H.—l6

6

Growth of Department. The following return shows the growth of the Department, the continued increase of the population, and the total number of offences (irrespective of by-laws offences) reported, and in which arrests or summonses resulted, each year since 1877, prior to which date each province in the Dominion had its own Police Force, and reliable data arc not available.

General. « On the 4th February, 1918, the Hon. A, L. Herdman, Attorney-General, resigned the administration of the Police Department, and was succeeded by the Hon. T. M. Wilford. Minister of Justice. On the Ist March. 1918, the headquarters of the Police Department were removed from the Government Buildings to the new police premises in Johnston Street, Wellington. The Department scrupulously abstained since December, 1916, from enrolling any recruits who were liable for military service under the provisions of the Military Service Act, passed that year. The consequence is that during the year a considerable diminution in the membership of the Force took place. A sufficient number of suitable men willing to serve temporarily were not, always forthcoming to fill the vacancies. The wisdom of refusing to encourage members of the Force to join the Expeditionary Forces, or to give them leave for the purpose, has been fully demonstrated. Had the Department granted any facilities or special terms to the large number of constables, unmarried and married, who expressed more than willingness to enlist for active service, the Police Force of the Dominion would have been practically reduced to the residue consisting of men above the military age or otherwise disqualified. I need not point out what straits the public services would be placed in had any different policy been pursued. Even the military service itself would have suffered considerably within the Dominion;

Year, jj Q ifl i O is ! a 2 I • a o co co O | | i Total, do 9 2 jl a i ; [ p rtl :„ a fn Cost per Po?r«on.. In^ U -' P °P uUHon - Offences reported. Offences Arrests for where Arrests Drunkenness or (inoluded in Summonses " Offences resulted. reported"). 1878 25 1879 25 1880 i 25 1881 13 1882 I 13 1883 . 13 1884 ! 13' 1885 ! 20 1886 20 1887 20 1888 13 1889 13 1890 ! 12 1891 ! 7 1892 ! 7 1893 7 1894 7 1895 : 7 1896 ! 6 1897 ! 7 1898 I 7 1899 ! 11 1900 11 1901 11 1902 | 12 1903 i 12 1904 i 12 1905 j 12 1906 ' 14 1907 14 1908 15 1909 ; 16 1910 16 1911 15 1912 15 1913 17 1914 17 1915 ! 19 1916 ! 19 1917 20 1918 20 90 14 329 458 84 16 | 364 489 86 21 379 511 73 18 337 441 72 19 343 447 72 20 356 i 461 70 17 365 465 ! ! 65 17 372 474 ' 66 18 390 i 494 j ! 69 18 | 395 | 502 69 17 ! 388 ! 487 | ! 65 17 389 ; 484 66 13 403 ! 494 j : 61 14 404 ! 486 : 60 14 401 482 53 14 407 481 . 55 13 i 410 j 485 : 51 13 416 ! 487 : 51 13 ; 414 484 ] 45 12 i 453 517 i J 56 16 i 457 | 536 j 53 15 ! 475 ! 554 1 56 20 499 ' 586 ] 56 20 504 ! 591 ] 58 20 514 604 J 59 20 522 i 613 ] 59 21 534 626 ] 65 25 553 655 ] 71 25 557 667 ] 78 30 ! 577 699 ] 83 32 604 734 1 87 35 633 ! 771 ] 86 34 639 775 ] 87 38 648 788 ] 89 39 692 835 ] 93 41 695 846 ] 94 40 719 870 1 100 37 755 | 911 1 104 36 757 I 916 J 108 36 734 898 1 HI 38 j 732* 901 1 1 to 944 \ 1 to 948 1 to 949 \ 1 to l,186f 1 to 1,1581 1 to 1,173) 1 to 1,263 lto 1,293 1 to 1,266 1 to 1,265 1 to 1,328 1 to 1,347 1 to 1,346 1 to 1,375 1 to 1,401 1 to 1,439 1 to 1,472 1 co 1,495 1 to 1,530 1 to 1,461 1 to 1,435 1 to 1,414 I to 1,359 1 to 1,381 1 to 1,375 i 1 to 1,388 1 to 1,398 1 to 1,375 1 to 1,387 j lto 1,375 1 to 1,331 : 1 to 1,308 1 to 1,330 1 to 1,333 1 to 1,287 1 to 1,303 1 to 1,304 1 to 1,257 1 to 1,258 1 to 1,280 1 to 1,274 lto 944\ ■ i 432,352 1 to 948 "s 463,572 lto 949 { £ ) 484,939 1 to l,186f °3 " 500,976 1 to 1,1581 t * 517,626 1 to 1,173) rA \ 540,753 1 to 1,263 3/3 587,295 lto 1,293 3/0$ 613,212 lto 1,266 3/2 625,849 lto 1,265 3/2* 635,215 lto 1,328 S/lf 646,913 lto 1,347 2/10$ 652,125 lto 1,346 2/10f 664,855 lto 1,375 2/11* 668,353 lto 1,401 2/9 675,775 lto 1,439 2/8* 692,426 lto 1,472 2/7} 714,258 1 co 1,495 728,121 lto 1,530 2/7* 740,699 lto 1,461 2/7* 754,016 lto 1,435 2/8 768,910 1 to 1,414 2/9i 783,317 lto 1,359 2/10$ 796,359 1 to 1,381 , 2/10} i 816,290 1 to 1,375 j 2/10* ! 830,800 1 to 1,388 I 2/10* 851,068 1 to 1,398 j 2/10} 875,648 1 to 1,375 2/10} j 900,682 1 to 1,387 j 2/10* 925,605 lto 1,375 | 3/0 " 961,604 1 to 1,331 | 3/2} 977,215 lto 1,308 3/4} 1,008,373 lto 1,330 3/3* 1,030,657 lto 1,333 3/4* 1,050,410: lto 1,287 3/5" 11,075,250 1 to 1,303 3/8 1,102,389 lto 1,304 3/9 1,134,506 lto 1,257 4/1 1,145,840 lto 1,258 4/2$ 1,152,669 lto 1,280 4/3 1,150,002 lto 1,274 4/6* 1,147,391 9 ( rO O <S • I 1 3/3 3/0f 3/2 8/2* S/lf 2/10$ 2/10$ 2/11* 2/9 2/8* 2/7} 2/6$ 2/7* 2/7* 2/8 2/9} 2/10$ 2/10} 2/10* 2/10* 2/10} 2/10} 2/10* 3/0 3/2} 3/4} 3/3* 3/4* 3/5" 3/8 3/9 4/1 4/2$ 4/3 4/6* , ' 432,352 463,572 484,939 500,976 517,626 540,753 587,295 613,212 625,849 635,215 646,913 652,125 664,855 668,353 675,775 692,426 714,258 728,121 740,699 754,016 768,910 783,317 796,359 816,290 830,800 851,068 875,648 900,682 925,605 961,604 977,215 1,008,373 1,030,657 1,050,410: 1,075,250 1,102,389 1,134,506 1,145,840 11,152,669 1,150,002 ,1,147,391 14,157 16,374 17,837 16,635 18,613 18,775 18,263 18,955 18,135 17,752 12,897 12,945 13,115 12,674 13,153 13,165 13,530 14,010 14,673 15,219 16,378 16,865 18,358 19,909 19,771 20,736 21,066 20,249 21,160 23,204 23,510 23,930 25,106 24,999 25,981 25,415 27,563 28,412 24,920 21,724 13,959 14,696 16,723 15,212 17,470 17,727 17,322 17,723 17,000 16,500 11,854 11,885 12,177 11,748 12,187 12,100 12,500 12,435 13,171 14,042 14,730 15,561 17,131 18,742 18,802 19,867 20,118 19,251 20,241 22,244 22,484 22,880 23,949 23,492 24,837 24,364 26,494 27,096 23,848 20,701 I I 6,668 6,794 6,484 5,587 6,860 7,572 7,151 7,034 6,260 5,226 5,387 5,444 5,866 5,416 5,360 5,251 4,594 4,636 5,005 5,204 5,532 6,289 7,299 8,057 8,269 8,815 9,615 8,707 9,210 10,203 10,343 10,657 11,718 11,699 11,884 11,707 13,189 13,268 10,833 8,800 i I * Includes 56 temporary constables.