The Argus at KellyGang 2/8/1882
THE POLICE COMMISSION
The Police Commission sat again yesterday in the old Treasury building, Mr. Longmore presiding. Mr. Hare, P M, was examined at considerable length as to the organisation of the police force and as to how it should be improved. It was then decided that an endeavour should be made this week to conclude the inquiry, and it was agreed that the commission should sit not only on Wednesday, as usual, but also on Thursday and Friday.
Mr. Hare's evidence was taken with closed doors, and we are therefore unable to give it fully, but it was to the following effect :- The police force of Victoria, he said, was in former years admitted by all to be second to none in the world – -not even to the Irish Constabulary. For some years back, however, it had without doubt been deteriorating. The men were of the same stamp as before, but they had a different class of officers. In the appointment of officers of late the men were too old before they received the promotion, and they were entirely different to the class of men who originally officered the force. In order to bring the force up to its old standard he advised that a cadet corps of say 12 men should be formed. The cadets should be distributed all over the country, and for the first two or three years should be kept in the superintendent's office and rained there. On becoming thoroughly acquainted with the duties of officers, they should then be appointed to positions of command as vacancies occurred. He would have the cadets appointed by the present police board, which consisted of the chief commissioner of police, the commandant of the local forces, and the inspector-general of penal establishments. That board should be free to select the most suitable young men available, and should not have to appoint youths simply because they happened to be sons of members of Parliament, or to have political influence.
At the same time he would not shut the door against members of the force, but would have men who had worked with special zeal and shown special qualifications rewarded by promotion, even although they did not belong to the cadet corps. He held that the superior officers of the force should consist of but one commissioner, an inspecting superintendent, ordinary superintendents, and, inspectors. He would have no sub-inspectors, and one chief commissioner was quite sufficient for managing a body of little over 1,000 men, provided he was a capable and honest man. It would be a mistake to throw the supreme responsibility on three men. The detectives, he considered, should be directly under the chief commissioner, and should be controlled by no intermediate officer. Under the present system, the detectives would sooner allow a case to fall to the ground than see it pass into the hands of the general police. The same was the case with the general police, but if the detectives were handled by the chief commissioner himself this jealousy would be swept away. Ordinary crimes could be looked after by plain-clothes men. In Sydney the detectives received their instructions direct from the chief commissioner. A huge mistake would be committed if they were placed under the local police superintendent. He would have the general force organised just as it was at present, and recruits properly drilled and instructed at the depôt before being sent out on duty.
With regard to stores, he held that each district should purchase its own, by tender, but that the supplies should be also received and branded by an officer from town. The horses required for mounted troopers should be obtained in the way they were at present. All of them were bought from the breeders throughout the colony, and were broken in at the depôt. They cost on an average £19 a head. The rough-riders had to perform very arduous and dangerous duties, and as they only received 1s per day extra for their special work he considered that they were underpaid. As to uniform the tendency of the men was to dress as like civilians as possible; but he considered that the helmets and tunics could not be dispensed with, as a distinct uniform was absolutely necessary. It was almost impossible to please the men with head gear. In the city the helmets were objected to by the men, but they were preferred and asked for in the country. Gloves might be dispensed with, but it would be better to retain them as they made the men look smarter, and a smart-looking man was equal in influence to a dozen slovenly-looking constables.
With regard to Sunday trading, the stopping of it was a matter o£ impossibility, for if they placed a constable at every door in a hotel, liquor would still be sold. As to abandoned women he recommended that the continental system should be introduced. Under it these women would never be allowed to parade the streets at night. In reply to a question as to whether he could name any man fitted to take charge of the force, Mr Hare said that Mr Chomley, the present chief commissioner, was a capable man in every respect. He dated the deterioration of the detective force from the time Mr Nicolson relinquished the charge of that branch of the service. One most important thing in a police officer was that he should not be fettered in any way by debts. In connexion with this point, however, he declined to mention any names. He said he was in regard to this matter on the brink of a mine which he would not explode.
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