POLICE PROMOTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2424, 12 February 1909, Page 2

POLICE PROMOTIONS.

INSPECTOR ITWYER

The promotion of Sub-liispccto. Dwyer, who has charge of the H axvfco’e Bay district (including Poverty Bay), to the position of inspector ax Napier lias been expected, 7" and the appointment is a most popular ■me. The newly-promoted inspector joined the police force in November, 1.378, and is now 51 years of age. lie whs first stationed in Dunedin in 1885, and was promoted to the position of district clerk at Oamaru, when that town was the headquarters station of the North Otago and South Canterbury police districts under Inspector Thompson. In 1888 he was promoted to he assistant-sergeant, and in 1891, was appointed gaoler at Oamaru Gaol. In 1897 he was appointed lo the charge of Otago goldfields district, and, in the following, year, was transferred to the city of Christchurch as a sectional sergeant. In the year following that he tool charge of Wanganui station, and in 1902 was promoted to be sub-inspec-tor in charge of Dunedin. City, but, towards the end of that year, was i ransferred to the charge of the pit of Christchurch, where he has been rationed until the present time.

MENTIONED IN AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.

During the International Exhibition, Inspector Dwyer had sole charge of police arrangements. In his official report to tho Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Captain Atkin, British Commissioner, spoke in terms of high' commendation of tho singular skill and discretion which characterised the police arrangements and the admirable manner *in which comfort was secured to tho large number of visitors, both in' the buildings and in the grounds. This was chiefly due to Inspector. Dwyer's industry, tact, and geniality. DISTINGUISHED ACTS OF BRAVERY.

While in the service, the new inspector has, on more than one occasion, distinguished himself hv acts of bravery, and, in 1882, was the means of saving the life.' of Airs Kitchener, v. ifo of Captain Kitchener, and a near relative of Lord Kitchener, and also the lives of others, from what was known as the Cumberland Street lire at Dunedin. For this act he was awarded a silver medal. In 1892 he was again awarded the Royal Humane ■Society of Australasia’s certificate of merit for risking his life to save a d owning man in Oamaru Harbor one dark and cold night. After swimming out a distance of eighty, yards he brought the man ashore alive, but tip man died on the beach soon after from the effects of the. cold and exposure. A STROKE OF GENIUS.

Inspector Dwyer has been connected with many big cases during his wars in the service, and, during t’io past ten years has put some important cases through their initial stages. Tt may he interesting to note that, as far hack as 1887, and some time before the finger print system was introduced at Home, he. was the first member of tho police in Now Zealand to conceive the idea of taking impressions of the hands -and feet of prisoners as a means of identification. In that year a hand of burglars visited Oamaru, and broke into several warehouses. In one place an entrance xv as made from tho roof through a large skylight, and, by the aid of a rope, one. of the burglars was able to reach the ground floor. The one xvlio accomplished this act wore no hoots or socks, and in his descent he stepped on* a shelf xvhere a large quantity of 'dust had accumulated, and from there on to a clean sheet of blotting paper, used as a pad, on tho office table. lie left the clear imprint ■of the bare right foot thereon. This the inspector took possession of, and had it immediately photographed, l ater, when three men were arre.stid on suspicion, he obtained a printer's rolling-pin. and. with the a:d of ?mue printer’s ink, rolled the bare sole of the right foot of each. He then made them walk on large sheets of white paper, and so exactly alike was the imprint of tho right foot of one of tho prisoners to the photographed dust mark that, when the case came on in Court, and the photo and imprint xvere exhibited, this prisoner pleaded guilty.

CHIEF DETECTIVE BROBERG. The new Chief Detective, Cbas. R. Broberg, is a native of Auckland, and lias been in the force for 14 years. Be first wore the uniform in. Dunedin, but after txvo months’ service on the block was appointed to the plain clothes ranks, and after five years’ service xvas promoted to be a detective at Wellington, xvhere he has done some exceptionally . good ; work, including the tracking of Ellis, the murderer of Collinson, at Te- Awaite, through the Ruahiue ranges. At the capture Detective Broberg bailed his quarry up in a hut and rushed him before he could ■make use of his gun. On txvo occasions ,ifc xv ill he remembered by Gisborne folk, tlio nexv Chiof Detective was out after Matenga, the Aiaori outlaw, in tho xvilds of Poverty Bay, and captured him ou the second ocenwion. The position of Chief Detective xvill not ho new to Air Broberg, who xvas acting-Chief. during the absence in England of Chief Detective AUGratli, and also on other occasions, on xvhich ho proved himself a capable prosecutor.-