H.—l6.

Police Prosecutions. The following is a return of the number of convictions for which fines were imposed and the total amount of such fines in respect of prosecutions instituted by the police during the year ended 31st March, 1935 :—

Criminal Registration Branch. At Headquarters the finger-impressions of 2,720 persons were received, classified, searched, indexed, and filed during the year ; 200 persons were identified as previous offenders who, had it not been for the finger-print system, would have passed as first offenders ; 1,645 photographs wfere taken by the photographers attached to the Branch ; the photographs of 2,815 prisoners (5,064 photographs) were dealt with, 542 photographs were reproduced in the Police Gazette, and 13 wanted persons located. In twenty cases of breaking and entering, &c., finger-prints left by the offenders when committing the crimes were identified, and the offenders prosecuted. In three of these cases enlarged photographs were prepared and the necessary evidence tendered in the lower Court, but each pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court. The seventeen other offenders pleaded guilty at the lower Court. Some cases worthy of mention are the following : — In the Ruawaro murder case a knife was used by the offender to cut blood-stains from the rail of a fence. Notches, which corresponded with ridges showing in the knife cut at the scene of the crime, were discovered in the blade of the accused's knife ; these were microscopically photographed and the necessary evidence tendered. In another case a dwelling was broken into and various articles stolen. The following morning a black wooden box which had apparently been handled by the offender was submitted for examination. Finger-prints were discovered on this box and a search immediately started. Later the same day the prints were traced and the detective was informed who had handled this exhibit. The offender, although unknown to the local police, was located and arrested the following day, when he admitted this and six other offences. He also implicated a second offender. It is interesting to note that the finger-print system in New Zealand has to date been responsible for the identification of no less than 6,309 persons. The following table shows the increase in the finger-print collection since the introduction of the finger-print system of identification in March, 1903.

5

I I _. ,, . Number of Total Amount of lines payab e to Convictions. Fines imposed. £ s. d. Consolidated Fund .. .. .. .. .. 10,707 22,024 12 1 Main Highways Revenue Fund (section 24, Motor-vehicles Act, 1924) 3,857 5,508 9 6 Local authorities (by-law offences) .. .. .. . • 353 188 8 0 Total 14,917 27,721 9 7

Number of Increase on Number of Increase on S T'' 8 w. p»™.. St." f - "' SK2S Collection. Year. offenders. Collection. Year. offenders. 1904 .. 3,500 3,500 117 1920 .. 23,68fe 1,354 176 1905 .. 4,200 700 72 1921 .. 26,650 2,964 232 1906 .. 5,000 800 88 1922 .. 28,408 1,758 25:5 1907 .. 6,151 1,151 104 1923 .. 30,284 1,876 292 1908 .. 7,622 1,471 123 1924 .. 31,929 1,645 289 1909 .. 8,718 1,096 138 1925 .. 33,802 1,873 267 1910 .. 9,919 1,201 140 1926 .. 35,844 2,042 292 1911 .. 10,905 986 148 1927 .. 37,808 1,964 255 1912 .. 12,097 1,192 178 1928 .. 39,409 1,601 276 1913 .. 13,552 1,455 183 1929 .. 40,852 1,443 208 1914 .. 15,302 1,750 230 1930' .. 42,371 1,519 239 1915 .. 16,682 1,380 270 1931 .. 43,973 1,602 257 1916 .. 18,134 1,452 218 1932 .. 45,692 1,719 215 1917 .. 19,508 1,374 166 1933 .. 47,306 1,614 213 1918 .. 20,982 1,474 132 1934 .. 48,545 1,239 183 1919 .. 22,332 1,350 153 1935 .. 49,796 1,251 200