CRIMINAL STATISTICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2082, 18 January 1894, Page 14

CRIMINAL STATISTICS.

The statistics for Dunedin during the past year, compiled by Mr Ralfe, clerk of court, are as follow : —

The total number of persons taken into custody and summoned was : — Males 1366, females 352, a total of 1718, of which number there were discharged for want of prosecution 257 males and 79 females; dismissed on merits, 128 males and 15 females ;- committed for trial, 33 males and 1 female ; and 948 males and 257 females were summarily convicted. The punishments awarded to those convicted were as follow :— Fifeed, 363 males and 56 females ; imprisoned in lieu of fine, 100 males and 62 females ; peremptorily imprisoned, 87 males and 28 females ; whipped, 2 (males) ; bound over, 9 males and 1 female; released under Probation Act, 3 males and 1 female ; orders made against 147 males and 75 females ; convicted and discharged, 237 males and 34 females.

The individual offences charged were : — Felonious offences againßt the person : Aggravated assault, 3 males, 2 being committed for trial and the other discharged ; indecent assault, 1 apprehended and discharged ; attempted rape, 2 charged, 1 committed and 1 discharged ; attempted suicide, 4 apprehended and discharged; wounding with intent, 7 apprehended, 3 committed and 4 discharged. The next class are common assaults and other offences against the person. Of these there were : Common assault, 60 males and 30 females charged, 40 males and 27 females being discharged, 7 males and 2 females dismissed on the merits, 13 males and 1 female convicted ; assaulting the police, 12 males and 1 female charged, 3 males dismissed, 9 males and 1 female convicted ; breach of the peace, 41 males and 2 females charged, 4 males discharged, 10 dismissed on the merits, 27 males and 2 females convicted. The next class is malicious injury to property. In this the charges were: Arson, 2 males charged, 1 discharged and 1 committed ; general injuries, 36 males and 15 females charged, 9 males and 11 females, discharged, 7 males and 1 female dismissed on the merits, 20 males and 3 females convicted. In the fourth class, larceny, burglary, &c, there were: Assault and robbery, burglary, and cattle stealing, 1 male in each case; charged and committed for trial ; conspiracy to defraud, 3 males charged and committed ; embezzlement, 2 males charged and committed ; false pretences, 10 males and 1 female charged, 3 males and 1 female discharged, 2 males committed for trial, 5 males convicted ; housebreaking, 11 males and 1 female charged, 10 males and 1 female committed, 1 male summarily convicted and whipped ; larceny, 110 males and 14 females charged, 15 males and 4 females discharged, 15 males and 1 female dismissed on the merits, 3 males committed, 77 males and 9 females summarily convicted ; receiving stolen property, 3 males charged and discharged . In class 5, offences against revenue acts, highway and health acts, &c, there being 33 kinds of offences, the following are the principal items : — By-laws, 125 males and 10 females charged, 87 males and 10 females convicted ; for selling light-weight bread, 6 males were charged, (| and all wero convicted ; truant children, charges against 55 males and 37 females, orders being made respecting 40 males and 21 females ; indigent children, 22 males and 25 females before the court, orders being made in respect to 16 males' and 24 females ; cattle trespass, 35 males and 3 females were charged, 34 males and 3 females being convicted; non-registration of dogs, 110 males and 22 females, convictions being recorded against 78 males and 14 females ; maintenance cases, 119 males and 3 females, orders being made against 20 males and sentences of imprisonment against 11 others (males); prohibition orders applied for against 30 males and 2 females, granted against 20 males and 2 females, 10 being withdrawn ; breaches of the Licensing Act, 15 males and 5 females charged, convictions being recorded against 9 males and three females. Other offences, not included in the above classes, comprise a ' dozen items, of which the principal are : Drunkenness, 359 males and 123 females, 354 males and 123 females being convicted; obscenity, 12 males and 2 females charged, 10 males and 1 female convicted ; vagrancy, 23 males and 19 females charged, 12 males and 12 females convicted.

A comparison with the previous year's figures shows a decrease for 1893 of 15 males and 3 females in the total of persona charged ; and the convictions for 1893 were 940 males and 249 females, against 1066 males and 317 females for 1892. The figures of drunkenness show that while there was an increase for 1893 of 18 males brought before the court, a decrease of 42 females is recorded.

The revenue of the court duting the year amounted to £346 18s.

During the past quarter 408 persons were brought before the court, 84 being discharged for want of evidence, 37 being dismissed on the merits, 215 summarily convicted, 12 committed for trial, and 60 otherwise dealt with. The revenue for the quarter was £63 '3s 3d.