Pottinger kept his title secret but in 1860 the inspector-general of police, John McLerie, found out. He was quickly given better jobs. In November he became clerk of petty sessions at Dubbo and on October 1, 1861, assistant superintendent of the Southern Mounted Police Patrol. He wanted to do a good job in the police, but he got into a drunken brawl at Young on 20–21 December 1861. He was a publicly warned about his bad behaviour. He was sent to the Lachlan River area. He showed he was a busy but unlucky hunter of bushrangers.