Police Chief Says Crime Figures Not Really Disturbing

Northern Advocate, 21 December 1945, Page 5

Police Chief Says Crime Figures Not Really Disturbing

(Rec. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 20. The crime figures were not really disturbing and most Londoners were still able to go about their daily; business without bothering what they were going to encounter at the next corner, declared the Commissioner of Police (Sir Harold Scott) to the Press. He added that although he did not wish to belittle the serious figures which showed an increase of 26 per cent, in indictable crimes over last year, there were considerations which should be borne in mind. They were: (1) All crimes were more accurately recorded than in 1938. The rise in values since that time lifted many offences, previously regarded as petty thefts, into the category of larceny in dwellings. There was, - admittedly, a large increase in robbery and assaults, but to put the matter in its real perspective, the total cases in the past 11 months were only 299. It was not surprising after six years of war when affairs were settled by force and the law of the jungle that the general atmosphere affected the behaviour of some people. MANY DESERTERS (2) There was such a shortage ol ! goods that they were easy to dispose of, which was a tremendous encouragement to crime. (3) There was a large number of British and Allied deserters who could live only by preying on the public. Figures quoted by Sir Harold showed that housebreaking increased by 33 per cent over 1944, and 27 per cent over 1938; shopbreaking, 91 per cent and 137 per cent; robbery and assault, 40 per cent and 106 per cent; larcency in dwellings, 48 per cent and 155 per cent; offences against persons, 32 per cent and 23 per cent. There have been about 30 murders so far this year, which is the normal average.