Crooks' Nursery?

NZ Truth, Issue 1199, 22 November 1928, Page 6

Crooks' Nursery?

Youthful Offenders Christchurch has gone good! For the first time m fifty-two years the presiding judge at the quarterly sessions' m the Cathedral City has .received white gloves, the time-honored custom which falls to the. lot of the sheriff when the list is clear of crime. AND similar conditions are also prevailing m the lower strata of justice. Pol* the past seven or eight vreeks, the police and magistrate's courts have had the lightest volume of business experienced for many years. But while society rejoices at its freedom from serious crime, the householders of Christchurch have been on their toes for some weeks past at the prevalence of housebreaking which is believed to be the work of juveniles, though m some instances it is known that adult housebreakers have been operating. So far the Police Department has been unable to cope with the outbreak. Following a series of jobs m various suburbs, the juvenile trio was apprehended, brought before the children's court, and dealt .with, and the statement was made officially that the breaking up of this gang would see the end of the epidemic. Unfortunately for the householder, just the reverse was the case, and housebreaking, both by day and by night, continues with disconcerting frequency. As many; as four cases have been reported, m one day, and to all appearances, the police seem powerless to bring the offenders to book. It is obvious, however, from the nature of the jobs, that it is mainly the work of juveniles — young crooks of about the' ages from fourteen to eighteen. And it can be said unhesitatingly that the inability of the police department to cope with the epidemic has created an atmosphere of uncertainty, and even terror, to suburban dwellers of a nervous temperament. In nil those cases which have come before the children's court, premeditated and systematic thieving has been disclosed almost without exception. But what is the penalty? Sheltering behind an undemocratic law. a young criminal, fortunate to come within the scope' of the children's court, has his name suppressed, and is told he is a naughty boy. He is invariably- added to the' huge and growing family under the care and control of the child welfare officer and escapes the real penalty — that of publicity. This paper again points out to the Minister of Justice that the children's court, with its .heavy cloak of secrecy and distorted ideas of measuring the penalty by the extent of the crime, is undermining the security of society. Christchurch is a case m point.While the city rejoices at its freedom from crime, it is well to remember that it is merely freedom from detected crime, and the city actually is alive and rampant with juvenile offenders whose activities are a menace to society arid would do* credit to any adult criminal. And the children's court is harboring, rather than suppressing, this evergrowing menace.