The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-03-09

We called the attention Of the public
last week to the laxity of our police and to
the growth of crime. Circumstances have
occurred since then which have called ont
protests as to police inaction from every
paper here, both Government and indie
pendent The bold attempt upon Mrs. T..
Macfarlane's house, and the fact that the
would be robber was armed with slung
shot the report of several other attempts
during the last week, has made people
feel uncomfortable.
1t ought to be as easy to find thief as
a tin Of opium, and yet the fact is that the
opium Is found and the thieves are not
There ought 10 be no difficulty in decid-
ing where it is likely the criminals are to
be found In SO small community as
this the means Of livelihood of almost
every man in the place ought to be known
to the police They ought also to know
whether any strangers come in. of what
character these strangers are, where they
| live, and many things about them. a care
full and efficient police would soon know
! if any particular man was given to prowl-
ing about the roads late at night, and such
a person would rightly fall under suspi
cion. In London, New York or Paris,
with their millions of inhabitants when a
robbery Is committed the police are gen
! orally able to say, that is the work of an
old hand it looks like Jack the fakeman,
or Pierre LaTTon, and at once these woT-
! thies are watched: or it may be said that
is the work of new hand;" then there is
no use in looking after the old birds, but the
new hand must be sought in likely quar-
! ters knowledge of this kind our police
do not possess, and until they go system
atically to work. and gather up informa-
ton for ready reference they will never be
able to cope with our constantly increas-
ing crime.
Then again the town Is not sufficiently
policed Who ever. except at funeral
procession, or at telephone summons, saw
policeman on Nuuanu Avenue above
Kukui street. One gentleman of the force
/ Is usually to be found doing in the shade,
seated on little stool and regaiing him
self on bananas. The same holds good OF
| Palama and the Plains. The districts in
which people have their homes are prac-
tically unprotected This of course, is
not the fault of the police. The Govern
ment, while asking for Genealogy Board
and like follies, did not ask fer sufficient
/ funds for the police, and the consequence
is. that what few there are, are about the
center of the city. while the outskirts may
do the best they can with revolvers, clubs
and shot guns to protect themselves.
Not only then do the police require t.
become more active and to display more
intelligence, but more means must be put
at the disposal of the Department. More
over the Marshal should have more power
over his men. At present he has divided
responsibility, and the result is always
what divided responsibility will bring
about, an unsatisfactory condition of af
airs. He is often blamed for what he car
not help.
1t is to be hoped that the question OF
the police of the city will occupy the at
tention of the Legislature, and that bill
for comprehensive reform, which will
assure the citizens that they will have that
protection which is their due and which
they pay for, will be brought forward.