CRIME IS NEW ZEALAND

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 32

CRIME IS NEW ZEALAND

INCREASE IN THE AGGREGATE

DECLINE IN SERIOUS OFFENCES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 5. The crime in the dominion, as re/.-aled by the report of the Police Department which was presented to the House to day, showed a slight increase in 1912 over 1911, The offences reported to the police were 982 more than in 1911, while the proportion of offences to the population was 2.35 per cent, as against 2.32 per cent, for the previous year. The heaviest increases were in threatening words or behaviour (114), deserted or absented from merchant vessels (120), drunkenness (185), failing to provide for wives, children, or relatives (76), and gaming offences (193). The percentage of arrests or summonses resulting from all offences reported during 1912 was 95.59, while the figures for the preceding year were 93.97. The number of all offences reported in the several police districts during the year was as follows : Auckland 6833 Hamilton and Thames ... 971 Napier 2197 Wanganui 2445 Wellington 6025 Grey mouth .. ...• 1013 Christchurch 4011 Dunedin 1773 Invercargill 713 A return shows that serious crime was below the average for the last 10 years. There were 617 cases as against 550 in 1911. During the last 10 years the number of serious crimes has varied from 520 to 759, so that the total of 617 is slightly below the avex'age. There is a decrease this year of 99 in the number of indecent and sexual offences. DRUNKENNESS. There was an increase of 185 in the number of persons prosecuted for drunkenness during last year. Of the males 38.12 Eer cent, and of the females 61.38 per cent, ad previous convictions recorded against them, and 5.97 per cent, of the males were not permanent residents of the dominion. The to'.al number of persons charged was 11,178 males and 808 females. The return allowing the number of persons arrested for drunkenness in the four principal centres makes very bad reading for Wellington. The numbers arrested were : —Auckland and suburbs, 1559 males and 183 females; Wellington and suburbs, 2534 males and 306 females; Christchurch and suburbs, 779 males and 119 females; Dunedin and suburbs, 494 males and 63 females. With the exception of one man in Wellington every person arrested was convicted. In Wellington there was an increase in the number of arrests of 387, In Auckland a decrease of 170, in Christchurch a decrease of 129, and in Dunedin a decrease of 60. THE OTAGO DISTRICT.

The report of Superintendent Dwyer, in charge of the Dunedin district, states that there were 1773 reported offences during Jaat year — a decrease of 167 cases on the

figures for 1911. The decrease was accounted for by a falling off in drunkenness, disobeying orders of the court, and thefts. There had been no serious crimes in the district during the year calling for special mention. The licensing laws had been strictly enforced, and sly-grog selling in no-license areas had been kept well in check.