CRIME STATISTICS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 85, 7 October 1920, Page 6

CRIME STATISTICS

The annual report of the Commissioner of Police, which was recently submitted to the House of Representatives, enables some interesting analyses to be made. The total number of offences in which arrests took place or in" which summonses were issued in 1919 (the statistics are in «arii case up to the 31st December) was 23,312, as against 18,043 in 1918, an increase of 5269. This is a very considerable year's addition in crime, and may be attributed at first glance to the demoralising effect of war, but higher though last year's figures are than the previous twelve months they are yet 3182 less than for 1914 (26,494). The offences, fpi drunkenness were '■.lightly under a. thousand more last year than in 1918 (1918, 7228; 1919, 8216), but again last year's total was 4973 below the 1914 record, 13,189. There is some causs for satisfaction in this, though it is regrettable that there should have been an increase on last year. One good feature is that the number of convictions against women for this offence is shown to be on the decline, for in 1914 there were 930 females charged, in 1918 495, and lasi year 458, a fall from 1914 of nearly 50 per cent. The arre:;ts for serious criminal offences unfortunately show an increase both on last year and on 1914. The " serious " offences Sre set out as: robbery, arson, burglary, forging and uttering, murder, rape, receiving stolen property, and wounding with intent. In 1914 the figures were. 578, in 1918 529, and last year 636. The increase on 1914, however, is not very great—sß—and is accounted for in the greater number of burglary cases. Burglary principally accounts for the increase over last year also—that and forgery. In indecent and sexual offences the statistics show 'an increase last year over the previous twelve months of 19, but a decrease of 30 compared with the last pre-war year (1914, 418 cases.: 1919, 388). There is therefore not mud) ground for argument, from the .criminal statistics, for those who hold that war lias had a- debasing effect on the character of men. Another interesting table in the report shows that whereas in 1914 the percentage of convictions for drunkenness per 10,000 of ih» popuUMon wijji 1^0.6, in 1938, this list yen' given, it was 63.5,