The Argus at KellyGang 15/6/1882
THE POLICE COMMISSION
The Police Commission has been engaged for sometime back taking evidence with regard to the detective force. As the press is excluded from their meetings, we are unable to give a detailed account of the evidence adduced, and are only able to state the salient points of the statements made to the board. It has been urged by members of the detective force that their department should be continued in an independent position-that is, that it should have a head of its own, and controlled by its own superintending officer. The senior first class detectives, the witnesses maintained, should be paid at the rate of £1 Is per diem instead of only 15s., and the other grades in proportion. It has also been submitted, that a secret service fund should be established, and that the travelling expenses of detectives should be dealt with on a more liberal scale than at present. Under existing arrangements the detectives have to spend a great deal more money in prosecuting their inquiries than they can recover.
The traveling expenditure which they have frequently to incur is curtailed to a minimum, and they have often to pay money out of their own pockets for information, and are never recouped. The natural tendency of this system is to encourage the practice of receiving "tips" -that is, "hush" money or private rewards for special services. The members of the force, however, wish that an end shall be put to this sort of thing, and point out that they should be better paid, and allowed more travelling expenses, and that a secret service fund should be formed. The proposition is that the fund in question should only be drawn upon when officers are able to prove that they have expended money in accordance with regulations which would have to be made in connexion therewith. It has been further urged that senor first class detectives should rank with sub inspectors of the general police, and that their connexion with the detective force-instead of (as at present) being an obstacle in their way to promotion - should serve as a stepping stone to superior appointments in the general force.
The plain-clothes patrols, they also say, should be attached to the detective branch of the service, and form the inferior rank from which promotions should be made in the first instance. Some valuable evidence has also been given as to the way in which criminals from the neighbouring colonies-and especially from Western Australia -should be kept under surveillance.
One witness reflected very seriously on the present management of the detective force, and suggested that the first class senior detectives should be placed under the immediate supervision of the chief commissioner
Much importance seemed to be attached by the commission to the statements of Mr Otto Berliner, formerly a member of the defective force and now the well known conductor of private inquiries. A reporter of The Argus had an interview with Mr Berliner yesterday, and obtained from him the following suggestions, which may be accepted as the substance of the evidence he gave before the commission -The police and detective forces ought to be under the management of three officers, viz, a chief commissioner of police, a chief commissioner of detectives, and a superintendent of training schools, who should be formed into a board.
A training school should be established, under the superintendence of a thoroughly experienced officer, and in it could be educated the candidates or cadets for the mounted foot and detective police. The trainees would gain their experience by the performance of duties under the supervision of non commissioned officers. The trainees should only be received between the ages of 15 and 17, and on condition that they have obtained a sixth class certificate at a state school. A medical man should also have to pronounce them fit for a position in the force. During the first year they should be paid 10s a week and receive two suits of uniform, and should have to live with their parents or friends. They should receive £1 per week and two suits during the second year and £1 10s and two suits during the third. In the third year they should have to live in the barracks. Their duties would include those of orderlies, of water supply, and revenue officers, certain work connected with the Customs department, and the enforcing of the Wine and Spirits Statute.
They should also have to assist in all serious cases of crime in Melbourne and suburbs, and trained to detective duty. About 20 of them should be sent under an officer to learn the duties of mounted police in the bush, and should be made thoroughly conversant with the interior of the colony. They should, in short, receive such a thorough training that by the time their three years' probation expired they would be ready and fit to be drafted into the general force. Before being admitted to the ranks, however, they should have to pass another medical examination. The general police and the detective force should he regarded as one body, the latter being the right arm and the former the left. There should be an adequate number of private clothes men in every district and they should act in conjunction with the detectives and the general police.
Ordinary constables should receive 8s a day for the first five years, then 9s a day for the next five years, and 10s after 10 years service if they had not obtained promotion. Of senior constables there should be none. Second class sergeants should have 12s 6d per diem for the first five years and a rise of 2s 6d. for the second five years' service, and after 10 years they should have £I par day. In each case 6d per day ought to be deducted for the establishment of a pension fund. The inspection of the patrols in the city should be done by an officer on horseback, and the same should be the case in the suburbs, with the addition of a mounted guard for the suppression of larrikinism. There should be three grades of private clothes men a 10s 6d, 12s 6d, and 15s per diem, and none of them should visit gaols or give evidence in court except in uniform. They should be looked upon as non commissioned officers, and should receive the ready assistance of the ordinary police. It is from them the officers should be chosen.
The chief commissioner of detectives should reside in Melbourne , and there should be six sub inspectors and six first class sergeants, and the whole of their proceedings should be directed from head quarters. The police board, which, as already stated would consist of the two commissioners and the superintendent of training schools, would meet every morning if possible and deal with all reports received. At one period of the year the chief commissioner of police should visit every station in the colony, and at another all the stations should be visited by the chief commissioner of detectives. If at any time either of them were unable to perform this duty it should be done by the superintendent of the training school, and the office of inspecting superintendent should be abolished. The forces should be officered by two superintendents, five inspectors, and nine sub inspectors of police, and six superintendents of detectives. At present there are too many officers. There should further be about two first class and two second-class sergeants of mounted police, 20 first class and 60 second class sergeants of foot police, 150 mounted men, 600 foot constables, and 2S0 private clothes patrols. This scheme would do away with political influence, as no one could enter the police force except through the training school and after passing a medical examination.
There should be a medical officer for the force, who would accompany parties of men when they went on dangerous expeditions. The trainees, whilst performing as occasion might require, the duties already mentioned, should have foot and mounted drill, gymnastic and swimming exercises and should be educated in criminal law. Instead of being rewarded with money for special services members of the force should receive bronze or silver medals, and these should only be given in exceptional cases, and by the board alone. The detective force should include two Frenchmen, one German, and one Italian, as many of the crimes perpetrated in the colonies are done by persons of these nationalities. The water police should be trained on board the Nelson or Cerberus, and should receive 2s 6d per day more than ordinary constables as their clothing is subjected to much tear and wear, and their work is of a special character.
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