The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1932. CRIME IN ENGLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1932. CRIME IN ENGLAND.

> ■ •' '• / ‘ v* There has an upn-eased , amount of ser.ous c.ime recorded in England of late, and it has been/suggested''that this has been caused by the/ large amount of unemployment among tlVe masses. This .view: has-been .considered incorrect, following a close . m'speotion of the various offenders cliarged, as this shows that there has been- no material maniase in the number of first offenders. It is , to expect an increase in crime due to unemployment wifi show,-itself in a rising total of first offenders leather tlnu. in recidivism. Though there are no accurate recidivist.'figures in England, it is .significant that offences like housebreaking and burglary, most characteristic: of professional criminals, have increased more - rapidly than larcenies, ■ tf-hich. are more 'likely to be committed by novices. The, annual average housebreakings and burglaries pejr million of population in 1900-04 \vks 273; in 1029 it was 573, an increase of 110 per cent. The increase,'in larcenies over the ©ame peri iod was/only 25'per cent. These figures 'lead a commentor to look; elsewhere for the real onuses of the increase in I,crime, though hie admit© that Uriemployrnent is not -’ai factor which can he entirely ruled out. Most authorities, agree, he points out, that the gfieatest deterrent of’.' crimje is certainly , rather than severity of punishment and that consequently a faGll-ihg-off/in the -detection' of/crimp may be , expbeted to produce an increase. The figures ’ that 'are available make jt difficult .to [avoid the' conclusion that thle. pdlice are 'losing ground -in - the war. they are ‘waging against criminals , ooi l)|eha]lf of: society., One of the ‘reasone /giyen. is .that the increase in road./ traffic -has to some .extent diverted the /energies/of. thle 'police from their pymarv .duty-;’ of ' safeguarding the public..against .the criminal. Moreover. .in ireqeht years. the: strength /of the police force., has little 'more than kept pace) with thle increase in population and".has .not nearly corresponded with the reason.- is that the criminals, with modern methods, of transort,-can take the whole.!] country foV their hunting gro.Undy a nd;.there' ls far more difficulty in tracing offendora, who are now able to get fyr away from the rc/ne of their, law breaking activities Iff a very shffrt time while also able to remove the ppolls of) their actions quickly to: a distant location and so cause much' more difficulty to the supporters of Jaw and oi»der.