LESS CRIME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 246, 18 October 1933, Page 8

LESS CRIME.

SATISFACTORY YEAR.' SOCIAL UNREST WANING. "AGITATORS-;FALSE FRIENDS" (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Many satisfactory features are to be found in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. W. G. Wohlmann, which was presented to the House of Representatives this afternoon. Crime generally has decreased, social unrest has become less, and the proportion of arrests to offences reported has increased. Last year 35,368 offences were reported to the police, as compared with 36,680 for the preceding year. Of the cases reported last year arrests were made or summonses issued in 32,006. The proportion of offences to the population of the Dominion was 2.3 per cent last year as compared with 2.4 per cent the previous year. One of the most satisfactory features is the decrease of 55 in the cases of house-breaking and burglary, the previous year having' disclosed a.u increase of 345. More Sober People. From the Commissioner's report there is no doubt that the population of the country is becoming more sober. The number of arrests for drunkenness last year totalled 4387, a decrease of 818 on those of the previous year, making the number of arrests the lowest since 1878. At that time, the population of the Dominion was 432,352. Last year it was 1,536,964.

The principal increases in crime last year were in petty theft (808), receiving stolen property. (125), inciting violence, disorder, ,or lawlessness (-119), gaming offences (116), and opium smoking (98). Apart from .drunkenness, the principal decreases were: Breaches of the peace (115), vagrancy offences (130), failure to maintain wives and children (532), and being ' found on licensed' premises after hours (139}. '

The number oS murders, fifteen, an increase of two on the previous year, is regrettably high, states the Commissioner. Three were in respect of infants whose deaths were regarded as having been unlawfully caused, and in two-of these cases no arrest resulted. "Bookies" Convicted. During the year 104 prosecutions were conducted against alleged bookmakers, and in 137 cases' convictions were secured. The amount of fines imposed totalled £4532 10/. The total amount of fines imposed for various offences during the year was £30,985, these being the result of 13,889 convictions." The fines were apportioned between the Consolidated Fund, £23,764, Main Highways Revenue Fund, £6956, and local authorities, £265. In commenting on the amount of social unrest, the Commissioner says that there has been a marked decrease. "The small anti-social element in the community is evidently losing its influence with the genuine worker, who has discovered these agitators to be false friends," lie says. Strength of Force. The strength of the permanent force !at ■ the end of the year was 1106, a decrease of 28 on the total of the>, previous year. In addition, there were 26 auxiliaries, including twelve surgeons. A further accession of strength came during the year in the appointment of 89 temporary constables, appointed on .probation to fill vacancies, as they occur, in the permanent force. The actual strength of the force, including all auxiliary and temporary units, showed a net increase, at the end of the year, of 38.