Rabaul's Petty

More Police Needed

Rabaul's Petty Crime Wave

From Our Rabaul Correspondent THERE are now six overworked European police-officers in Rabaul; before the war, for a smaller population, there were 16.

This state of affairs was remarked in by a member of the Rabaul Town Advisory Council at its January neeting. He said the Police force vas not able adequately to maintain aw and order in the town.

To give point to his remarks, an Lsian girl was criminally assau.ted bout a week before Christmas lose to her home in Maiaytown. he assault, by a native, was com nitted about mid-day within 50 ards of a main road.

During December, three major obberies, from two stores and a lub, and several instances of night trowlers entering homes, were re orted to the police.

The present police establishment, xcluding the superintendent, con- Lsts of the gaol officer, one man for ight duty and one for traffic office jo rk, two men for the supervision f the native police and the pro ecution of the drive against crime.

Vith one man often busy in court, a the role of Crown Prosecutor, tie crime detection force is halved, ’hat leaves nothing to subtract rom if the one remaining member i ill.

It is not unusual for people with usiness to transact in the Traffic )epartment to be told to return iter because the officer in charge ; absent on outside work.

The strangest aspect of the system i the division of control between le Police and the Department of (istrict Services.

The only area in the Police juris iction is that within the town mits. Everything beyond—that is, 11 the native villages and 90 per ent. of the native population—is le DDS responsibility. Delegated ) this important branch of the idministration’s duties in Rabaul i one patrol-officer.

The patrol officer can and does ill on the Police for help with his olicing duties. Native constables an be used for effecting an arrest ut from then on, prosecution of le offenders is entirely a District ervice matter.

Unless the charge is serious nough to warrant Supreme Court roceedings, out-of-town arrests r arrant action only before the hurt for Native Affairs.

Court is held in the Native Labour Office room where, in the capacity f Magistrate, the Patrol Officer ho has arrested the accused, then its on the bench in judgment upon im.

There is no inter-departmental collation of crime records by the Police and the District Services.

Each is a separate entity. Their contacts and methods are secrets preserved within the confines of their respective departments.

The solution to Rabaul’s crime wave appears to be a stronger police force, with wider powers of authority

and close liaison with opposite num bers in the District Services De

partment.

If Miss Margaret Harris, of Sydney, and Mr. Robert Floan, of Fiji, were married at St. Alban’s Church, Syd ney, on January 27. The couple will live in Fiji.