Isle of Wight Observer March 19 1864

It was for a long time our unpleasant duty to animadvert upon the conduct of the police, because the principal portion of their cases were beerhouse imformations; whilst the place was overrun by vagabonds who were too lazy to work, yet by means of extortion lived on the fat of the land. As we blamed, so we will praise, for the police have lately discharged their proper functions more effectively; and backed by the magistrates, who have made a few salutary examples, the immigration of vagabonds has been partially stopped, for, be it known, they do not belong to the Island. Things got so bad, that gentlemen were obliged, in self-defence, to resort to the mean looking expedient of locking their back-doors; otherwise, plate would be stolen from trays if left unattended for a moment. Though great improvement in this respect has taken place through police vigilance and magisterial co-operation, still more requires to be done; which is the reason for writing this paragraph.  Whilst we abhor undue severity, especially when it affects the peccadillos of honest men, we have no sympathy whatever for the idle, the dissolute, or the depraved.

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