Reforming the Police The most doubtful feature of the official
proposals for reform of the Metropolitan Police force is the door for entry into the new Police College from outside. There has been a good deal of rather vague talk about the creation of an " officer dais," and the term challenges reflection. Officers, of course, there must always be, and to train them specially under a considered system is no more than ordinary common sense. So far as the entrants into the college are picked from the rank-and- file of the force the result will be officers, but not an officer class. There will only be a new " class " if the Police College men are brought in mainly from outside. If that happened there would be considerable dis- content in the force and considerable reason for it. Justified as most of Lord Trenchard's recent criticisms are, it remains true that the present system has worked well. To reform it is altogether wise ; to try and revolutionize it would be highly unwise. The raw material for the higher posts, in the future as in the past, ought in the main t.o be the men in the ranks. On one other point second thoughts seem desirable. The new decision that a certain proportion of the force shall consist of short-service (ten-year) recruits, may be sound enough, but why lay it down that at the end of his ten years every man, no matter how competent and promising, must leave the service, his path to higher posts being definitely barred ? Plenty of good material will be lost that way.
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