CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 14963, 24 August 1912, Page 1

CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

AN UNENVIABLE REPUTATION. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 24. "Auckland has always enjoyed an unenviable reputation for having a larger number of prisoners for trial at the quarterly sittings of the. Supreme Court than any ot the other large centres of the Dominion," remarked the Commissioner of Police in a special report upon crime iu Auckland, which the Hon. Mr Herdman read to the House yesterday afternoon. Mr Cullen points out that there are many conditions existing in the Auckland' district that help to swell the criminal statistics there. Some of these were its past isolation from the rest of the Dominion and the frequent intercourse to Sydney and the Pacific Coast. The result was that many undesirables came from one or other of these places and made Auckland their temporary home while they pursued a career of crime. The late Ivohn burglary case was an example of how oversea criminals exploit Auckland. Then there were some undesirables who followed gumdigging, coal and gold mining, sawmilling, and bush-felling for a time, and at other times followed a career of crime. There wore also the hardened criminals sent to Auckland gaols for safe-keeping, who upon their discharge preferred to remain about Auckland, whilst others drifted back to again try their hand at crime in Auckland. There were also a number of spielers, pickpockets, and racecourse guessers who spent the whole of the winter about Auckland, and they also contributed to the criminal records. Then last, but certainly lot least, was the locally-r.iiserl Auckland criminal, who could hold his own in the walks of crime with the best of the overseas undesirables who visited the Dominion. The Commissions.• pointed out that during 1911 there was really a decrease in serious crime all over the Auckland district. As to the newspaper comments upon the alleged inferiority of certain members of the Auckland force, the Commissioner urged that this was hardly fair to the men now serving in the district, who would compare favorably with the members of any police force south of the Line. On the question of additions to the Force, th* Commissioner said that he was asking for an extra 24, and a fair proportion of these would go to Auckland. At the same time, he pointed out that the Sydney Police Force was being inrrensed by 250 and Queensland by 200 during the current year. The New Zealand Force could well do with an extra oO men instead of the 24 he was asking for, and even then the Dominion would not be overstaffed. In conclusion, Commissioner Cullen said he knew nothing about the alleged political influence referred to in the Press.