POLICE FORCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 4, 5 July 1910, Page 6

POLICE FORCE.

REPORT TO PARLIAMENT. INTERESTING FIGURES. DRUNKENNESS AND SLY GROGSELLING. BOOKMAKERS.

The annual report on the Police Force of the Dominion, laid before Parliament this afternoon, affords interesting reading. The criminal statistics show an aggregate net increase of 420 on the figures of the previous year. Tho proportion of offences to the population was 2.33 per cent., as against 2.33 she previous year. Cases of drunkenness increased by 314, burglary by 112, deserting wives and families by 108, vagrancy by [ 131, disorderly and riotous conduct by 102, sly grog-selling by 76, soliciting prostitution 46, failing to support relatives 56, obscene language, 30, assaults 127, forgery and uttering 51. The number of all offences reported was 23,930, including : Auckland 6063, Wellington 5508, Christchurch 3652, Dunedin 2116. In regard to drunkenness, it is reported that 40.89 per cent, of the males and 73.78 per cent, of the females had previous convictions recorded against them, and 7.45 per cent, of the males were not' permanent residents in the Dominion. The number of persons charged with drunkenness at the principal districts were : — Auckland, 2100 males, 80 females; Wellington, 2639 males, 254 females; Christchurch, 1522 males, 145 females ; Dunedin, 744 males, 69 females. Figures for Sunday drunkenness at the four centres were : — Auckland and suburbs, 23 males ; Wellington and suburbs, 32 males, 6 females; Christchurch and suburbs, 19 miles, 3 females; Dunedin and suburbs, 9 males, 3 females. The number of prosecutions (213) against hotelkeepers during the year shows an increase of 36 as compared with the previous year. In the various districts they were: — Auckland, 49 and 12 convictions; Thames, 8 and 5 convictions ; Napier, 13 and 9 convictions ; Wanganui, 19 and 9 convictions ; Wellington, 28 and 17 convictions ; Greymouth, 55 and 36 convictions; Christchurch, 24 and 7 convictions; Dunedin, 16 and 8 convictions ; Invercargill, one and no conviction. There were 235 prosecutions for sly grog-selling, resulting in 154 convictions, against 158 and 127 convictions during the preceding year. The fines imposed' •totalled £2358, and the direct cost to the Dominion in detecting and' prosecuting sly grog-sellers was £1090. There were 239 prosecutions, resulting in 208 convictions, during the yeaT under the gaming laws. "The question of licensing bookmakers," says the report, "will have to be very seriously considered, and some restriction be placed upon the many undesirable characters who, under the present law, follow the profession of bookmaking."