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The Police Department.
Report of the Commissioner for 1882.
Police Department, Commissioner's Office,
Brisbane, 17th July, 1883.
Sir,— I have the honour to submit my
report for the year ending the 31st December,
1882.
The strength of the force on the above
date was 533 ordinary and 184 native police.
An increase in the number of sergeants and
constables was authorised for last year ; but
the number so added has not proved sufficient
to meet the demand caused by the number of
small townships which are springing up at
the various mining and sugar-producing
centres, the increasing growth aud popula
tion of the older towns, and the long
distances which constables have to travel in
escorting prisoners to place of trial or confine
ment, and attending courts as witnesses.
The employment of constables as clerks of
petty sessions, assistant registrars, &c.,
reduces their working number ; and, if it
does not really interfere with the per
formance of police duties, affords an excuse
for neglecting them.
During the past year the following new
stations have been formed, namely:— Ravens-
wood Junction, Eyre's Creek (native police),
Queenton, Glenroy Creek (native police),
Fountainville, Howard, Pialbo, Burketown,
and Geraldton ; and those at Nundnh, Hem
mant, Tallebudgera, Durundur, Mungindi,
Eton, Richmond Downs, and Lake Nash are
being completed as speedily as possible.
Great difficulty is, however, experienced in
some of the outside districts in getting con
tractors to erect the necessary buildings.
Applications for police protection have
been received from Albion, Lutwyche, Kelvin
Grove, Killarney, Warra, Newtown (Mary
borough), Jundah, East Bundaberg, Isis
Scrub, Nulla Nulla, Tully River, Normanby
River, Mosman River, Argentine (Ravens-
wood), Return Creek (Herberton), Nicholson
River, and Green Creek ; and in many in
stances good grounds exist for making the
application.
In Brisbane nnd its suburbs there are sixty
constables available daily for all the beats.
This number, divided into three reliefs, gives
twenty men on duty ; and considering the
large area which is supposed to be patrolled,
extending from Bowen Hills to Milton, and
from Red Hill to Woolloongabba, it is not
surprising that street rows or other improper
conduct occasionally occur with impunity.
On the whole, however, the city is orderly,
and crime is kept well in check.
To prevent the nuisance termed "larri-
kinism" from gaining a footing and becom
ing as annoying and as difficult to suppress
as it is said to be in some of the other colo
nies, I think it would be advisable to shorten
the beats; but this can only be done by in-
creasing the number of constables. I would
also suggest that, for the several offences com
prised under the name of "larrikinism," the
magistrates should be empowered to inflict
the punishment of flogging.
The conduct of the police throughout the
colony has been good, and they continue to
maintain their character for zeal and effi
ciency.
The number of arrests for the past year
were 7638, as ngainst 6539 for the previous
year ; and the convictions 4758, as against
4079.
The native police have now been moved
out to the extreme western border, and I am
in hopes that, owing to the increase of popu
nation in the coast district, and consequently
closer settlement, I will soon be able to re
commend their gradual withdrawal from
those districts.
During the past year twenty-six new ap
pointments were made, and the following
were the vacnncics created : — Resignations,
27 ; discharges, 7 ; dismissals, 12 ; deaths
4 ; superannuations, 3 ; total, 58.
Appended are returns showing the strength
and distribution of the police force, return
of police expenditure, return of gold, &c., es
corted from the various goldficlds ; compara
tive statement showing increase and decrease
of crime and criminal statistical return.
(Signed) D. T. Seymour,
Commissioner of Police.
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