CRIME RECORDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 302, 17 September 1919, Page 5

CRIME RECORDS

A POLICE REPORT. The criminal statistics contained in the annual report, of the Commissioner 'of Police show thnt during tho' past year there was an aggregate net decrease of 2657 offences reported, compared with tho previous - twelve-monthly period. Tho proportion of offences to the population was 1.G4 per, cent., as against 1.89 in the previous year. Tho two offences showing th'e most considerable inoreuses were; theft, 20i', and malicious injury to property, 115. The most considerable decreases were: drunkenness, 1571 cases, vagrancy, 253; failure, to'maintain wives and families, 201: and desertion from ships, 155! The total number of offences reported for the Dominion, was 19,067, of which'lß,o43 resulted in arrests or the issue of summonses, leaving a balance ot 1024. Those listed as serious crimes numbered 61G. of which 526 resulted in ar* rests? compared with 644 and 518 respectivelv for tho previous year, bo mat here we e 28 fewer serious offences roported, while those in which no arrest were made decreased from 120 to9o. llio indecent and sexual offences decreased from 445 to 345. There were 130 prosectt- ' tions for sly grog-selling during tho year, resulting in 97 convictions, against lii prosecutions and 118 convictions . during tho preceding year. 'J'he fines imposed on sly grog-sellers amounted to .£1390. as against JM2 during the previous twelve months. Tho direct cost to tho Department in detecting ' and prosecuting sly during the year was ..£361, this being J!io3s less than tho amount of the fines imposed.