THE POLICE FORCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 32

THE POLICE FORCE

ANNUAL REPORT. DECREASE IN CRIME. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 10. The annual report of the Police Department shows the strength of the force to be 870 of all ranks. Of these, 707 are constables.

The criminal statistics show an aggregate net of 566 on the previous year’s figures, the proportion of offences to the population being 2.4 per cent. The principal increases during the year appear under the following headings: —Abusive, insulting, or threatening words or behaviour, 78; assaults (indecent), 66; breaches of the peace and disobeying orders on board ships, 63; failing to provide maintenance for wives, etc., 93; illegally on premises, 57; sly grog-seling, 21; theft (undescribed),'233. The principal decreases were : —Assault (common), 72; deserting merchant vessels, 61; disobeying orders of court and summonses, 41; disorderly conduct, 57; drunkenness, 177; false pretences, 55; forgery and uttering, 52; gaming offences, 138; malicious injury to properfy, 81; neglected and criminal children, 75; obscene and profane language, 71; refusing. to quit licensed premises, 54; siireties of the peace, 91; theft by servants, 45; theft of cattle and horses, 33. The number of persons charged with drunkenness was 11,707, of whom 10,9u0 were males and 767 females. The numbers of people convicted for drunkenness in the principal centres was: —Auckland and suburbs, 1632; Wellington and suburbs, 2553; Christchurch and suburbs, 714; Dunedin and suburbs, 726The convictions against hotelkeepers were:—Auckland, 14; Hamilton, 21; Napier, 9; Wanganui, 15; Wellington, 17; Grey mouth, 21; Christchurch, 8; Dunedin, 8; Invercargill, 2. The commissioner states "that the conditions under which the New Zealand police are now serving are better than those obtaining in any other police service in the Empire. He adds: —“For many years past the Government has been expending considerable sums of money in various localities in providing workers’ homes, and I am of opinion that if a similar scheme applied to this department could be carried out very satisfactory results would accrue. In providing workers’ homes, the land upon which the houses are erected has to be purchased, but this ’ would not be necessary in the case of this department, as there are ample Government sites lying idle in many towns. The total amount which the department has paid in house allowances to members of the force during the past 10 years is £64,500, the annual expenditure under this heading having increased from £3500 in 1904 to £10,280 last year.” DUNEDIN DISTRICT. The report by Superintendent Mitchell (Dunedin district) is commendably brief and to the point. He says : —The strength of_ the force in this district on March 31 was—One superintendent, 1 sub-inspector, 2 senior sergeants, 11 sergeants, 86 constables, 1 chief detective, 2 detectives, 1 acting detective, 1 matron, 1 surgeon. No stations have been opened or closed during the year. ' During the year two constables retired on superannuation, seven resigned, and one compulsorily resigned. The number of all offences reported was 2006, as against 2778 during the preceding year. Of this number less than 6 ' per cent, remained undetected. The increase is mainly made up as follows: —Common assaults, 11; breaches of the peace, 19 j disobeying orders of the court, 9; disorderly conduct, 7; drunkenness, 216 (Dunedin 151 and Port Chalmers 37); false pretences, 5; furious riding, etc., 27; illegally on premises, 34; mischief, 10; obscene language, 25; resisting police, 10; and attempted suicide, 8. It is very difficult to account for the increase in drunkenness. With a few r exceptions the general conduct of the force during the year has been good. There was n# increase in serious crime, and what was committed was of a general and ordinary description, and calls for no special comment.