CRIMINAL BAROMETER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17267, 17 September 1919, Page 11

CRIMINAL BAROMETER.

FIGURES FOR DOMINION. WORK OF THE POLICE. TWO YEARS COMPARED. [FT TELEGRAPH — SPECIAJ. REPORTER.) WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The criminal statistics contained in the fcnnua. report by the Commissioner of Police show that during the past year here as an aggregate net decrease of | 8667 orlctn es reported, compared with the | previous 12 months. The proportion of j offences to the population whs 1.64 per emit., as against 189 in the previous . year. | 1 he two offences showing the most considerable increases- were theft and mallei- j pus injury to property. j J"f11 most considerable, decreases were I diunkenness 157» cases fewer, vagrancy &>-.>. failure tc maintain wives and families iol, and desertion from ships 155. i Ihe total number of offences reported J. r the Dominion was 19.067, of which Ib,CWS resulted in arrests or the issue of summon.Mi-, leaving a balance of 1024. Tims, listed as morions < rimes numbered 616. of which 526 resulted in arrests, compared with 644 and 518 respectively fur the previous, year, so that there were 23 fewer serums offences reported, while tho.'c in which no arrests were made decr*a.«ec from 126 to 90. The indecent and sexual offences de-trfla.'-ed from 445 to 545 There were 130 prosecutions for sly •grog-selling during the yi»r, resulting in &7 convictions, against 133 prosecutions and 118 convictions during the preceding year The fines imposed on sly g'oggeilers amounted to £1396. as against £1632 during the previous 12 months. The direct cost to the Department in detecting ami prosecuting sly grogBe.llers was £361. this being .C 1035 less than the amount of the fines imposed.