The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1882.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4351, 11 December 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1882.

The police force is on anything but a satisfactory footing. But few persons have correct ideas of what is required of a constable. The popular impression seems to be that he is a sort of Brainless dandified loafer, to be seen parading the streets all day, who is fonder of ogling the ladies than soiling his hands with work. In fact, that if he possess a forte, it is laziness. Several matters are not taken into account by the superficial observer. There is more truth in the lines "a policeman's life is not a happy one" than possibly the composer dreamt of. A constable to be efficient must be to a considerable extent a lawyer. There are so many different matters of duty and points of law to guide him under various circumstances, taat to familiarise himself with them is no light task, and to learn them would take a year or two. , Indeed, no one can become a thoroughly good policeman under two years' service ; any less time may be regarded as a novitiate. And it is requisite that he should be well posted in these particular poiuts of law which relate to his duty, for they may materially affect not only himself and the service, but the administration of justice. A mistake on the part of a constable might be the means of causing a case to be dismissed on technical grounds, with a consequent miscarriage of justice. A constable is liable to be called on duty at any time; he is even worse situated than a miner on shifts. If there be a fire, or anything extraordinary, he must be in attendance. At fires in Auckland, no matter what time, all hands turn out on duty. If a night constable arrest a prisoner ho must be down at Court next morning to give evidence, and thus break hi 3 rest. Again, walking about all day in the broiling sun, or pelting rain, or going on his cold, cheerless, solitary, nocturnal round, to protect ttie property of the sleeping public from the evil that walketh—and worketh—by night is trying on the constitution, and constables not unfrequently become permaturely 'walked' out. A constable should be au intelligent, discreet man, so as by the exercise of his reasoning faculties to detect crime, and baffle evil doers. This branch of the constabulary service requires adaptability, thought, and activity. Although there are certain persons peculiarly fitted for the duties, every police-

man is perforce more or lass a detective, and acquires at least some degree of proficiency through experience. Further^ a constable must be a man of more than average physical strength. Bat though strong he is nqt allowed to exercise that strength for his own protection. The rules of the service assume that he will retain his temper and self-control no matter how much stronger, or how violent or provokiDg the party being j arrested is. Of course there are instances where constables do scandalously abuse their office, but on t,ho other hand we have often wondered how cairn and merciful they were to rough drunken sooundrels that deserved no pity, whose object seemed to be to take the constable's.life. If there is a post of danger, murderer's or robber's, knife or buHet, or a lunatic's bludgeon to be faced, the constable is the man called,upon to be afc the forefront; or if there is a disaerrrea l>ie duty, such as recovering dead bodies, attending inquests, &c, he is the person who has to undertake the sickening duty. So that, "taking one consideration with another,' 1 the policeman's lot is not a pleasant one.