Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1932, Page 4

Pkosecutions in connection with bookmaking during last year totalled 142, convictions numbering 120. As a result cf 'these convictions fines totalling £4271 10s were imposed. These facts were contained in the annual/report cf the Commissioner of Police (Mr W. G. Wohlmann) to Parlia-. meat. Last year 36,000 offences were reported to the (police, a reduction of 534 on the total of the previous year. Arrests were made oy summonses issued in 32,659 cases, The proportion of offences to population was 2.4 per cent,, as against 2,48 per cent, the previous year. The principal increases in crime last year were offences of petty theft, burglary and breaches of the Motor Vehicles Act; while the principal decreases wore in drunkenness, sexual offences, being on licensed premises after hours, failure to maintain wives and families and bre'aiclihs of prohibition orders, In two years cases of drunkenness have decreased by 31 prr cent. This is attributed to decreased purchasing power and the changing habits of the people, Beferririg to the increase in the number of murders from seven in 1930 to thirteen in 1931, the report states that this should not- he regarded as abnormal. There ueie thirteen eases of murder in 1920, 1926 and 1927; and over the post thirteen years the average has been 9.5. The circumstances in which these ciinies were committed indicated that they were not preventable by any police | measure.