CRIME IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 21079, 16 April 1932, Page 13

CRIME IN BRITAIN

HOIE SECRETARY'S STATEMENT COMPARATIVE FIGURES (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, April 15. (Received April 16, at noon.) Reviewing the recent criminal statistics during the House of Commons debate on tho Homo Office vote. Sir Herbert Samuel said tho public mind had been disturbed by tho increase in certain classes of crime. In London the number of burglary and breaking and entering cases had risen from 3,000 in 1913 to 8.000 in 1931. As for the socalled “ smash-and-grab ” raids, there were 19 in 1929 in the metropolitan area, 20 in 1930. in 1931 (from May to November) the figure was' 16, in the month of January this year the figure had risen to 20, in February to 29, and in March to 31. The figure was now about three times as high as seven or eight years ago, This was a mattef which rightly gave rise to much concern.

In regard to murders,, a comparatively small number of very shocking crimes had taken place recently, but the impression that there had been a wave of murderous crimes was incorrect. The figure for last year was slightly below the pre-war year. Only ten of 109 murders last year were unsolved.

There was an increase in 1930 in juvenile crime, but although it was much to be deplored, it did not indicate a grave and sudden change, and it was still considerably less' than in pre-war days.

Among the tendencies at work to diminish Crime was the general social improvement that had occurred in the last two generations. Few crimes were committed now by elderly people.

Referring to criminals of 25 to 80 years old, who very largely contributed to the present increase in indictable offences, he said they represented a big problem. The war was to a large extent responsible for them taking to criminal ways, for at the impressionable time of their youth discipline was lax owing to the absence of their fathers. He also referred to the extreme economic depression as being partly responsible, A further cause was the motor car, which had given greater facilities for the commission of certain crimes, and on the other hand led to the spreading out of the urban population. As to the cinema, his advisers were of the opinion that it conduced more to the prevention than to the commission of crime by keeping boys out of mischief,