CRIME IN LONDON

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20906, 11 September 1939, Page 14

CRIME IN LONDON

PROBLEMS OF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER’S REPORT A further increase in crime in London last year is linked up with the shortage of police man-power by Sir Philip (iaine, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, in his annual report for 1938, says the Daily Telegraph. The establishment of the Metropolitan Police at the end of last year was 19,416, but the actual strength was only 18,511 — a shortage of 9U5. The women police, whose establishment was 142, showed a shortage of 37. An Insufficient Force Sir Philip points out that, despite the steady increase in street mileage and population, the establishment of tht Police Forse has not been increased for many years. Economy in manpower by mechanical aids, such as modern transport, police boxes, traffic lights, and wireless, has gone as far as it can. An increase in establishment, lie says, is already justified; but it is premature to consider this as long as the. flow of recruits is insufficient, not only to bring the force up to establishment, but even to make good the wastage. Recruiting last year fell short of wastage by nearly 400 men. In regard to crime, Sir Philip writes: “1 regret to have to record a further increase of 3.3 per cent in the number of indictable crimes compared with 1937, on top of the increase of 10 per cent in that year compared with 1936, but I feel that what has been said—about shortage of police—largely accounts for the increase. “I would, in fact, go further, and suggest that a still greater increase has only been avoided by an intensified effort on the part of all ranks and all branches of the force to keep crime down and to discover the criminal when an offence has been committed. n Juvenile Offenders The report states that there were 41,506 preventable crimes—those which come or may come within the range of police supervision—in London last year, compared with 38,705 the year before and 35,787 in 1936. Detectable crimes—those which police action can do little or nothing to prevent—numbered 53,774, compared with 53,487 in 1937 and 47,900 in 1936. There were 25 fewer burglaries and 129 few house-breakings, but shopbreakings increased by 520 and attempts to break into houses and shops increased by 232. More than 80 per cent of the shop-breaking occurred in three divisions, and steps have been taken which -Sir Philip hopes will effect some improvement. Much to the Good “Apart from the decrease in burglary and house-breaking,” comments Sir Philip, “the increase in the number of unsuccessful attempts to enter by force and steal property may perhaps be regarded as a reflection of an increased chance of being disturbed by the police through the aid of wireless motor transport and other measures. If this is the case, it is so much to the good.” The increase of 8.4 per cent in larcenies is entirely covered by thefts of bicycles, 10.611, and larcenies from vehicles, 8408. The proportion of young offenders under 21 years in the total of 21,333 arrests fell from 44.6 per cent to 42.9 per cent. Arrests between eight and sixteen years fell by nearly 14 per cent. These figures strengthen the hope that the turning point in the increase of juvenile crime has been reached, though Sir Philip adds that it is much too early to claim any definite improvement.