THE DOMINION’S CRIME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1131, 9 August 1913, Page 4

THE DOMINION’S CRIME.

INCREASE IN AGGREGATE

SERIOUS OFFENCES DECLINE.

The crime of the Dominion, as revealed by the Police Department’s report presented to the House of Representatives showed a slight increase in 1912 over 1911. The offences reported to the police were 982 more than in 1911, while the proportion of offences to the population was 2.35 per cent., as against 2.32 per cent, for the previous year- The heaviest increases were : —ln threatening words or behaviour, 114; deserting or absenting from merchant vessels, 120 ; drunkenness, 185 ; failing to provide for wives and children or relatives, 76 ; gaming offences, 193.

The number of all offences reported in the several police districts during the year was as follows :—Auckland, 6,833 1 Hamilton and Thames, 971 ; Napier, 2,197; Wanganui, 2,445; WeT lington, 6,025 ; Greyraouth, 1,013 ; Christchurch, 4,011 ; Dunedin. 1,773 ; Invercargill, 713;

A return of the number of serious crimes reported shows that serious crime was below the average during the last two years. There were 617 cases in 1912, as against 550 in 1911. During the last ten years the number of serious crimes has varied from 520 to 759, so that the total of 617 is slightly below the average. There is a decrease this year of 99 in the number of indecent and sexual offences.