MURDERERS WHO ESCAPE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18653, 7 September 1922, Page 8

MURDERERS WHO ESCAPE

According to the annual report of General Sir William Horwood, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, 29 persona, including infante, are known to have been murdered in London last year. Eight persons were arrested, in connection with the crimes, and five of them were convicted. One,of the five was a woman, convicted of the murder of an infant. There were 27 attempts to murder, in respect of which eight persona wore convicted. Five hundred and seventy-one persons were killed in street accidents, in which vehicles were concerned, and 22,647 were injured. There was a decline of more than 3000 in the number of charges of drunkenness preferred! by the police, "but one of the factors contributing to this result,” it is stated, would appear to be the lack of employment. It has been noted in the past that a period of prosperity makes for heavy work at the police courts.” Tire total number of summonses issued was 37,492, a drop of 12,499 compared with 1920, the absence of prosecutions against motorists for exceeding the speed limit, except in the Eoyal Parks, accounting for more than 6000 of the decrease.' Women patrols proved helpful in many ways. More than 14,000 identifications were proved by finger-prints. Compared with 10 years ago, American citizens living in Londton have increased from 1869 to 6635, Belgians from 1977 to 8207, Chinese from 225 to 1588, French from 13,032 to 16,271, Japanese from 333 to 1323, and Russians and Poles from 56,389 to 64,404. Germans have decreased from 26,635 to 12,549, of whom 7392 are women, many being British-born wives. "Austrians have decreased from 7551 to 4938, of whom 2456 are women. Discipline in the police force has shown a marked improvement during the past two years. “The shortage of housing accommodation,” it is stated, "is causing a great deal of expense to the police fund, as well as e. considerable loss of police protection to the public. . . . Many of the men are living under conditions that must be a real hardship to them and their families, and not conducive to good health and comfort.” There was one constable who had been in the force for 46 years. Fifty-nine policemen were bitten by dogs.