INCIDENCE OF. CRIME

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26746, 2 June 1952, Page 8

INCIDENCE OF. CRIME

Trends In Wellington

SERIOUS OFFENCES SAID TO BE FEWER

(New Zealand Press Association) I WELLINGTON, June 1 Wellington police officers say there has been a marked decrease in serious crime in the district in the last 12 months. Some Wellington department stores report that shoplifting has decreased, but others say there has been no change. There has been a decided decrease in cargo pillaging. , . The Superintendent of Police in Wellington (Mr G. P. Paine) said there had been a general decrease in all branches of crime in Wellington. Petty theft was on the decline, and the decrease in serious crimes, such as assaults and large-scale burglaries, had been very noticeable. There was not to much cargo pilfering from the wharves either, said Mr Paine. Much of the broaching of cargo was done overseas. One of the best safeguards against cargo pillaging wa« quick transhipment from wharf to distributor. Goods left lying in stores for any time gave would-be thieves a chance to plan their operations. There had been some cases of breaking and entering, but nothing of very great value had been stolen, Mr Paine continued. Drunkenness, however, wafl definitely increasing. The managers of Wellington department stores reported either a decrease in the activities of shoplifters, or no change in the position recently, but said there had been a considerable improvement since the war years. The manager of one shop said he found most shoplifters to be elderly women and adolescents who had recently left school. Another manager said he considered shoplifting to be on the wane, but store detectives were still necessary. Mr S. F. Smith, of the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation, said the federation had advised all its members to hand over to the police every person caught shoplifting. This practice had been adopted by most of the large stores in Wellington. Heavier penalties, more publicity, and the power of arrest by shop assistants would be the best deterrents, he added. An executive of a big chain store considered that shoplifting, especially by schoolchildren, was increasing. All the managers interviewed said

that shop staffs were loyal to their employers, and that dishonesty among shop assistants was negligible.