POLICE REPORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1932, Page 5

POLICE REPORT

DECREASE IN DRUNKENNESS. WELLINGTON, October 13. Prosecutions in connection .with bookmaking during last year totalled 142, convictions numbering 120. As a result of these convictions fines totalling £4271 10/. were imposed. These facts were contained in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police (Mr W. G. Wohlmahn) to Parliament. Last year 36,600 offences were reported to the police, a reduction of 534 on the total of the previous year. Arrests were made or summonses issued in 32,659 cases. The proportion cf offences to population was 2.4 per cent, as against 2.46 per cent the previous year. The principal increases in crime last year were offences of petty theft, burglary and breaches of the Motor Vehicles Act; while the principal decreases were in drunkenness,' sexual offences, being on licensed premises after hours, failure to maintain wives and families and breaches •' of prohibition orders. In two years cases of drunkenness have decreased by 31 per cent. This is attributed to decreased purchasing power and the changing habits of the people. Referring to Ahe increase in the number of murders from seven in 1930 to thirteen in 1931, the report states that this should not be regarded as abnormal. There were thirteen cases of murder in 1920, 1926, and 1927; and over the past thirteen Real's the average has been 9.5. The circumstances in which these crimes were committed indicated that they were not preventable by any police measure.