INCREASE IN CRIME

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1929, Page 8

INCREASE IN CRIME

RETURN’S FOR LAST YEAR

MORE POLICK WANTED,, ! Criminal statistics for the year ended December 31st, last show ail aggregnle net increase of 904 on the iigures of 1927, according to the annual report on the Police Force presented to Parliament last week. The propoition of offences to the population was 2.25 per cent., as against 2.21 the previous year.

The principal increases during the year appeared under the following headings: Theft (petty) 32; obtaining credit by fraud, 59; false . accounting by clerks, etc., 88; receiving stolen goods, 05; mischief, 142; failing to maintain wives, etc 313; selling liquoi after hours, 193; breaches of .MotorVehicles Act, 1506. There were decreases in the following offences: Assault (common), 105; theft by clerks or servants, 35, false pretences, 71; burglary of the peace, 144; drunkeness, 283; vagrancy offences, 172; gaming offences, 357; breaches ol prohibition orders, 110. The number of offences reported was 50,138, the number of offences in which arrests or summonses resulted was 30,022, and the number in which no arrests or summonses resulted was 2710. The percentage of arrests or summonses resulted from offences reported during the year 1928 was 92.4, the figures of the preceding year being being 92.7. There was a decrease of six in tin) number of indecent and sexual figures, the total for the previous year being 557. There was a decrease of 283 in the number of prosecutions for drunkenness during the year. The number charged with drunkenness in 1928 was GGOI (6298 males and 303 females), whereas in 1927 the number was QBB4 (654 G males, and 338 females)/ It was pointed out that 35.5 per cent, of the males and 51.4 per cent, of the females had previous convictions recorded against them, and 3.6 per cent, of the males were not permanent residents of the Dominion.

The number of presecutions against hotelkeepers during the year showed an increase of 158 compared with the preceding year. There were 667 prosecutions resulting in 361 convictions during 1928, as against 509 prosecutions and 202 convictions in 1927.

There were thirty-seven prosecutions for selling liquor without a license, resulting in thirty-six convictions, and there were also fifty ’prosecutions, resulting in forty-four convictions for other offences against the provisions of the Licensing Act in force in no-license districts. The fines imposed on slygix>g sellers amounted to £BB2. There were 319 prosecutions, resulting in 295 convictions, during the year under the Gaming Act, against 670 prosecutions and 576 convictions in 1927. v Prosecutions in connection with book-making resulted in fines totalling £2446 being imposed. The number of prosecutions was 86 and the number of convictions 79.

The finger impressions of 2934 persons were received, classified, searched and filed during tire year; 208 persons were identified as previous offenders who, had it not been for the fingerprint system, would have passed as first offenders; 1233 photographs were taken by the photographers attached to the branch; the photographs of, 2130 prisoners (7494 photographs) were dealt with, and 656 photographs were reproduced in the “Police Gazette.” Under the heading of general, the Commissioner of Police (Mr W. B. Mcllveney) states that owing to the many demands for increased police protection throughout the Dominion the services of an additional thirty constables were necessary to meet present requirements.

On March 31 last the number of permanent members of the force of all ranks was 1146, being an increase of

41 during the year. The total was made up as follows: Superintendents, 4; inspectors, 15; sub-inspectors, 4; senior sergeants, 29; sergeants, 99; constables, 939; senior detectives, 5; detective-sergeants, 14; detectives, 37. Tn addition to the a.liove there were twelffe police surgeons, eight matrons, six district constables, and three native constables. /I’liere were also nine temporary constables appointed under section 2 of the Police Force Amendment Act, 1919; these were appointed during the war period and were overage or otherwise unsuitable for permanent appointment.