H.—l6

10

A new station has recently been opened at Brooklyn, a populous suburb lately included in the City of Wellington. One constable has been added to Levin Station and one to Lambton Quay during the year. Special attention has been given to vagrants of the criminal class, and a large number, both male and female, have been successfully prosecuted. Late amendments in the law have materially assisted the police in keeping criminal vagrants in check. The conduct of the police of the district has been good. Very few cases requiring departmental punishment have arisen. The uniformed police, detectives, and clerical staff have worked well and smoothly, and all have contributed towards preserving good order and keeping crime in check. In conclusion, I might refer to the large amount of work done by the police for other Departments. At several of the country stations the clerical work of constables acting as Clerks of Courts, &c, takes up a great deal of time, and often precludes a constable from giving proper attention to outdoor duty. A great deal of work is also done for the Railway Department in searching for goods sent astray or incorrectly checked. The Old-age Pensions Department also furnishes an immense amount of correspondence for attention. The correspondence and work attended to for other Departments forms a very large part of the clerical work of this office.

Inspector E. Wilson, Nelson and Westland District. On the 31st March, 1904, the actual strength of this district was 44—viz., 1 inspector, 5 sergeants, 36 constables, 1 detective, and 1 district constable. A new station has been formed at Karamea and a local resident appointed district constable. This arrangement has been found very satisfactory, several fatal accidents having happened there, and with the resident Justices inquests were held, with considerable saving to the Department. During the year a detective has been added to the strength, one sergeant has retired on pension, one constable resigned, and one constable has been promoted to sergeant, their places being taken by men from within the district and the vacancies filled from other districts. The conduct of the men on the whole has been good, the only exceptions being that one constable was fined and another removed, the latter being subsequently dismissed. During the year there were 35 prosecutions for breaches of the Licensing Acts, resulting in 18 convictions, while fines amounting to £60 were imposed for sly-grog selling, as against 26 prosecutions in 1902 and sly-grog fines of £26 10s. The opening of the State coal-mine at Eunanga, some six miles from Greymouth, will mean in the near future the stationing of a constable at that place, as employment will be given to between three and four hundred miners and others about the mine. Nearly all the town sections have been taken up, and several buildings (some intended for publichouses) are being erected. A station and constable should be provided for at Granity, as this township and Millerton are growing rapidly; and, although the constables at Seddonville and Denniston visit the place weekly, the position, business, &c, warrant the appointment of a separate station. Now that the Police Provident Fund is accumulating, it is the general opinion that some more liberal provision should be made for widows. As the law now stands, the maximum allowance is only £18 per annum, no consideration being given to the length of service or position of deceased, or the actual amount of his contributions to the fund.

Inspector E. J. Gillies, Christchurch and North Otago District. The actual strength of the Force of the district on the 31st March was 119, being an increase of one constable during the year. This is one man short of the authorised strength. The number is made up as follows : Inspector, 1; sub-inspector, 1; sergeants, 11; constables, 102 ; and detectives, 4. In addition, there was a district constable and matron; also a surgeon at Christchurch. Two constables resigned, one receiving a pension under the Police Provident Fund Act. The quarters provided for men in charge of stations are with few exceptions very comfortable, and repairs were effected as required. The annual offences return for the year ended the 31st December, 1903, shows that 3,972 offences in the district were reported during the year, an increase of 196 on the previous year. The offences return for the year shows that 3.972 offences were reported, and 3,851 persons apprehended or summoned during the year ended the 31st December, 1903, leaving the number of cases undetected comparatively small. In the majority of cases described as " theft," of those remaining undetected, the property stolen was not identifiable. The detectives were very successful in their endeavours to cope with the criminal classes throughout the district, and they were efficiently assisted by plain-clothes constables and the general police. I regret to find from the records that there were thirty breaches of discipline against constables during the year, being an increase of eleven in such offences as compared with the total number for the previous year. The conduct of the men at country stations has, with one or two exceptions, been very good. The conduct of the detectives and plain-clothes men has also been very good. In my last annual report I recommended an augmentation of seven men to the district. These men were not supplied. I therefore again draw attention to it, as not less than seven additional constables are required—viz., three for Christchurch, one for Lyttelton, one for St. Albans, and, as a station should be opened at Upper Eiccarton and one at St. Andrew's, two men would be required for these places.