincial public works, should remain with the Provincial Governments." The hon. member in moving the resolution most ably showed that the existing system of police, gaol, and harbor management, was both extravagantly costly and deplorably inefficient. He argued, and argued soundly, that thesa were essentially colonial institutions that must be worked as such to prove of utility to the colony for which they were designed. During the debate it was clearly demonstrated that in framing the constitution it was never contemplated that nine different codes of management couldbe adopted — that eachpettyprovince should have its Provincial Police Force, conduct} itsgftola^ccor^n^oitajgi

peculiar idiosyncracy. and be allowed to tinker with harbor improvements, without unity of system or action. Even the ultrapro vincialists acknowledged that harbor improvements should be regulated and constructed under the sanction and supervision of the General Government. This having been conceded by all parties, the consideration of the question of the Police organisation was then fully gone into. The sentiment expressed that the existing disjointed police system is costly, unnecessary, and inefficient, in a colonial sense, will scarcely be questioned. It must be patent to even the most superficial observer that nine isolated forces, with their long list of Commissioners, Inspectors, and other officers now in ex- , istence, entail an expense to the country far in excess of what would be required if the whole were centralised ; and it is equally as apparent that if there were one united service efficiency would be more easily obtained. The population of a large portion of New Zealand is essentially migratory ; deep crime-stained criminals from the neighboring colonies of Australia havebeen attracted to our shores, and found a new field for nefarious enterprise. After crimes have been committed in Provinces, and the criminal has expiated his offence in gaol, he is under the present system permitted to cross , the border to commence in another locality a fresh career of guilt. No responsibility rests upon the police as a body throughout the colony to watch or prevent crime. It simply devolves upon them, as a provincial force, to look after their own particular locality without reference to their neighbors ; consequently that degree of watchfulness so essential to the prevention of crime is not inculcated. Where there is an absence, in a body like the police, of a central and visible head, invested with colonial authority, it can only be expected that disorganisation and want of unity will prevail. The revolting Nelson murders never would have taken place had there been one united colonial police force. , In Victoria the fundamental principle is to prevent crime rather than to bring a criminal to justice. By that colony possessing one central . force . a large measure of success "" ,the preservation of law and order has res lilted. When a new rush takes place, and an extra number of police are required, the men are carefully selected from those localities in which criminals have resided. Hence the professional desperado, go where he may, is j never allowed to remain long under the { impression that he is unknown and unwatched. Until a similar system is adopted in New Zealand — until there is one central establishment, one organisation, with unity of action, thorough efficiency can never be obtained. In addition to the necessity shown for centralising the police of the colony in order to more effectually suppress crime, there is another question of _ scarcely les3 importance. Financially, the existing system is most strongly to be deprecated. It is costly to a degree. We have nine separate establishments, each with its Commissioner, and a small army of inferior officers. The expenditure for police protection is ridiculously high. Take this province for example. There is a Commissioner, four sergeants, and five privates. The amount of the Commissioner's salary is equivalent to £38 17s 9d per man for governing the Southland force. This is without contingencies. Let it be understood that we are not speaking in a disparaging manner of the local police. Far from it. As a body they are as intelligent and active a class of men as can be found in auy part of New Zealand. But we do affirm that the Province does not require so expensive a staff, and cannot afford to maintain it. The time is coming when the Provincial Council must exert itself effectually to make reductions in the estimates. We do not think that any good can result from a paltry £50 being knocked off an official's salary. But it is nevertheless apparent that a couple of thousand pounds can be much better spent in making roads to the interior than in employing a number of useless officials from year to year. The whole of the police departments should be consolidated. There is now a multitude of officers more than required, unless for the purpose of ornament, and expenses are being heaped up in every direction that by a change of the system could be very considerably reduced. The more this subject is studied the plainer it will appear that the Provincial Police system must give way, and a colonial force be organised. Great credit is due to Mr Tha-VERS for the bold and able manner in which he has brought this subject forward. Although it was thought wise' to withdraw the motion after the question had been warmly discussed, it served its purpose. It sowed the seeds of reform iv