WARNING BY JUDGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 8, 1 September 1931, Page 5

WARNING BY JUDGE

CRIME ON THE INCREASE 'Grave remarks . concerning the prevalence of crime in -Britain were made by Mr Justice McCardie in his address to the Grand Jury at Birmingham Assizes, says a London paper. His lordship offered his congratulations on the lightness of the calendcsr, and added that it was of interest to note the range of offenees dealt with even at this light assize. They included a charge of murder, opo of using corrosive fluid, four of bigamy, oue of infanticide, one . of manslaughter, one of burglary, ahd several cases. of sexual offenees. s One point he desired in partioular to mention to them, and that was, that he realised more and more will the passing of years 'and the growth of experience that drink had very little to do with the serious crime .of Britain. In former days it might have been different, proceeded his lordship,^ jbut to-day drink had very little to do with it, The causes of crime were to be found elsewhere. "We must be under no illusions as to this country," he ooiitinued. "It is quite true that the number of prisoners grows steadily less. It is quite true that -the number of persons convicted seems to diminish, but the number of crimes actually committed throughout the country grows steadily greater year by year. It is vltal to remember not only the indictable offenees which are detected and prosecuted, but also those which, although detected, are not prosecuted beoause the ^ofllender is either unknown or cannot be arrested. "I think myself that the statistics are grave. For example, in 1929 the number of indictable offenees known to the police was 134,581, an increase of over 4000 as compared with the year 1928. We Must not Forget these Facts when we congratulate Birmingham upon its exceptional position; and, indeed, I consider it my duty to >state, and state clearly, for the knowledge • of all, that the serious crime of this country' is greater to-day than at any time during the last 60 years. \ There has been no increase in crimes of violence, but there has been a steady and regrettable increase in housebreaking, shopbreaking, larceny, false pretences, embezzlement, blackmailing, and above all very many cases of fraud. "In my view," concluded the judge, "very many eriminals, whether they be persistent eriminals or nrdinary eriminals, are more ingenious and more astute than the eriminals of a generation ago. Perhaps the gravest f eature of recent years is that the number of boys under 16 found guilty of indictable cffences is very much greater. It was very much greater in 1929 than it was in 1907. There has also been a regrettable increase in crime by those between the ages of 16 and "21, and also by those between 21 and 30 years of age. "The facts I have named must, 1 feel, cause deep concern to every responsible citzen who wishes to face the realities of national life."