CRIME IN GISBORNE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 2

CRIME IN GISBORNE

REVIEW OF THE YEAR NOTHING OUTSTANDING There has been nothing outstanding in the amount or nature of the criminal offences in the Gisborne district for the year to date, according to a statement made to-day by the inspector of police, Mr. G. B. Edwards. Year by year there was a slight increase in the number of cases brought to trial, but that was explained by increases in population. In Gisborne there had been the usual number of cases of breaking and entering premises, that form of crime being the worst that had been experienced.

The worst features of the court lists "had their origin in the indecencies committed by men on girls of tender years. A glance at the lists for the Supreme Court showed that the bulk of these cases originated among the Maoris on the Coast, and that Europeans were not so often involved. By the majority of people it would be thought, said Mr. Edwards, that there would be a wave of crime prior to and during the Christmas period, but that was not generally the case. In fact, it had been his experience that there was a lull in the number of criminal offences at holiday times. It appeared that the criminal, too, observed the usual holidays. It was not possible to say that there was one particular period of the year in Gisborne in which a wave of crime was experienced.