2922
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 115

359. When any member of the Force is charged with any neglect of duty or breach of discipline or other misconduct, the charge or charges shall be set forth in writing in terms sufficiently clear to admit of no misunderstanding, and the member so charged shall be called upon to plead thereto.

If the member so charged is an officer or non-commissioned officer, the matter shall then be referred to the Commissioner, so that he may deal with the charges if the member has admitted the offence, or arrange for an inquiry to be held if he denies his guilt.

If the member charged is a constable, and he denies his guilt, the Superintendent or Inspector of the district shall proceed to hold an inquiry as directed by subsection (3) of section 16 of the Act, and if after hearing the evidence he finds the charge proved, he shall impose such penalty as he is authorized to inflict, unless he considers it a case which he should refer to the Commissioner with a recommendation for the dismissal of the offender or his reduction in seniority. If the constable admits his offence in the first instance, the Superintendent or Inspector shall deal with the matter in the same manner as if he had held an inquiry and found the charge proved.

Procedure to be followed at Inquiries held under the provisions of Sections 16 and 17 of the Act.

360. The procedure at any inquiry held under section 16 of the Act, or on any appeal under section 17 of the said Act, shall conform as far as possible, including the rules of evidence, to that followed in Magistrates’ Courts.

361. The evidence, which must be given on oath if so required by the accuser or the accused, the officer hearing the charge, or the Board of Appeal, as the case may be, shall be taken down in writing by some competent person appointed for that purpose, and read over to the witness, who must then sign it.

362. When the persons appointed to conduct an inquiry under subsection (1) of section 16, or an appeal under section 17 of the Act have heard all the evidence that is forthcoming, they will close the inquiry and consider their report, which they are to forward direct to the Minister, together with the whole of the evidence taken by them at the inquiry. They may also make such recommendation as they think fit in regard to the payment of the whole or any part of the costs of the inquiry.

363. A notice of appeal in writing under the provisions of subsection (3) of section 17 of the Act shall be deemed to be in the prescribed form if it is sent in in the ordinary form of an official report.

364. No member of the legal profession shall be allowed to be present at any inquiry held under the provisions of section 16 of the Act, or at any appeal under section 17; nor shall the Press or public be admitted to any such inquiry.

365. The member of the Force whose conduct forms the subject of an inquiry shall be given due notice of the time and place of holding the same, and should be warned to be in attendance at the appointed time and place.

Pay.

366. Rates of pay and allowances for the different ranks of the Force shall be laid down by circular from time to time.

The pay of both branches shall be equal in the relative ranks; the increments in both branches shall be equal and accrue after the same period of time.

Any member of the Force at present in the Detective Branch may, by giving notice to the Commissioner within one month of the coming into force of these regulations, elect to continue under his present scale of pay, but if he so elects he will not receive any further promotion unless transferred to the Uniform Branch.

367. All members of the Force shall be paid monthly.

Abstracts for officers’ pay and house allowances must be forwarded to the Commissioner’s office so as to reach there not later than the 7th day of each month. They shall be provisionally certified before being sent in.

Other members of the Force shall be paid out of imprest by officers in charge of districts.

At headquarter stations a general parade of all men who are not engaged on beat or other duty shall be held at the end of each month, and the officer in charge shall see that each man receives his pay and duly signs for the same.

368. Any member of the Force who is discharged shall not be paid off until he has returned all Government property on issue to him.

369. In the monthly pay-sheets the names must be entered according to seniority, surname first, and care taken that the signatures agree with the names and initials given.

Plain-clothes Duty.

370. Members of the Uniform Branch may be employed in plain clothes, under the Senior Sergeant or Sergeant in charge, on inquiries (other than detective duties) which should not be made in uniform.

Constables so employed should be frequently changed so as to give as many as possible an opportunity of gaining experience in inquiry work.

While so employed they will not be entitled to any monetary allowance.

Nothing herein shall prevent the employment of any member of the Uniform Branch in plain clothes in cases of emergency when no member of the Detective Branch is available.

Police Gazette.

371. A Police Gazette for New Zealand is published at Wellington every Wednesday, and with respect thereto the following instructions must be carefully observed:—

(1.) Communications.—All communications concerning this Gazette shall be addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Wellington, and the envelope marked “For Gazette.” Members of the Force in charge of out-stations shall forward communications direct to the Commissioner. They must be of police interest, or no notice will be taken of them.

(2.) Crime Reports.—A copy of each crime report shall be immediately forwarded to the Commissioner’s office for Gazette purposes. Any crime report which is considered to be of a local or trivial nature will not be inserted in the Gazette.

(3.) Names.—In all crime reports and other notices for the Gazette the names of persons and places should be spelt correctly and written legibly, the Christian name being given with the surname whenever possible, and written in full to prevent mistakes.

(4.) Descriptions.—Offenders should be accurately described; age, height, occupation, build, country, dress, and every particular likely to lead to their arrest and identification should be minutely given. (See Reg. 215).