The Argus at KellyGang 19/7/1882
THE POLICE COMMISSION
The Police Commission sat again yesterday and as usual with closed doors.
Detective Dowdell, of Scotland yard, who has come out to this colony for the purpose of taking home an absconder, was examined as to the organisation of the London police. From what we can learn he gave evidence to the effect that the detective and uniformed police at home worked amicably together. Both branches of the service were under one supreme head, but each had its own chief officer, Mr Vincent being in charge of the detectives, with the title of "Director of Criminal Investigations, whilst Mr Henderson was at the head of the ordinary police force. The uniformed police were taught to realise that their primary duty was to prevent crime, whilst the discovery of crimes actually perpetrated was the particular function of the detectives. The consequence was that there was no clashing between the two branches of the force. The metropolitan district was divided into 20 divisions for ordinary police purposes. When a crime was committed in any particular division the fact was telegraphed to Scotland yard and a detective was sent to unearth the offender, and the assistance of the local police was at once, if necessary, placed at his disposal. There was no secret service fund in connexion with the force and the employment of criminals to detect crimes was not allowed.
If criminals volunteered information it was accepted, but before it could be used it had to be reported to the head officer, and as a rule this sort of thing was not encouraged. Information of this kind was only accepted in such cases as the following: - When he (witness) was leaving his office one night he was accosted by a criminal who had just been discharged from gaol and who asked him for a shilling to buy a meal. He gave the man the trifle asked for, whereupon the poor wretch voluntarily told him where some stolen property was to be found. If a reward was offered for the detection of a crime, the officer in charge of the case could not receive it except through his chief, and then 25 per cent of it was deducted as a contribution to the General Police Reward Fund. The detectives at home ranked equally with sub inspectors of police. All the officers there had risen from the ranks, and their pay was much better than that of officers in this colony. They had no cadet system. Men who had professed to have special qualifications for detective work had occasionally been employed, but they had always on trial failed, and the system of promoting from the ranks had been found to answer best. When on long journeys London detectives were allowed 15s per diem as travelling allowances, in addition to second class railway tickets. When out all day on duty in the metropolitan district they got 3s a day for refreshments. The witness was also asked his opinion as to the organisation of the Victorian police and detective force, but he said he had not had sufficient experience or knowledge of the colony to speak on that subject.
Superintendent Kabat, who was also examined, stated that he was strongly in favour of the cadet system being established in this colony. The cadets should be selected from sons of officers and constables of the police force, and should be required to pass the civil service examination. He did not think, however, that any intelligent and worthy constable who might aspire for promotion should be debarred from doing so by failing to pass this examination. He recommended that no non-commissioned officer who had attained the ago of 40 years should be advanced to the rank of officer, as it was impossible for a man at that age to be as active as some of the districts would require him to be or to enable him to perform his duties satisfaction.
He suggested that a commissioner and two assistant commissioners should be appointed, one of the latter to take charge of the metropolitan district, and the other the country districts. He objected to the recommendation which bad been made by Mr Chomley in favour of the appointment of Mr Moors, the present chief clerk, as one of the proposed assistant commissioners, as he considered, it unjust to those officers who had spent nearly all their lifetime in the service. He thought that during the absence of the commissioner the superintendent of the Melbourne district should take his place, and not a clerk in the office. He pointed out the absurdity of the arrangement now in force of purchasing stores in Melbourne, and forwarding them to the country districts, where most of them could readily be obtained at a price which was 25 per cent less than that paid for them in the metropolis.
He stated that the present system of purchasing horses should be abandoned and that if any were necessary they should be purchased by the superintendent of the district requiring them. Horses had been sent from Melbourne to Gipps Land which were almost useless for that mountainous country. He thought that the present detective system should be completely abolished and that from 10 to 15 of the detectives now employed should be kept in the service at the same rate of pay as they received at present but that they should be under the control of the superintendent of the metropolitan district. All serious crimes should then be handed over to these detectives for investigation, whilst the smaller offences should be entrusted to plain clothes policemen who were as able to deal with these matters as the detectives. It was impossible for a superintendent of the metropolitan district and a junior officer in charge of the detectives to work in harmony.
The commission adjourned until to day.
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