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Canada fournira une traduction sur demande. ‘\‘Afak settitIcte lof y Crime and Policing in Digby, 1909 -1990 HV 8159 .N8 M3 p 1990 Occasional Paper Series elc/ c.> e P ent`b ,xeJ I -1-1 _ \ e e e e ,&e- ces e , e 7eb e « çiefee se / \es\\ ,C> ,,,e e e 4:\- eq. e e itlegnY MINISTRY OF TrIE SOLICITOR GENERAL OF CANADA .2 • 19 ''.3t3( P..!9.1_10THÈOUE . • ' C:..NNADA ■ "..R!O Crime and Policing in Digby. 1909 -1990 Dr. Peter McÇahan University of New Brunswick Report # 16 August 1990 Police and Community Study Atlantic Institute of Criminology The Atlantic Institute of Criminology receives sustaining contribution from the Ministry of the Solicitor General. This funding enables the Institute to carry out its chief functions of research and dissemination of information. In an earlier Report we examined the early years of policing in Digby after the Town incorporated in March, 1890. 1 The community obtained its first policeman in 1891, in response to the call for more vigorous control over the illegal liquor trade and youthful disorder on public streets. The one-man police force, however, did not ensure these issues were firmly resolved in subsequent years. In the following, we wish to extend this brief survey of the history of policing and crime in Digby to the present day. The Period 1909 - 1939 H. Bowles had been appointed Chief of Police in the late 1890's and continued to function, as well, as the Scott Act (Canada Temperance Act) Inspector after the turn of the century, assisted at times by a special constable paid by the day for such tasks as 1 Peter McGahan, IlDigby, 1875 - 1900, 11 in Reconstructing Patterns of Crime and Policing in Charlottetown. Vol. 2 (Report submitted to Atlantic Institute of Criminology,,' 1988), pp. 617 - 697. 2 the issuing of warrants. Bowles did not find the enforcement of temperance legislation in this small community always an easy task. In May, 1915 he expressed doubts that the Town Council was indeed ',with him in his efforts to enforce the [Temperance] Act. He had great difficulties to contend with and he wanted to know if the Council would stand by him in his efforts to enforce the Act." 2 They responded to his appeal by unanimously adopting a resolution of support in his ”persecution of offenders.n This apparently did not appease the communityls sole uguardianu, and two months later he resigned - this time irrevocably. Three years earlier he had also submitted his resignation to accept a government position as night watchman at the Town's public wharf, but at the urging of the Mayor and Town Council had agreed to resume his duties as policeman. His successor, Fred Peck, was appointed in November, 1915 and with a salary initially of $45 per month. As we have observed marked other communities in the Valley, 3 town fathers tended to demonstrate some degree of penuriousness in authorizing public expenditures, especially those relating to policing. In the early summer of 1917, Digbyls Council expressed 2 The Digby Weekly Courier, 7 May 1915. 3 Peter McGahan, Crime and Policing in Rings County, Nova Scotia, 1920s - 1930s (Police and Community Study, Atlantic Institute of Criminology, 1988, Report #2), p. 5. 3 unusual scrutiny over the modest resources committed to the Chief. They resolved uthat in the event of the policeman resigning or leaving the service of the town the salary due him for the last month of his services be withheld until all property in his possession belonging to the town, including uniform has been handed in to the Town Clerk. 0 4 Peck did not remain long in the service of the Town. He was succeeded by Boyd Bishop, who remained as Chief of Police until December, 1921, when he was suddenly dismissed. As the reason for this was not apparent to many of the citizenry, such action was attributed to an l'autocraticu Counci1. 5 Their appointment of Cornelius Hatfield, former Chief of Mahone, as Bishop's replacement did not meet with unanimous approval. Two weeks later the community was rocked by an erroneous rumor that Digby's Mayor had been assassinated and that Halifax had been appealed to for police protection. Hatfield's tenure proved to be short-lived. In March, 1922 R.C. Ellis replaced him as Chief and Scott Act Inspector. Unconvinced that they were obtaining the most suitable candidates, for this position, the Council at the same time agreed that any such appointment would lobe more month to month, and not by the 4 The Digby Weekly Courier, 29 June 1917. 5 The Digby Weekly Coruier, 23 December 1921. r--- 4 year. 11 6 Such heightened the insecurity of the uguardianssu status, as revealed in February, 1924, when the Mayor suggested that rather than reappoint Ellis tenders be advertised for his position. At that point not only did he serve as Chief of Police and Liquor Inspector, but he also apparently fulfilled the duty of Water and Street Superintendent. Ellis and some of the Councillors themselves took umbrage at the suggestion that the Chief was not doing his duties in enforcing the law and collecting taxes. The policeman sought to lay part of the blame on the Town Clerk, whom he accused of not following up in those cases where a specific charge could be lodged. He cited as an example a case where he had reported a Digby resident for driving a car without a license. The Clerk was duly advised, but the latter took no action. Ellis argued, HU one man go free, then all should have the same chance." 7 In his own defense the Clerk observed that he had resolved the matter informally by contacting the guilty party (a minister) himself. Two days later the offending car was affixed with the proper plates. The Clerk believed it was wrong for the Town to have a collected a fine, as the Chief had wanted, because the Motor Vehicle Act itself, in his judgment, was flawed: IsInstead of having 6 The Dial:iv Weekly Courier, 3 March 1922. 7 The Digby Weekly Courier, 22 February 1924. -7 5 to purchase numbers in January the law should be made to read May lst.” 8 The majority of the Council apparently did not believe the policeman's negligence could be attributed to the Clerk's own behavior. Ellis was not rehired as Chief. At least in this case the lack of agreement between a small town's police and municipal officials regarding the appropriate level of enforcement had a pointed consequence. The uturmoilu in Digby's police circles 6ontinued. Ellis' successor, Harry A. Halsey, remained in office only a short time. After approximately three months as Chief he submitted his resignation. The search for a new ',guardians' resumed. In May, 1924 Town Council resolved to look outside the community for a suitable candidate, advertising the vacancy in the Halifax Herald. The Police Committee subsequently recommended one such applicant - I.W.P. Adams of Bridgewater. Second on their list was a local man, B.V. Bent. The Mayor lobbied for the former: "Local talent has been tried out for a good many years, and some had proved good officials. 0 But, he contended, what was needed at this time was an nexperienced man." Others balked, nonetheless, at rejecting Bent. By a slim 3 - 2 majority the Digby resident became the community's next policeman. This was not the only time the issue of whether to hire a local candidate as a municipal official 8 Ibid. 6 had been raised. Three years earlier Council had received a petition signed by a number of Digbyls residents protesting against the appointment of an "outsider" to the recently vacated position of Town Clerk. 9 Yet, the Town's difficulties in retaining its uguardiann continued. In February, 1926 the Mayor voiced displeasure again with the work of the Chief, but did not wish to blame Bent personally, for this, he reminded Council, had been a long-standing problem: leRegarding the police it was always a very unfortunate condition. Digby always had trouble, even in the old days, and this was due to the small salary paid. It is very hard to get the right man. Different men had been tried but they all seem to fall by the wayside.

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