2

H.—l6

Criminal Statistics. The criminal statistics (Appendix A) deal with all offences reported to the police during the year ended the. 31st December last, and show an aggregate net increase of 911 on the figures of 1905, this being about the average yearly increase on a population basis. The proportion of offences to the population was 2-21 per cent. The following return shows the number of offences reported in each Police District during the year, the number of cases in which arrests or summonses resulted, and the number in which no prosecution followed : —

The principal increases during the year as shown by the statistics were as follows, viz.: — Absconding from industrial schools ... 48 Illegally on premises ... ... ... 51 Deserters from H.M. ships ... ... 62 Malicious injury to property ... ... 77 Disorderly conduct ... ... ... 53 Obscene language ... ... ... 106 Drunkenness ... ... ... ... 503 Vagrancy ... ... ... ... 87 The principal decreases were— Assaults, common ... ... ... 60 Opium, smoking or in possession of ... 55 Burglary, breaking into shops, dwellings, &c. 82 Sly-grog selling ... ... ... 50 Disobeying orders on board ships ... 46 Theft undescribed ... ... ... 79 The percentage of arrests or summonses resulting from all offences reported during the year under review is 9565, the figures of the preceding year being 9487. Sbeious Crimes. Prom the following return of serious crimes it is satisfactory to note the decrease (82) in the number of burglaries reported during the year. The number of arrests which resulted from serious offences reported appears figuratively small, but it frequently occurs that one person commits a series of offences, a number of which are not brought home to him, hence the apparent discrepancy. ■ The following is a return of the number of serious crimes as compared with the preceding year:—

District. Number of all Offenoes reported. Number of Offences Number in which in which Arrests no Arrests or or Summonses Summonses reresulted. suited. Auckland Napier Wanganui Wellington Greymouth Christchurch Dunedin 5,273 2,089 2,405 5,000 574 3,415 1,740 664 5,088 2,019 2,339 4,872 533 3,209 1,556 625 185 70 66 128 41 206 184 39 Invercargill 21,160 20,241 10,241 919

1905. 1906. Crimes. Arson Assault and robbery ... Burglary (breaking into shops and dwellings) Forgery and uttering ... Murder 16 45 397 112 5 1 11 40 5 • 14 34 241 97 5 1 11 36 5 17 55 315 103 6 7 10 41 4 14 48 231 86 5 7 9 41 4 „ attempted ... ... Eape Eeceiving stolen property ... Shooting with intent ... 632 444 558 445