The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1882. THE DETECTION OF CRIME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1201, 11 October 1882, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1882. THE DETECTION OF CRIME.

The difficulty which has been, experienced in tjiis district in bringing no'ine violations of the law to offenders .is' ojie that has. recently been receiving' in ptber parts of the Colony. In Auckland ..the temperance party recently reprssente.d to the Hon, Mr DlCff the inadequacy of the local police staff to enforce obedience to the Licensing Act, and in the South it is notorious that deeds of violencehavebeen repeatedly committed with impunity, owing to .the weakness pf the Constabulary department. It is a question whether in New Zealand .Wfipfrnftt expseji.too much from a policeman. 'He must,,; pf' course, possess physical courage and for his main duties as a preserver of the peace, but can we also demand from him those special mentaj gifts usually found in a competent detective officer. We believe, it-will be admitted that in any country where a well developed police service is established the ordinary constable is unfitted tp'serye .as a ••(detective, and that the typicaj detective would make a very indifferent policeman. : As fax as the Licensing Act is concerned,'we agree with the Hon, Mr Djqk that there is no great urgency for tho employment of other than the ordinary members of the force, Of course, in any case of exceptional. difficulty, assistance from a detective department might be desirable, tut' it would be very unnecessary to maintain any special staff Tfor. such a purpose, The case, however, is far different with respect to deeds of violence an,f j#- the perpetrators of systematic fraud and robbery. For the detection and punishment of such offences tho aid of a force is absolutely required,' 1 arid--we believe that the somewhat .inferior establishment of this character'which we now possess in New Zealand Could be strengthened wich advantage to the community, The Christohnrch Press, writing on this subject says:—"The discovery of crime ought to be an entirely separate branch of police duty from the punishment of crime,, and it ought to be eatj?jißte,(jL to an entirely distinct branch of police prpnisation, What is wanted is a thoroughly flfficient body of detectives, wb'o' : 'slioukV not be policemen at all, but highly trained ind trustworthy agents of the police. : They should be in all. their surroundings civilians, with nothing of the constable about them,' and they: should undoubtedly be paid sufficiently to make them i independent of temptation, Nobody but the chief lofficers of. the police ought to know who they are, i and they ought in special cases to be allowed to employ other persons known only to.theraselyes, Detectives ought never to ; arrest anybody,' or interfere with anybody, or. disclose their authority to anybody, except under circumBtances of.extreme. urgency." : •• Crime ■is apparently; increasing, and the importance of checking its: ravages: by an. police organisation will conisensible men, ; m

I We leßrnvby telegram torday.; that/Mrj, I &T. Connolly, member consented to join the and jo takpffice Justjoe; Aatliji Eton. T. Dioi|bf pri(f of is intended thM2'Ko9.siia!)j take:: : thfl;-Poßtmlißlef66nei:iilßhip:|and; Electric TelegraDh'-Ooramißsjofiersliipi: so that',; the Hon. W„. ; tyi : Johnston mil. be able to devoto himself "wholly. to the Public Works Department Mr Connolly, though a young politician, is an old and.able.lawyer.. Heipa,jteady, sound plodder, and- though pasf'sixty." years of age lias work yet left in'hira; He will make.a respectable, though..'notit brilliant Minister, '■' In" selecting'Ministen;. geographical considerations almost always determine the appointment. Mr Connolly may be regarded as the best available Middle Island man, but certainly not as the.inan most fitted;,by, experience and ability to take so high a position..: ' .: