THE POLICE FORCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9318, 19 August 1908, Page 2

THE POLICE FORCE.

- — ♦ — THE ANNUAL REPORT. - The annual report (if the New Zealand police force for ' the year ended March 31, which has just been issued, contains some interesting statistics regarding crime in the dominion. me present strength of the force is given as 734, an increase of 35 during the year This includes 9 inspectors, 6 sub-inspectors 50 detectives, 83 sergeants and 586 constables. _Tlurtotal number of offences reported to the police during the year ended December 31 shovm a not increase of 2044 over the aggregate for 1906, cf which increase drunkenness (993 cases), breaches of the peace (165 cases), thert (lb£> cases), and indecent exposure or behaviour (114 cases) are the principal items. . Inspector Gillies, reporting on the Christohurch district, states that the strength of the district force is 138. The total number cf offences reported during 1907 was 3651, and the number of persons apprehended or summoned was 3485. An increase of 236 offences was shown over 1906 ; the principal items in the increase being drunkenness 73, trespass 68, .malicious injury to property 44, disorderly conduct 42, indecent exposure or behaviour 32, thefts 30, and- common assaults 22. There were decreases in the number of neglected "and criminal children of 21, and of cases of obscene and profane language 45. The number of bicycles reported as lost or stolen was 413, and of these 61 were not. recovered, butthere were 32 bicycles in store, unclaimed, some of which, if not all, were probably stolen. There were upwards of 30,000 bicycles in use in. the city of Christchurch, and 'while some M'efe made secure with a chain or lock in the absence of their owners, . others were left in the public streets and by--ways and sometimes for hours at a time without locks or fastenings of any kind. The number of prosecutions by | the police for breaches of Christchurch | city by-laws was 334, as compared with j 510 the previous year. Sly grog-sell-ing in the district was confined chiefly to Ashburton and Oamaru, as these were towns in no-license districts. The difficulties which beset the local police in procuring evidence in such cases were well known, and little, if any, j assistance could be relied upon from I residents, whose sympathies were with the grog-sellers. There were 36 prosecutions during the year, as <against 1 16 the previous year. Convictions, were obtained against 28 persons, aiid fines were inflicted amounting in the aggregate to £420. The conduct of the police force, with a few exceptions, had been satisfactory during the year.