390

year have necessarily been very heavy.
Although the efforts of the constables have
uniformly been directed to the prevention
rather than the detection of crime, still many
arrests were made, and a tabular statement
or statistics of crime for the last six months,
accompanies this report, showing the
total number of persons apprehended; the
charges preferred against them; the sex of
the person charged; the station at which
arrested; and whether the prisoner was
discharged or punished.

The present position of the department,
now larger by one-half than that provided
for on the previous estimates, is as follows:
The Province is divided for police pur-
poses into four districts, each complete in
itself. The subjoined Table will show the
stations they comprise, and the number of
constables at each.—See Appendix B.

Each of these districts, except Waikou-
aiti, is under the charge of a commissioned
officer, who is directly responsible to the
head of the department, for the prevention
of crime, the detection of criminals, and
the preservation of peace within his dis-
trict, and for the state of the stations under
his orders. The officer in charge of the
Tokomairiro district also discharges the
duties of Escort officer.

These arrangements so far lighten the
duties of the Commissioner, as to enable
him to make frequent tours of inspection,
which, with active official supervision, and
the management of the affairs of the de-
partment in its relations to the Provincial
Government and the public, fully occupy
his time.

This system has been found to work
well, and the force may now be said to be
in a thorough state of efficiency, composed
of experienced members, well armed, and
prepared for any emergency. Constables
are stationed at all the large centres of
population, and on the borders of the Pro-
vince, and an organised system of patrols
is carried out, which connects one station
with another throughout the populated por-
tion of it. The detective police are actively
employed in watching the movements of
the criminal class, and the Commissioner
is happy to be able to add, that hitherto
no crime of any magnitude has been com-
mitted, the perpetrators of which have
escaped arrest. The water police afford
ample protection to the shipping at Port
Chalmers, and visit every vessel that enters
or leaves the port, thus preventing the
escape of criminals anxious to leave the
Province, and obtaining accurately the
information required by the detective
branch of the department. The many
duties, not strictly of a police nature, per-
formed by the members of the department
are also satisfactorily discharged, as in the
case of Inspector of Slaughter Yards, and

Inspectors of Nuisances; and in that of
acting Clerks of Petty Sessions, whose
services, the Resident Magistrates on the
Gold Fields state are efficient and regular.

A nominal and descriptive Roll of every
member of the department is forwarded
herewith, and a Return, showing the pro-
posed distribution for the ensuing half-year.

The improvements now chiefly required
are such as aim at retrenchment where it
is possible, without rendering the service
less effective; and as such, the Commis-
sioner would suggest that the Water Police
Guard-ship—now rendered useless in con-
sequence of the Water Police Ordinance
being rejected—should be detached from the
department, and the constables stationed on
shore. The advantage to be derived from
this change would be material, as the ser-
vices of at least one non-commissioned
officer and two constables could be dis-
pensed with at the Port Chalmers station,
and a more active supervision exercised
over the traffic at the wharf and to Dun-
edin, while the peculiar duties of the water
police need suffer in no way.

The inadequacy of the police protection
to the outskirts of Dunedin is also a subject
which calls for special mention, and, al-
though the Commissioner cannot afford to
increase the large proportion of constables
stationed at head-quarters, he is painfully
aware that many parts of it are very imper-
fectly guarded. In a city which covers
so large a space of ground, and is of so
straggling a character, it would require a
force out of all proportion to the number of
inhabitants and houses, or the value of the
property, to establish beat duty throughout
its entire extent, and he has therefore been
obliged to restrict himself to dividing the
most populous part into beats, and pro-
tecting the remainder by nightly irregular
mounted patrols. To make the latter me-
thod thoroughly effective would require at
least six additional constables; and the
Commissioner would suggest that if a small
Police Rate were levied, the requisite funds
could thereby be obtained.

In conclusion the Commissioner would
add that, although he considers the present
arrangements as well adapted for the public
protection, he will be prepared to make
what necessary alterations circumstances
from time to time may require, and if pos-
sible to anticipate the necessity of police
protection; the more so, as he has reason
to apprehend that the large influx of well-
known offenders will not be prevented
without great difficulty from resuming here
their nefarious pursuits, and adding heavily
and numerous charges to the calendar of
this Province, in which serious crime has
hitherto been comparatively unknown.

St. John Branigan,
Commissioner.