THE LONDON POLICE

Evening Star, Issue 12674, 30 November 1905, Page 3

THE LONDON POLICE

The report of the Commissioner of Police of the London metropolis for 1904 was re centlv issued as it Blue Bock. The authorised" strength of the force on December 01, 1904, was'"3o superintendents, 539 anspecto;s.'2.l4B sergeants, and 14,129 confitables; total 16,846—-beinn an increase of 13 mspec;ors, -35 sergeants-, iuid 231 constables. Of then?, five superintendents 52 ins.pectr.r3. 220 tt.-rgear.ts, and 1.627 constables were emploved on special duties for various Government departments and by public eonw punies and private individuals. Tltc mean rul-oable value of the metropolitan area ior metropolitan police purposes for the ve-.ir 1904-5 was £49.766,916, but of the enormous actiiii! value of the propeity in charge of the police it is impossible to farm anv estimate. The fiolice rate is now fixed bv" 51 and 3?. Vict., c 67, at 9*l in the £, of which 4d in the £ is payable out of the local taxation account under the Local Government Act. ISSS. The total amount of police rate raised from the parishes for the year eudrd March 51, 19C5. was £1.050,191, an.) the l.K:al taxation account (including £4.389 under the Agricultural Rates Act. 18961 contributed £823,900 to tlie Police Fund during the year. The pay of (he force alone, including chief constables. s-uper ; r.tenC"n's, inspectors, sergeants, and con,table;-., was £1.450,213. —Number of Apprehensions. — Tho total numlier of persons apprehended during (lie year for all offences included m the icturns war, 126,530, on incrrsue of 1,976 as compared with the proef-ding year. Of these. 5.167 wcie convicted at- Missions. 101.423 were convicted by magistrates. 519 v.-e-ro as-quittcu, bills ignored, etc. at, sessions, and 21.347 were di--ch:..rge>d by magistrate!!. There was an ineix.ase of 845 an tbe. number of criminal off. nets reported (luring tho y<ar. and an i-.0r.-ace of 910 in the number of felonies relating lo property, with a slidit incest--? in lhe number of jx'rsoiis r.p. piehindi-d. The proportion of felonies- 1o each 1,000 of the estimated papulation was 2.693. The value of the property stolen rieereasrd by ££3.OC9. to; comi»urtd with 1.503, with a slight iucwuse in the value of pr< jx-r! v teooveiec!. Burgl.irje.s drcrea* .1 fiom 536 in 1905 i» 471 in 1904. iind housebreakings from 1,877 in 1903 to 1,671 ie 1904. Violence to the perwon was ukxl in one case of and five caw-.; of liou-e bieaking onlv. Twenty cjke« of murder of poisons above one year of age were reported as compared with 17 in 1905. One thoit.and and twenty-six clubs were registor<si during tbe under the provi-rt.on-s of th<' Licensing Act. 1902. Orders were made by Conns of summary jurisdiction for 52 of ike-", clubs to be struck oif the register. Of 2.010 summonves isvue.l for offeuccji umh-r the Motor Car Act. 1817, conviction*; were obtained, and 193 oases were dis n ii.-.-'? d. —Finger-print Systejn.— Th. linger print.* of criminals left on buttles, glasses, articles of plate, caf.h box'-s, etc. wde during tho. y-ar the means of ei ali'iing the ii.vi s:i-..ting oiliivis (in many ea.-.es of l.uigia'ry, lioum. bieaking. and ill one of nnirdei) to place befoie the tiotu-tfi, Ix.th in Loiui<i:i an.i in the provinces, most valua.ble esorohorative evidence. The system, in fact, oeu.'iuiies to show excellent rriiults. end ii.'i value i, now fullv recog-ni.-ted. Identiil.-it .;.-.-• hv this method have iucreiLSed. in. a >r.it;s.aett.i-v manner, 5,155 recoguitions having U.M.71 ell"c(ed during the ear. 2.616 for ;b.- m-ttopoiit.m (Hilice and 2.659 )ct provincial fore-.-', asa.g«ii;.st 3,642. o! which 'A.id'.i i.eii' rua.ie on meticpohtan and 1.5'i0 on provincial " 'in 1905. The r.saiit obielned is ten time:-- larger than iho highest, ii-tms tceiii.d by the anth'opo-n-w-tiic mttliod which i.a.s in 1C"!1. —Aceidetif--: Lo>( Proper!y.— The Tiiimher of accident- which occurred in the srr.-er-, during 1904 bv which persoi!-- were killed was 155. as compared with '-! in 1905, -i.n.l 175 in 1902. ]huingl9ol, .■i'i «.f tli.-.s:- w.-i-e cause.! bv .-ovcred vehiclci. a, , on.pared with 2:? "1905. and 42 in i.f')-',. Tu- nu'nbo'- of accidenifi which oc-carr.-d i:. tlie svtr.ets by which pc-TKOiis were iiijate-i wo-- 10.381. as compared with 10.232 in 1905. and 9,605 in 19C2, and exeeeT.[s- the numl.--r in any ye.*ir, 1.358 of tJi-ri-c we:- i-siisil bv covered vehicles, as louip.tnyl with 1,396 in 1905, and 1.161 in 1902. Duritii: 19C4 there wen- received in the i.e.-; Piopertv Oliice 52.131 ;u-ticl« found In public carriage.. l !, n li.ic.li, <s>inp<ire<l with -.iie ligure-; for 1905. shows a still further :ncr.s-,e_Ui 11.., niiiniiiT of articles deposited i>] 3,943. Am-.ugh! Ihe propertv wera. as usir.il. -ov-rii i.ui-se.s coin.-i ming" over £lO, many bank i-.ot.e. c.i.se-- of valuable- uic!>7>.;ug li-;-e, a rabbit, pigeon, <-j.t. orA a dorr. 2i.6°0 articles, of the declared value of £25.8:5 19s 4-1. re-stores! to their owuets. the residue (with u j | feM- being, after throe months. j r turned to th:- driver* and conductors who dcposiUd tii.-m with the police, 'llieawards 1,a. ; .il t.-v <(.--,m-i-- :it,il ..-.-..i-in.-lor- rfuri-nr; 190 A ' imount-d to .95.411 17s. and included the following sons : Nine of £5. fwo of £7. mi-.- of £O. four of £.-|r). ore of £l2, two of £ls. one of £2O. one of £25. one of £75, and one of £IOO.