Difference between revisions of "The Argus at KellyGang 26/7/1882 (2)"

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Royal Commission - Insp Secretan examined

Of the four clerks, one attends entirely to the compilation of the Police Gazette from 10 am to 6 pm, the second does day duty from 9am to 5 pm, the third does night duty from 6 pm to 2 am, and the fourth attends to the horse, takes despatches, and assists the day clerk, hours from 7am to 6 pm. All the clerks have as much as they can possibly do. All the detectives in Melbourne are off duty on each alternate Sunday. Melbourne and the suburbs are laid out in five detective divisions, viz, North, South, East and West Melbourne and Collingwood, and 14 of the detectives are told off to do duly in those divisions. One detective is kept for special duty, and the Chinese detective is used for miscellaneous work. Each division is placed in charge of a senior first class detective, and the other men work under his direction.

They attend to all reports of crime, deliver stolen property lists to all pawnbrokers, dealers, &.c., keep themselves well acquainted with the whereabouts of all criminals, suspects, prostitutes, &.c., and prepare and send in to the officer in charge of the department surveillance reports giving names, addresses, associates, &.c., of all such characters every six months. Their hours of duty are from five minutes to 9 am, when they assemble at the central office and proceed to the watchhouse to inspect prisoners who have been arrested during the night, for the purpose of identification, &.c. They then return to the office, take notes of all crime reports that have come in during the night, prepare briefs and attend the courts when necessary, report personally to the officer in charge what they were doing the previous night, take instructions, and proceed at about 10 am to their various duties. At 2 pm they return to the office, if not specially engaged, to ascertain particulars of any further cases that may require attention. They then, if their duties permit, go off duty until 6 pm , when there is a general muster for the reading of reports of crimes, arrests, &.c. The senior first class detectives return to their divisions after seeing the officer in charge, and remain on duty until 11 o'clock , and the others until midnight, calling at the office before leaving for the night.

Should any of the men do duty during the afternoon, such time is allowed them in the evening that their time of service shall not exceed 11 hours per day. Each detective is supposed to inform the officer in charge of all information that he obtains, so that he can be in a position to work one man's information in with another's when necessary which greatly facilitates the detection of crime. The detectives call on all persons making reports, and are responsible for the detection of crime in their respective divisions. Hitherto recruits have been obtained for the detective service from the general police, and the best class of persons offering outside the service having good testimonials as to character, ability, &.c. Recruits are first placed on easy inquiries for missing friends, wife and child deserters, and subsequently used for keeping suspects under surveillance, and as long as they remain unknown they are kept at this kind of duty. If found suitable they are then drafted on to a division under a senior first class officer, who instructs them as to their general duty. Probationers do similar duty, and make themselves acquainted with the contents of the police regulations, extracts from colonial acts, &.c.

In important cases the most suitable men are selected for duty, irrespective of their divisions. Liberty of action greatly depends on the detectives themselves and the surrounding circumstances. As to the general efficiency of the men he could not say that they were all that they should be. Some of those at present in the service would never make fist class detectives. The present system was a good one, he believed, and it had worked well when the proper means were available for carrying it out in the manner that was done 10 or 12 years ago, but since then these means have been gradually taken away. He referred more particularly to the reduction in the number and pay of the detective force. In 1860 there were 43 detectives in the colony, consisting of 10 first class at 15s per day, 15 second class at 12s 6d. per day, and 13 third class at 10s per day. In 1864 the number was reduced to 40, consisting of 14 first, 14 second, 11 third, and one Chinese. No less than 18 of these detectives were placed in the country districts, 15 were retained for general duty in the city and suburbs, and there was a clerical staff of seven officers. The number was further reduced to 31 in 1871, and again in 1882 to 28 viz., 6 senior first class at 15s per day, 6 first class at 13s per day, 9 second class at 12s per day and 7 third class at 9s per day.

Up to 1872 there were generally three or four special men employed as probationers, as well as several members of the criminal class, who could give valuable information occasionally. All this has been done away with. Since the reductions in 1871, Melbourne detectives have had to do special duty in the country districts from time to time. To a great extent this cripples the action of the men in Melbourne , as they are in consequence unable to keep a proper surveillance over the criminal classes. It is actually necessary that the detectives should be continually amongst them, never losing sight of them, and in fact, almost living with them and watching their movements. This is a most important part of a detective's duty, and it is not, and cannot be, carried out under existing circumstances. On an average, three or four Melbourne detectives are sent on special duty in the country monthly for periods varying from two to three days to two or three weeks, and it invariably happens that when they return to Melbourne they find the thieves at work in their division, their sources of information gone perhaps, and the whole work has to be gone over again as from the first outset. It should also be borne in mind that criminals, especially of the worst class, never remain long in the same place, but are constantly moving from place to place.

The key of a good system is that one officer should be in a position, through the inquiries of his men, to know all the movements of the criminal class, that he should be in constant communication with the officers under him, so as to apply the information and use it to the best possible advantage. The benefit of detective duty is promptness and decisive action. It could not be expected that all general police officers in charge of divisions in Melbourne would be competent to instruct experienced detectives in important duties.

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