H.—l6,

Police Prosecutions. The following is a return oi 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, 1938 : — |

Criminal Registration Branch. At Headquarters the finger impressions of 3,046 persons were received, classified, indexed, and filed during the year ; 260 persons were identified as previous ofienders who, had it not been for the finger-print system, would have passed as first ofienders ; 2,063 photographs were taken by the photographers attached to the Branch ; the photographs of 1,737 prisoners (3,400 photographs) were dealt with • 560 photographs were reproduced in the Police Gazette and 14 wanted persons located. Finger-prints left by the offenders when committing 35 crimes were identified as belonging to 24 persons, who were prosecuted. All pleaded guilty. Three unknown deceased persons were identified by their finger-prmts. During the year 4,860 prints were added to the single finger-print system, and steady progress was made m- the further subdivision of the groups in the main collection. The finger-impressions of 3,590 persons over the age of seventy-five years were removed from the main collection and filed separately, together with the index cards relating thereto. . . 1 . Recently it has been noticed that a greater number oi finger-prints has been received for inquiry from outside New Zealand, denoting closer co-operation between the various Police Forces During the past twelve months 285 sets of finger-prints were received from other countries, of which 25 were identified as those of persons previously convicted in New Zealand. It is interesting to note that in New Zealand the finger-print system has, to date, been responsible for the identification of 6,940 persons. . , . The following table shows the increase in the finger-print collection since the introduction ot the finger-print system of identification in March, 1903 :

On 31st March, 1938, the finger-print collection in Auckland totalled 5,970 sets. During the year 880 sets of finger-prints were received or taken, and were duly classified, searched, and filed. of lg2 p risoners were taken, and 1,152 prints were made from the negatives ; also a large number of photographs of scenes of crimes and motor accidents, &c., were taken. The total number of photographs produced by the Branch during the year was 1,987 The remanded-prisoner forms, together with the results of the cases inserted, tor 359 prisoners were dealt with and returned to Headquarters. , . , In twenty-five cases ofienders who would not otherwise have been known as having been previously convicted were traced by their finger-prints.

5

Number of Total Amount of Fines payable to Convictions. Fines imposed. £ s. d. n ivi t rl "Pnnrt •• •• 14,556 29,633 0 8 Mhin Highways Revenue Account (section 24, Motor-vehicles Act, 1924) 7,651 13,690 9 11 Local authorities (by-law offences) .. • • • • ■ • Total 22,447 £43,503 19 7

Number of Increase on g— of Increase on cSon. P " = 0=. 1904 3,500 ! 3,500 117 ! 1922 .. ! 28,408 ' 1,758 255 lqo5 " 4 200 700 72 1923 ..j 30,284 1,876 292 906 " 5 000 800 88 1924 .. 31,929 1,645 289 mo? " 6 151 1,151 104 1925 .. | 33,802 1,873 267 1908 " 1,471 123 1926 .. 35,844 2,042 292 1909 " 8 718 1,096 138 1927 .. j 37,808 1,964- 255 iqio 9 919 ! 1,201 140 1928 .. I 39,409 1,601 276 iQ-ii .. lo'905 986 148 1929 .. | 40,852 1,443 208 1919 .. 12'097 1,192 178 1930 .. 1 42,371 1,519 239 1913 13 552 1,455 183 1931 .. 43,973 1,602 257 19H !! 15,302 1,750 230 1932 .. 45,692 1,719 215 19ir) 16,682 1,380 270 1933 .. 47,306 1,614 213 Jog " 18 134 1,452 218 1934 .. 48,545 1,239 183 1917 19,508 1,374 166 1935 .. 49,796 1,251 200 1918 20,982 1,474 132 1936 .. 51,053 1,257 207 1919 22,332 1,350 153 1937 .. 52,461 1,408 164 1920 .. : 23,686 1,354 176 1938 .. 54,062 1,601 260 1921 .. i 26,650 2,964 232 I