The Argus at KellyGang 7/8/1882
THE POLICE COMMISSION
The proposed sitting of the Police Commission on Saturday did not take place, a quorum of members not having attended. The examination of witnesses, however, will be resumed to day, and an effort will be made to close the inquiry this week.
When Detective Foster gave his evidence in chief he said he was a first class detective, at present stationed at Stawell. He had sent in an application to be examined, and his reason for making this request was that he had to proceed to South Australia and New Zealand to make inquiries in connexion with the Deep Lead murder case, and that the police inquiry might have terminated before his return. Being one of the oldest members of the detective force, he desired to state what in his opinion was necessary for its reformation. He further stated that as soon as the Deep Lead murder case was finished he was to leave for the old country, and that therefore he was in consequence a disinterested witness. Immediately alter he applied to be examined however, Mr Secretan endeavoured to hurry him away, giving him instructions to proceed at once to Stawell, and to go overland to Adelaide. He joined the service in 1864 when Mr Nicolson was superintendent. Up to 1868 the detective force of this colony was equal to any in the world.
Since then the best men had died or had been worried out of the service, or shifted up country, and the force had greatly deteriorated. In 1860 the present chief commissioner of police (Mr Chomley) was an inspector and the present officer in charge of the detectives (Mr Secretan) was stationed up country under ex-detective Rourke. At the time of Mr Scott a death m 1868. Mr Nicolson appointed Mr Secretan as resident clerk in the head office, Melbourne . Mr Secretan was then a junior first class detective, and in his (witness's) opinion was totally unfitted for the position. Better men such as Eason, Hyland, Kennedy, and Mainwaring, were available but for some unaccountable reason they were ignored. The first thing Mr Secretan did as resident clerk was to cause (with Mr Nicolson's approval the removal of Detective Hudson, a man of great ability whose place was filled by Detective Daly, a friend of Mr Secretan's. In consequence of ill health, Mr Nicolson was transferred to Kyneton and Inspector Ryall filled the position of officer in charge of the detectives for a few months.
In 1869 or 1870, Mr Secretan was made a sub-inspector and officer in charge. Since then the force had deteriorated rapidly. Numbers of good men had left it, and were now prosperous private citizens, and they had not been succeeded by properly competent men. The force should be disbanded at once and reorganised on a new basis. The detectives had to be at their office at five minutes to 9 o'clock every morning. They had then to go to the watchhouse and parade before every prisoner. The result of this practice was that criminals got drunk for the purpose of getting locked up and of seeing the detectives. The duty book of detectives was virtually a book of lies. They were compelled to write something in it, and too often what they entered were duties which they could not possibly perform. An entry had to be made in order that it might be ticked off. They had to show the duty book to the officer in charge and answer him lots of questions, and in this way time was so wasted that it was sometimes 12 o'clock before the 16 men were told off for their day's work. Then one man would be asked to look after a door mat that had been stolen, a. shirt that had been taken from a clothes line, and a burglary, at one and the same time. Much of the time of the detectives was also occupied with serving pawn lists and jewel lists twice a week. The whole system was rotten, and should be abandoned. Trivial crimes should be left to the general or plain clothes police, and for those of a serious nature there should be from six to twelve detectives under the direct supervision of the chief commissioner. In 1876 when the Goldstein jewellery robbery occurred two men from Western Australia, named Bird and Britchner, were arrested Detective Upton, who had been a warder at Swan River was then in the force, and was employed for the special purpose of pointing out Western Australian criminals.
When the Bird Britchner gang arrived, and it was found that Britchner could be used as a tool Upton 's services were suddenly dispensed with Britchner was used as a 'putter up' of cases. In 1876 Mr Winch told off four good policemen for plain clothes duty, and Mr Secretan getting jealous then sent four detectives to 'walk the streets' also. There was amongst the detectives a practice of receiving what they called 'crooked' money and it was brought about by the men not being well enough paid, and by the inadequate allowances for their expenses. Witness had known men who had been away on duty for three days and whose bills for expenses, which were only for £1 each were cut down to 6s 6d. Valuable information about the arrests of criminals was often to be found in the country press. Copies of the principal up country newspapers were received at the Office but they were taken possession of by the officer in charge, and the men were not allowed to see them. Criminals who fled to another colony were often allowed to escape through the detectives denying that they knew them. The question would be put to them as to whether any of them knew a certain offender, and all would say 'no' so that they might not be sent on a trip to another colony, which would mean to them financial loss. Many members of the force had been unfairly treated-Detectives Hartney (deceased), Coleman, and Berill, for instance Berill was one of the most efficient members of the force, and although he (witness) was junior to him, he was promoted over his head and also over several others. Berill was so disgusted that he retired from the service. It had been a common thing since 1868 to give special cases to favoured officers, so that they might receive special credit. There had been many complaints made about unfairness, but witness believed that a large amount of the correspondence about them had been burned lately. He, however, had obtained from Mr Secretan all the papers he had asked for.
Mr Otto Berliner, in the course of his examination, said that Mr Nicolson was a clever officer of detectives, and that the force had not been efficient since he relinquished his charge of it. Mr Secretan was promoted over the heads of abler men, Detectives Eason and Alexander for instance.
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