THE BURGLARY SCARE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13745, 9 May 1908, Page 6

THE BURGLARY SCARE.

IS THERE A GANG AT WORK ? NEED FOR MORE POLICE. Householders and property-owners in < and around the city are naturally a good , deal perturbed at the frequent reports of , the depredations of burglars. It would , appear as if both Auckland arid Welling- ; ton are being exploited at the present time by an organised gang of criminals. Indications seem to point to the presence -j in the Dominion of sonic experienced : cracksmen, and it is thought in several quarters that these undesirables'" have come from Sydney. ■ 1 It does not tend to alleviate the anxiety of the public to find that the police are ■, apparently unable to lay hands on these parties. Doubtless all the means that lie at the command of the authorities are brought into force, but the fact that -all their efforts have so far been futile arouses an undoubted sense of insecurity. Re- ■ ports from Wellington show that the scare has attained to even more alarming proportions than here. The five cases that have come to light in Auckland, and the 12 or 13 recorded in Wellington within about a week are probably short of the •mark. - The practice of the police in both centres is to avoid publicity in these matters, and consequently a. strict reticencc is observed. Whilst this principle may be a good one, in that -perpetrators of felonies are kept in a state of uncertainty as to whether or no the police are on their tracks, there is another side of . the question. In England, and other countries, where a burglary occurs A description of ■any articles stolen is handed to the,press. Dealers and others are thus put on their guard, and the danger of offering stolen goods for sale minimises the thieves' chances of disposing of their ill-gotten treasure at a profit.,, • ' At the back of the whole question, however, is the apparent inability of the police to bring home the crimes to the perpetrators. In some quarters it is considered that! the convict who escaped from Waiotapu prison camp may have reached Auckland, and may be responsible for some of this work. . To is impossible to avoid coming to the conclusion that the strengthening of our police force is an urgent necessity. Commissioner Dinnie has stated that more constables are to be allocated ,to Auckland. In the meantime householders, without being unduly prone to take an alarmist view, will be well-advised to keep a stricter eye than hitherto on their belonging!!. • • BOY BURGLARS. [BY telegraph.—TßESS ASSOCIATION.] Hastings, Friday. . Two burglaries occurred here on Wednesday night which are believed to be. the work of-boys. - '■ . v - ,■