THE STATISTICS OF CRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 4

THE STATISTICS OF CRIME.

It is not always possible Jo draw correct deductions from the statistics of crime, but in a general way they are a sufficiently true index of the social condition of a town or country. The figures which we publish to-day of the records of the Auckland Police Court for IDOfi would appear, at the first glance, to disclose an alarming increase of crime, but when we come to subject them to a process of analysis this impression is largely corrected. Taking the number of indictable offences, which is probably the safest criterion of the increase or decrease of crime, we find that though it shows an increase it is comparatively small in proportion to the total number of persons charged. It is, however, regrettable to find even a small increase in this class of offences, for it indicates the growth of a criminal element in the community. There is also another feature of the returns which .is to be greatly deplored, gamely, the increase in the number of offences against, women. Whatever may be the'eause. it is a matter which reveals a stale of morality that, one would hardly have expected to find in a new country like New Zealand. Some surprise will, no doubt, be felt at the small number of cases in which the First Offenders Act was applied. While 517 persons wcw* sent to prison without the option of a fine, only eight received the benefit of the Act. By far the largest number of charges which came before the Court related to drunkenness, the figures showing an increase of 105 over those for the year 1905. Although the number of prohibition orders issued during the year constituted a record, this means of dealing with this particular evil does not appear to have had anv appreciable effect. The same offenders come tip before the Court over and over again, whether "prohibited'' or not, and it is clear that until some more satisfactory method is devised of dealing with habitual drunkard:! no improvement can be looked for. Indeed, the conclusion that is forced upon the social reformer from a study of the criminal statistics is that until some sweeping change is made in our penal system no serious check to crime is possible. The old faith in the efficacy of punishment as a deterrent to crime is no longer what it was. It. is recognised that new and different methods -ire needed. Under the present system the criminal is scourged but not reformed.