The Argus at KellyGang 26/7/1882 (3)
Royal Commission - Insp Secretan examined
The difficulties of detection are far greater now than they were 10 or 15 years ago, owing to the increase in the population and a proportionate increase in crime and all descriptions of criminal and other business from the adjacent colonies, Europe , and America . Formerly the criminal class consisted of old hands from Tasmania and New South Wales , from whom information could easily be obtained. At the present time the criminals are young colonials, who are more dangerous in every respect. They stick together, and look upon the detectives as their natural enemies, declining to give the slightest information, and frequently resist most violently when being arrested. There has also been an increase in ingenious frauds, which require superior intelligence to detect and prosecute successfully.
At present the detective branch is the hardest- worked department in the Government service, and the whole staff, from top to bottom, is considerably over worked. Until some material alteration is made in the strength of the service, he could not see any way of improving it as its numerical weakness cripples its action and activity. He suggested an addition of 10 men. seven for service in Melbourne , and the balance to be stationed at Hamilton , Sale , and Wodonga. The detective branch should remain under an independent head, and not be placed under the superintendent in charge of the city police, and it ought to be placed on a footing as far as possible with Scotland-yard. The detectives are expected to be a more intelligent body of men than the general police, and they should be so recognised.
It was notified in the Police Gazette some years since that first and second class detectives rank as first and second class sergeants, but it was a well known fact that this rule was not practically recognised. Unless it is recognised and insisted upon, no real harmony can be brought about between the two branches. First, second, and third detectives should have the same powers vested in them as first and second class sergeants and senior constables respectively. In Scotland yard the grades range from constable to inspector, and he saw no reason why the same system should not be applied here. The position of the officer in charge of the detectives although only that of inspector, is equal, if not superior, to that of a superintendent of police as far as responsibility and independence of action goes, and he should, therefore, hold the rank to which he is entitled. The head of each of the departments in Melbourne should hold the same rank and position, and should work in harmony together.
Prior to 1872 no ill feeling existed between the detective and general police, but about that time a system of plain clothes police was introduced for the purpose of suppressing larrikinism, disorderly brothels, and ill conducted hotels, but they gradually encroached upon the work that properly belonged to the detectives which gave rise to a feeling among the police that the constables in plain clothes were to supersede the detectives altogether, and this among other things led to a strained feeling between the two branches of the service. It might lead to a better feeling if the plain clothes police were placed under the same head as the detectives. Smart constables might be recruited into the detective branch on the recommendation of their officers, but all appointments, promotions, reductions, and discharges should be left entirely to the chief commissioner, and no influence either political or otherwise, should be allowed to interfere with his decision to improve the system a certain sum of money, say £200, should be placed on the estimates as secret service money to be at the disposal of the chief commissioner of police, and superintendent of detectives to facilitate a detection of crime.
In dealing more particularly with the steps that should be taken to thoroughly reorganise the detective police service, he suggested that it should consist of one superintendent, two sub inspectors, and six senior first class detectives at 16s, per day, six do at 14s, 12 second class at 12s, and 14 third class at 10s. to be stationed as follows - Melbourne and suburbs, 22 (including one Chinese) clerks live, Ballarat two, and Sandhurst, Echuca, Benalla, Wodonga, Stawell, Hamilton , Sale , Sandridge, and the General Post office, one each. This distribution would provide properly for all country districts, and allow the Melbourne men to obtain and maintain a thorough surveillance of the criminal class. The sub inspectors should perform outdoor duty in important cases, prosecute criminal cases at the police courts, supervise the out door duty of the detectives generally, observe suitable men in the uniform police for transfer to the detectives, and assist the superintendent and act in his stead during his absence from the city.
The travelling allowances should also be placed on a more liberal scale than at present and should be more in accord with the allowances given by the Scotland yard Criminal Investigation department, viz, superintendents, 15s per day, inspectors, 13s, first class detectives, 8s, second class detectives, 4s 6d, third class, 3s 6d, with an extra allowance for lodging of 2s 6d for officers, and Is 6d for men per day. No uniform constable should be eligible for promotion to the rank of sub officer or detective unless he passed an examination in general education of a standard about midway between the present one for admission to the force, and that for the civil service. They should also be able to show a fair knowledge of criminal law and police duties. No sub officer or detective should be eligible for promotion to the rank of officer unless he could pass the civil service examination and show a knowledge of criminal law, police regulations, and the duties of a constable of every grade.
The positions of clerks in all the police offices should only be filled by members of the force who had passed the examination qualifying them for the rank of officer. No person in the service who had to sever his connexion on account of insolvency should be allowed to re join. The present mode of conducting the prosecutions at the City Court was very unsatisfactory owing to the duty being done on alternate days by the two police officers in charge of the city. The system militated seriously against successful prosecutions, and should be changed.
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