INCREASE OF THE COUNTY POLICE FORCE.
An adjourned Sessions was held at the Grand Jury Chamber of the County Hall, Winchester, on Saturday afternoon, for the purpose of discussing the propriety of making an addition of seventeen men to the county constabulary, as recommended by a special committee in their report read at the Michaelmas Sessions. The following magistrates were present, viz.: — Viscount Eversley, chairman; Sir W. Heathcote, Bart., M.P., Mr. Melville Portal, Mr. J. B. Carter, M.P., Mr. S. Smith, Mr. J. Bernard, Rev. Heathcote Tragett, Captain Field, Mr. H. C. Compton, Rev. J. T. Maine, Rev. T. Best, Mr. F. J. P. Marx, Mr. J. Deverill, Mr. G. S. Booth, M.P., Mr. W. C. Humphrys, Mr. H. J. Mulcock, Mr. G. L. Sclater, Mr. W. H. S. Stanley, and Mr. W. J. Long.
Mr. Webb having read the resolution adopted at the last sessions in reference to the report being laid on the table, and its recommendations for an increase of seventeen men being deferred for discussion at this adjourned sessions, proceeded to read a letter from Captain Willis, the Government Inspector of Police.
Sir W. Heathcote said that in pursuance of the notice given at the last sessions and a fortnight since in the regular way, he begged now to bring forward the motion that seventeen men be added to the county force, viz. : — one serjeant and sixteen men. At the last sessions some objections were taken by magistrates relative to the number of police recommended by the committee being different to those mentioned subsequently, and whether the variation did not cause it to clash with an order of court. Perhaps as the chairman had at the time ruled that the report was in order, he need scarcely advert to that point. The chairman very properly stated that the recommendations of the committee would not bind the court, which could at its pleasure reduce the number asked for, acquiesce in it, or even add thereto. The motion, in fact, came quite within the standing orders of the court. His lordship directed that the standing order set forth that no motion involving any charge upon the county rate could be considered without being previously discussed in committee. He alluded to the point of order again in order that the gentlemen who took the objections might see that the standing order was observed to the letter, because the report recommended that at least fifteen men should be added to the force. His friend Mr. Sclater Booth had made an objection also to the number proposed; he thought nine men would be enough, but he did not state whether that nine men were exclusive of the reserve. If that was his view, then this number was the same as that the committee recommended. Having alluded to these objections, he would at once proceed to tbe motion, and, as some opposition might be offered, it was necessary he should go very fully into detail. It was essential to the security of the county that the chief constable should have it in his power to move from place to place, as the exigencies of the county might require it, members of the police force, without the interference of the court; for places having a constable assume it to be a right, and feel aggrieved if he is removed. The court would remember that in the year 1855 a reconsideration of the number of the force took place, and that was done whilst Captain Harris, who had been so long in the county, was still with them as chief constable, and the discussions which were then held terminated by the adoption of an arrangement based upon the population returns of 1851, leaving one constable to every 1128 persons; and, in addition to those, they had a force of no less than fifty men provided by the Government, taking charge ofthe camp at Aldershott, making a very efficient outwork for the county police. ln the year 1858 a great change took place; the Government discontinued the force of fifty men at the camp, and threw the whole task of police duties upon the county. They had not attempted to perform all the duties those fifty men undertook. Now a great deal of their duty, such as patrolling the roads and looking after the soldiers, was done by military police. To meet the civil requirements of the camp a force of seven men were kept at Aldershott. In addition to this change at that time there was a report made to the court of the great increase in population at Gosport, in consequence of the military there, and asking for an addition of six more men. The committee considered the claim of Gosport a just one; other needs grew up, which required seven more, so that altogether no less than twenty men were withdrawn from other places. Well, since that claims had been made for men for other localities, and claims were made to the committee and the chief constable for additional assistance, and even since the committee had closed its labours fresh claims had been sent in. He would now go into the increase in detail, and state the strength of each division as it was in 1855, as it was at present, and how the committee proposed to leave the forces there. He would take the divisions as they stood in the books. In the division of Alton in 1855 there were thirteen men, in 1858 there were twelve, so it remained low, and the committee did not recommend any increase. That course, however, was not without inconvenience. The constable who had been withdrawn came from Holybourne. At certain times of the year he could not be removed at all, and when he was removed it was at the hop-picking season, when another constable was removed from Lasham to replace him. It was not intended to add to the present force of that division, notwithstanding the inconvenience which existed. At Andover, in 1855, there were sixteen men, and in 1858, down to the present period, fifteen. It was now proposed to increase it to sixteen, the additional man being requisite at Stockbridge, which occupied a position at the junction of three divisions — Romsey, Andover, and Winchester. The serjeant at Stockbridge was really required to overlook the constables of the division, but he could not do it, as he did the duty of a policeman in the town. This was, in fact, a great waste of a serjeant. At Basingstoke, in 1855, there were thirteen men; in 1858, there were twelve, and it was not proposed to alter that number by replacing him. He was removed from Herriard, where there was so great need of a man, but the effect of moving him was that Upton Gray and other beats were made too large for the policemen on duty to meet each other on proper occasions. Nevertheless, although that was most inconvenient, it was not proposed by the committee to replace him. In the division of Fareham, which included Alverstoke and Gosport, and to which Droxford was attached under a superintendent, there were in 1855 thirty-seven men; in 1858 and now there were thirty-nine; it was proposed to add to that number three, making forty-two altogether, two of the additional three being added to Fareham and one to Cosham; but even that addition did not represent the wants of the neighbourhood sufficiently. In 1858 two men were added, but on the recommendation of the magistrates of the division there was an additional four granted. In 1855 there were thirty-seven men in the division, but in 1858 there was an addition of six men to Gosport alone. Four of these men came from other places, and there was a loss of two to the division at large. In consequence of the Government works in the division it is now proposed to add two men to Fareham and one to Cosham. In consequence of these works at Portsdown, Stokes Bay, and other spots, and the sort of people working there, it was frequently unsafe to patrol, except two policemen were together. Therefore, the committee recommend an addition of three to Fareham and Cosham. There should be another for Bedhampton, and a second for Purbrook; but the committee had not recommended this, and had only endorsed an addition of three. In the Kingsclere division there were in 1855 thirteen constables, in 1858 and now there were twelve. The committee proposed to leave it at twelve. One had been taken away, the effect of which was to make the beats of the remainder more extensive. The same remark applied to the Lymington and New Forest division, where in 1855 there were twenty-one, and now there were twenty. The committee proposed to leave it at twenty. In the Odiham division, which included Aldershott, in 1855 there were thirteen constables, in addition to the fifty maintained at the cost of the Government at Aldershott. In 1858 and now there were seventeen, including the seven men doing duty at Aldershott, leaving ten to do duty in the division at large. It was proposed to leave these seventeen men. The original thirteen men were excluded from duty at Aldershott entirely, there being fifty men there at the cost of the Government. It was not proposed to add to the existing numbers, although he was hardly satisfied that there ought not to be another stationed at Crondall, near which was a place having fourteen public-houses and six beershops requiring a policeman constantly on duty. Then they came to the Petersfield division, where in 1855 there were stationed twelve constables. Now there were eleven, and it was proposed to leave the force at eleven. The man withdrawn was from Bramshaw, but under the present circumstances his place need not be filled up. It has often happened that they could not get a police-man to do duty when the usual constable was gone to Winchester. At Ringwood in 1855 there were sixteen, in 1858 and now seventeen. In this division was situated Bournemouth, which, as they all knew, was a growing place. It was proposed to make the force in the division eighteen, with a serjeant to be stationed at Bournemouth. Near Christchurch was a place called Pokesdown, where a police-man was wanted, as also at Mudeford, an increasing locality, but the committee had not proposed any such addition. At Romsey in 1855 there were eleven men, and in 1858 to the present time the number was the same. It was proposed to keep that number unaltered. In the division of Southampton in 1855 there were thirteen; now there were sixteen, additions having been made for Itchen, Four-posts, and Hounsdoun, which were assigned one constable each. The chief- constable recommended eighteen, and the inspector of police, Captain Willis, twenty to be the number for the division, by four instead of two for Shirley, and this made the difference between fifteen, the number originally chosen by the committee, and seventeen as now recommended. In the Winchester division, including the reserve formerly stationed at head-quarters, there were in 1855 twenty- nine men, and it is now twenty-three, the reserve having been absorbed to meet various pressing wants. It was proposed again to make it twenty-nine, thereby restoring the reserve at head-quarters. In the Isle of Wight division in 1855 there were twenty-nine, and in 1858 and now there were twenty-eight. The one withdrawn was from West Cowes. It was proposed to make an addition of four to this division, which would raise the number to thirty- two. The constable would be restored to West Cowes, two would be appointed to Ryde, and one to Sandown, which was a growing place, and where government works were in progress. There should also be another for Yarmouth, another for Freshwater, and the board of health at West Cowes required a constable, as appeared from their memorial. The result of all these figures is this:— first, they would observe that twenty men had been withdrawn, dissevering a well-considered arrangement in 1855, and which must have been a bad one if twenty men could have been withdrawn without in some measure impairing its efficiency. Of these it would be perceived Captain Forrest only asked the court to replace nine. A case had been made out for twenty; he only asked for fifteen. Captain Willis asks for eight, and Captain Forrest required six. He would ask them to look at the matter In another point of view. Suppose twenty had been asked for in the report, and the court had given fifteen new men in addition, that would have raised the number to thirty-five, and when they came to look at the increase of population in the last ten years, they would find there were 76,000 people added to this county, and of that number 41,000 resided without the boroughs, which maintained their own police, and were to be protected by the police of the county, and if the proportion of police to population was to be observed, as originally fixed in the year 1855 — viz., of one policeman to every 1128 persons — the number of police now required would be thirty-six, or more than double what the committee asked for to-day. The reason why so small a number was asked for was this. They had been guided solely with the view of combining efficiency in their police force with economy in the administration of the rates, and they had also to look at their own responsibility. It was upon this ground that fifteen was inserted in the committee’s report, and seventeen asked for to-day. Captain Forrest merely asked for fifteen, and this number was written in the report, and seventeen was asked for because Captain Forrest’s opinion was overridden by the authority of Captain Willis, the government inspector, who added two more. He could not move for more than seventeen, because he must throw the responsibility on the officials. There are three more, which would make the number twenty, which he could justly have asked for — viz., one for Christchurch, one for Crondall, and one for Fareham. The cost of the fifteen would be £623 5s. 1d. gross, or net £583 9s. 1d., or an assessment on the present basis of one-eighth of a penny in the pound. If they took seventeen, it would be a net cost of £705 5s. 5d., or three-sixteenths of a penny in the pound. He was told by the chairman of the finance committee that the new assessment of the county on an enlarged basis would give a net cost of one-fourth or one-eighth of a penny in the pound to meet the enlarged force. The hon. baronet then formally moved the increase of seventeen — viz., sixteen men and one serjeant of the third class, to the county police force.
Mr. M. Portal seconded the motion.
Mr. Sclater-Booth would have preferred some other gentleman than himself to have moved an amendment to this motion, as he was a member of the committee. He had thought it his duty to make some observations in opposition to the increase of seventeen at the last sessions, and he had seen no reason to alter them to day. He would venture to repeat them. His opinion was that the increase proposed was too large. He would endeavour to go through the points raised by his friend Sir W. Heathcote. His honourable friend in his statement did not give the opinions enumerated before the special committee. He would remind the court that the committee did not commence its sitting till late, indeed at such a late hour that the case for the increase was scarcely closed by half-past three o’clock in the afternoon, when it was convenient for many gentlemen always to leave by train. It was the opinion of many of the magistrates who left then that the committee would have adjourned before coming to a resolution. It was held by some of those gentlemen that an increase more than necessary was asked for; therefore, when it was submitted to the court that fifteen or seventeen was the increase requisite, he felt that eight or nine was about the number required. In stating that number he did not estimate the reserve of six. He thought three or four was sufficient for that special purpose, and he thought now that was enough, and should therefore propose that the increase be one serjeant and ten men. He would admit that this was a number smaller than in 1855. He admitted that this county, as compared with analogous counties had a smaller force than those counties, but the fact that their force was smaller, was, to his mind, a proof of its great efficiency, and spoke highly in favour of Captain Forrest, its head, and so far from finding fault with the efficiency of police he had a very high opinion of them. He was far from finding fault with Capt. Forrest in asking for the addition. That court must be guided by other arguments, and they must not authorise the increase without proof. Now he contended that there was no proof of its being required. The places specified by Capt. Forrest were as follows:— Four additional men were asked for in the Isle of Wight, but the petition laid before the court from Sandown did not ask for a permanent policeman, but merely one for so long as the Government works were progressing there. Now one of the reserve could do this duty. Instead of six men being at head quarters three or four would be enough, instead of saddling the county with a permanent force of men for places where they would only be required for a few years. If the six were granted for the reserve he should suppose they would be employed somewhere. At Crondall there was a large amount of undetected crime for the past two or three years, and theirs was a stronger case than Fareham or Sandown. If they were to make a larger increase to the force now than was necessary it would be impossible to withdraw from it. If they were to make a smaller increase it could be enlarged hereafter if required, and if the reserve became absorbed it could be replaced in a short time by giving the usual notice. The chief constable did not propose to go back to the basis of 1855. It appears that that basis was overdone. People who looked at matters a priori from head quarters were apt to overdo such matters without a wrong intention. He confessed that in the small part he had taken in judicial matters he had found that smaller numbers of police were more effective than larger bodies, and Aldershott was a proof of this opinion. No person would have thought that after the abolition of the force of fifty kept up by the Government such a small addition as seven would have been sufficient there. He had received letters from the clergy at Aldershott showing that the duties there were well executed then by the diminished force. They said they should like some addition, but they did not state it was absolutely required. He would propose as an amendment that one serjeant and ten men be added to the force instead of seventeen, as proposed by the honourable baronet.
Mr. W. H. Stanley seconded the amendment.
Mr. Marx inquired if the amendment was overthrown whether it would be too late for him to move another, that fifteen men be added to the force?
The Chairman said it would then be too late.
Sir W. Heathcote.— Mr. Marx could not do it after the amendment was lost, when the court had agreed that seventeen stand part of the question, but if the court should vote that seventeen do not stand part of the question, Mr. Marx could embrace that opportunity, which he hoped would not be afforded him (laughter) of moving a second amendment.
Mr. Sclater had not a single argument to adduce against Sir W. Heathcote’s figures. His opinion was that the police of the county, especially in poor districts, were too numerous, more especially since the committee sat in 1855. Captain Harris, who would have planted police all over the county, then ingeniously placed on the table before the committee a map, having pins placed upon it, showing the places where policemen were stationed and where he desired to have them augmented. One of these pins was stuck in a place called North Oakley. He (Mr. Sclater) told Captain Harris it was a single farm, and having no population requiring police. He admitted the correctness of his statement. He pointed out to him also the wide district there was between the Worthies and Herriard. In the division he acted as a magistrate. There was very often one offender, who was likely to become a prisoner, to about six policemen. Under these circumstances he could not help feeling that the increase asked for was too large. He had not a word to offer upon the population of some of the districts; he merely spoke from his own observation. A less force was sufficient in some districts; for instance, East Woodhay had a police station, and there was another at Whiteway, he believed, which was a mile off.
Mr. Portal said that was not so. A policeman resided there, but there was no station. It was his own residence.
Mr. Sclater resumed: There was one policeman at South Warnborough and another at Upton Gray, each place being about a mile apart. He thought some of the police might be withdrawn from the quiet parts and transferred to those requiring additional assistance. For these reasons he should vote for the amendment.
Mr. Deverill thought the six men in the reserve might be placed out; when other policemen came to drill at Winchester, for instance, the reserve might replace them. At his own district he had felt great inconvenience by the withdrawal of a constable for drill at Winchester. He inquired of Captain Forrest the duration of the drills?
Captain Forrest. — First-class drill five days, second-class ditto ten days.
Mr. Deverill thought the reserve might be reduced to four men.
Captain Field thought the opposition ought not to have it all their own way. He thought the case for an increase was even stronger than Sir W. Heathcote had put it. One magistrate had stated that the works were only of a temporary nature at Gosport, Fareham, and such places. He begged to state that the ‟navvies” employed upon them were not the people who gave the police trouble, but that the soldiers who were to occupy the forts were the parties requiring additional police, and they would be permanent occupants. The judges at assizes told them in their charges that the soldiers were one of the chief causes of increased crime. Another thing he might mention; half measures of all kinds were injurious and impolitic. It would be a bad arrangement to have this question opened and discussed every three or four years. Let it be done so as to last at all events for seven or ten years. Gosport could find employment for six more men. It had become necessary that the police should go in pairs; it was highly essential that they should do so. He had seen most painful cases of ill-treatment brought before the magistrates arising from attacks on single policemen. He hoped the increase would be carried by the court.
Mr. Marx said that as the dictum of Captain Harris had been passed over and controverted, his opinions were not therefore entitled to the weight they formerly commanded. Had the committee of 1855 but followed his desires they would have saddled the county with a yearly police expenditure of £1500. It was owing to Captain Forrest that the work had been done with a small force, which gave additional weight to his opinions. He thought that, looking to the reserve and the numbers proposed in the amendment, that eleven was sufficient. He quite agreed with Mr. Sclater as to the excessive number of police in some of the quiet places. In his division, at Alresford, there were two policemen, another at Sutton and another at Ropley. They could do with smaller numbers. There should be less than seven in reserve.
The Rev. J. T. Maine said he should support Mr. Booth because the committee decided on the increase after Mr. Booth and many others were obliged to leave. Had those gentlemen who left remained they would have opposed the increase.
Mr. S. Booth said Mr. Maine had misunderstood him. Many were obliged to leave by the half-past 3 o’clock train. What happened after he and others left he knew nothing about.
Mr. Mulcock said they attended there to guard the interests of the ratepayers. The court could not do better than agree with the increase asked for.
Mr. J. B. Carter should support the amendment. He believed at the Government works the authorities would require the contractor to find special policemen. The court were called on to give the maximum protection at the minimum cost, which was a difficult point to hit. The fact of a decimal increase of population did not create an increased area, for the area is always fixed, and thus at Bournemouth for instance, where the population is a respectable one, the policeman’s duties practically were the same, although the residents increased. He believed the smaller number of eleven additional policemen would be quite sufficient to secure efficiency.
The Chairman would be quite content to leave the question upon the unanswered and unanswerable arguments of Sir W. Heathcote. Although it was the opinion of some gentlemen that the reserve recommended was too large, and suggested numbers varying from four to six, they all forgot that under various memorials seven constables were asked for for different places, viz. :— One was wanted at Christchurch, one at Fareham, one at Crondall, two at West Cowes, one at Petersfield, and one at Yarmouth. Mr. Booth apologised for opposing the motion, stating that he was unable to attend the committee, it sat so late. He (Mr. Booth) quite forgot that the decision was come to at an adjourned committee meeting on a subsequent day, where he could have discussed the matter, but which he never attended, and at which he would probably have been convinced of the necessity for the increase of seventeen now asked for. He seemed to object to the increase of police in the Isle of Wight. The increase in the population there was immense. Why Ryde, which they all remembered as a small fishing town, now contained a population of 10,000 people. The Isle of Wight, under the new assessment, would contribute one-third more to the rates than any other part of the county. There was an increase both of population and property. In addition to this reason for an increase of police there, the chief constable had stated that whilst undetected crime had recently increased thirty-six per cent, in the county, it had in the Isle of Wight increased forty per cent. That alone was an unanswerable argument for an increase. With respect to Aldershott, where so much had been said about the good done by a diminished force, people forgot the great assistance given by the military police, which a few years ago did not exist. Mr. Marx would have an opportunity, in case the court did not agree with the increase of seventeen, of moving his amendment; but he trusted the opportunity would not occur. He was satisfied the increase of seventeen was requisite, and he should be sorry to see the motion negatived. He had that confidence in Captain Forrest’s opinions generally that he thought the court should place confidence in him when he asked for an addition of seventeen men.
The motion was then put by his Lordship that the words ‟an increase of seventeen” stand part of the question, instead of an amendment to alter them to ‟an increase of eleven.”
Eleven magistrates voted for the former and seven for the latter; consequently the increase of seventeen was declared carried.
The additional constables will be attached to the third class at first, so that those who evince aptitude might be rewarded by promotion hereafter to the second classes.
The Court then adjourned. '