LONDON. CRIME FIGURES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 302, 22 December 1945, Page 5

LONDON. CRIME FIGURES

SERIOUS, NOT ALARMING Heed. 6 p.m. London, Dec. 20. “The crime figures are not reallydisturbing and most Londoners are still able to go about their daily business without bothering what they arc gong to encounter at the ‘next corner,” declared the Commissiner ot Police, Sir Harold Scott, to the Press. He added that although he did not /wish to belittle serious figures, which showed an increase of 26 per cent, in indictable crimes over last eyar there were cons derations which should be borne in mind. All crimes were more accurately recorded than in 1938, and the rise in values since that time had lilted many offences previously regarded as petty thefts into the category of larceny in dwellings. There was admittedly a large increase in the number of roboer.es and assaults, but to put the matlA- in a real perspective, the total cases in the past 11 months was only 299. It is not surprising that alter six years of war, when affairs were settled by force and the law of tho jungle, that the general atmosphere have effected the behaviour ot some people. Then there was such a shortage of goods that they were easy to dispose of, which was a tremendous encouragement to crime. There was also a large lumber of British and Allied deserters who could live only by preying on the public. Figures quoted by Sir Harold showed that housebreaking had increased by 33 per cent, over 3944, and 27 pe. cent, oxer 1938, shop-oreaking by 137 per cent., robbery and assault. 106 per cent., and larceny in dwellings 155 per cent., offences against the person 32 per cent. 'l’hero wore about 30 murders so far this year, which was the normal average.