POLICE AND CRIME.
GROWING COST OF THE FORCE LESS CRIME AND DRUNKENNESS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The New Zealand police force comprises 840 officers and men, and the cost per inhabitant equals 3/S per annum, a growing figure, in his annual report to Parliament, the Commissioner of Police asks for 30 additional constables next year, ■ and eta tes l-hsc the rv-a.l need is ! for fully a hundred men, but as this would involve an aditional £17,000 to the cost of the Department, he cannot ] ask for co large an increase in any one year. He suggests that other State Departments should pay in haxd cash for the services rendered gratuitously to them by tire police. ]
A slight increase is ehown in the proportion of crime to population. There were 017 serious crimes reported; burglary 312, and forgery 148. fiasHv hwiding the" list. The total 'is slightly below the average of -previous years. Of the 25,981 offends of all sorts reported last year, the principal increases were: Gaming 193, drunkenness 185, desertion from vessels 120, abusive and threatening behaviour 114, and "sureties of the peace" 118. Drunkenness diminished to the extent of 185 fewer prosecutions, but the total is impressive — 11,076 males and SOS females, the convictions equalling 112.3 per 10.000 of the population. The Commonwealth convictions on the same basis are 133.2.
FHy-grog detection resulted in, at any rate, a profit on paper. There were 113 prosecutions and 69 convictions (compared with 123 in the previous yeari. The direct coat to .the Dominion in detecting and prosecuting , sly-grog sellers daring the year was £385 12/1, this bein;? £1,054 17/11 less than the amount of fines imposed.
There were 345 prosecutions for gaming offences, resulting in 301 convictions during -the year Tinder the laws against 152 proseenfions and 130 convictions in 1911.
Fin«rer-print identification continues to be useful. Uast year 183 previous offenders were traced in tihis way.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 7
Word Count
318POLICE AND CRIME. Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 7
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