POLICE STATISTICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2128, 10 July 1907, Page 3

POLICE STATISTICS.

THE "YEAR’S WORK. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, last night. The police report shews the strength of the force to he 699, an inci'easo ol 32 during the year. The criminal statistics deal with all offences reported to the police during the year, ended the 31st. December last-, and show an aggregate net increase of 9119 over the figures of 1905, this being about, the average yearly increase. On a population basis the proportion of offences to the population was 2.21 per cent, The number of offences in the different districts were as follows: Auckland 5088 Napier 2019 Wanganui 2339 Wellington 4872 Greymouth ' 533 Christchurch 3209 Dunedin 1556 Invercargill 625

The principal increases during the year were as follows:—Absconding from industrial schools 48, deserters from H.M. ships, 62, disorderly conduct 53, drunkenness 503, illegally on premises 51, malicious injury to property 771 obscene language 106, vagrancy 87. The principal decreases .were:—Assault (common) 60, burglary, breaking into shops, dwellings, etc. 82, disobeying orders on hoard ships 46 , opium smoking or in possession of 56, sly grog selling 50, theft undescribed 69. The number of indecent and sexual offences dealt with during the year was 352, being 34 in excess of the previous year. The majority (235) were cases of indecent exposure or behaviour. The following were the number of convictions for drunkenness in the principal centres:—

Auckland and suburbs, 1231. Wellington and suburbs, 1908. Christchurch and suburbs, 572. Dunedin and suburbs, 374. Sunday trading is stated to he more prevalent in Auckland and Wellington districts than in the other centres. There were 145 prosecutions during the year for sly-g’rog selling resulting in 113 convictions, against 188 prosecutions and 115 convictions during tho preceding year. The report states:— “Although the Department* continues to adopt special tactics to bring slygrog sellers to justice the offence is still persisted in and carried on with greater secrecy. lam of opinion that if more severe punishments were inflicted when convictions are recorded they would have a deterrent effect. The work of detection is disagreeable and demoralising, but with one or two exceptions it has been carried out by members of the force and has resulted most satisfactorily, both as regards tho number of prosecutions and the reductions in expenditure.” The amount of fines imposed on sly-grog sellers in the various districts were as follows: Auckland £615 Napier £5 Wanganui £142 Wellington £73 Christchurch £234 Dunedin £350 Invercargill £BOO Complaints were made of tho conluct of some of the junior members of the force.