J
POLICE
REPORT
OF THE
COMMISSION.
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To His Excellency SIR ARTHUR EDWARD KENNEDY, K.C.M.G., C.B., &c.
The Commission.
Extent of enquiries.
Chairman.Secretary.
HONGKONG, 27th June, 1872.
By a Commission bearing date the 22nd day of December, 1871, under the hand of His Excellency SIR RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL, K.C.M.G., & C.B., and the Seal of the Colony, the undersigned and Mr. G. B. FALCONER were appointed Commissioners to institute enquiries into the efficiency and organisation of the Police Force and the prevention of Crime in this Colony. By a con- temporaneous memorandum Ilis Excellency requested the Commission to enquire especially into the following subjects, viz. :-
A. Crime during past six years.
B. Increase or decrease, cause of: How far due to individual exertion. C. Reports and suggestions of Messrs. DEANE and RICE, especially of
the latter.
D. "Divided Authority."
E. Fusion of all classes of the Police.
F. Present organisation: Suggestions for reform.
G. Sikhs, East Indians, and Negroes.
H. District Watchmen.
I. Police Fire Brigade.
and he added an assurance, "that without defining more particularly the subjects "intended for their special investigation, any suggestions which they might offer, "with a view to promoting the general security of life and property by improving "the Police force, would receive from the Executive the most earnest and favourable "consideration possible under the circumstances.”
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2. The limits imposed, therefore, on the enquiries of the Commission were exceedingly wide, and may be said to have embraced all the subjects fairly arising ont of the policing of the Colony and the suppression of Crime. In order to enable them to obtain a firm grasp of these matters, it was necessary to call for a very great amount of oral testimony in addition to the voluminous documents which His Excelleney forwarded for their consideration.
3. The Commission entered upon their labours without delay, and appointed the Hon. T. C. HAYLLAR Chairman, and Mr. LISTER Secretary.