The Argus at KellyGang 26/7/1882
THE POLICE COMMISSION
At the sittings of the Police Commission this week, some valuable evidence has been given by several witnesses. For instance, on Wednesday Mr Nicolson, P M, late acting chief commissioner, suggested a plan for securing better discipline in the force, and lessening the ill effects which arose from the injudicious use of outside influence - political or otherwise - on behalf of individuals. Mr Nicolson suggested that the police should be placed under three commissioners sitting as a board, the chief commissioner to be chairman and executive officer. Better provision was required for the promotion of efficient men. In regard to the detective branch, improved principles of management were requisite. Hitherto, the distinction between the detectives and ordinary police has not been well observed, either in theory or practice. Their duties are widely different. The practice has grown up however of employing plain clothes men in finding out persons who have committed crimes-work which should be left to the detectives.
Constables in plain clothes were at first intended for patrolling in quarters where men in uniform would be of no service. In certain parts of the city the ordinary constable is watched, and the doing of mischief is deferred until he has passed on. A plan clothes man would not be recognised and might render valuable aid in preventing crime or in arresting an offender. It had been at times the practice for city inspectors to tell off the plain clothes constables to occasional detective duty. Other inspectors on succeeding them discarded the practice, which was thus alternately carried on and left in abeyance. By employing the plain clothes men in this work, rivalry who encouraged between them and the detectives. Instead of cooperating they worked independently of each other, sometimes against each other information being withheld from the detectives which might have been useful to them in following up a clue. It has also been pointed out during this weeks examinations that the confidential relations which sprang up between plain clothes men and quasicriminal characters often led to small offences being overlooked.
A publican who should have been summoned for Sunday trading might have his practices winked at because he had given an ordinary policeman or sergeant an acceptable consideration in the form of money or refreshment when on special plain clothes duty. Had the detective force alone been at work these little understandings between the ordinary constable and the publican would not be entered into. The detectives, it has been urged must if they are to do their duty effectively, be constantly watching the criminal classes and their existence as a special body is essential. Watching criminals must be their role occupation if crime is to be kept down and the worst class of offenders controlled. Men occasionally told off for defective duty could not acquire accurate knowledge of the habits of criminal or be able to lay their hands on the right parties when necessary.
The commission has been informed that the detective force ought to be put on such a footing that promotion to that branch of the force would be appreciated as the reward of proficiency and zeal in other grades of the service. There ought to be various grades of rank, ranging upwards to a position equivalent to that of inspector. The lowest rank of detectives ought to be paid considerably better than police sergeants. Information has been sought by the commission on the question whether it would be advisable to adopt a less conspicuous uniform for the police. Upon this point Mr Nicolson was strongly of opinion that the uniform should be as conspicuous as possible, so that persons requiring the aid of the police should have no difficulty in finding them. Owing to the fact that the commissioners are averse to the evidence given before them obtaining early publicity, it is not possible for us to reproduce the statements of one witness or another at any length. When questions relating to the general management of the police are under investigation it could do no harm for the commission to sit in open court.
THE POLICE COMMISSION
INSPECTOR SECRETAN'S EVIDENCE
The Police Commission resumed its seemingly interminable inquiry into the management of the detective and police departments at the White Hart Hotel yesterday, when Inspector Secretan, the officer in charge of the detectives, was examined at considerable length. A good deal of importance has been attached to this officer's evidence, principally owing to the conflicting character of the testimony previously given by Mr Nicolson, PM, Superintendents Winch and Kabat and several past and present members of the detective and plain clothes branches of the service.
Inspector Secretan stated that there were 28 members of the Victorian detective police force, stationed as follows - Ballarat two Sandhurst, Echuca, Benalla, Stawell, and Sandridge, one each, Melbourne General Post office, one, clerks, four , leaving 10 (including one Chinese detective) for general out door duty in Melbourne and the suburbs. The detectives stationed in the country are placed under the immediate supervision and direction of the police superintendents of their respective districts, but they occasionally receive instructions from the Detective office. They should always bring these instructions under the notice of the superintendents before taking any action, to prevent a clash.
The Sandridge detective acts under instructions from the head office, but is left to act upon his own judgment and experience except in important cases, and he reports himself whenever he visits Melbourne, which is frequently. On the other hand, the post office detective attends solely to that department.
| ! | The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. |
