H. —16.

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, 1939 :—

Criminal Registration Branch. At Headquarters during the year the finger impressions of 3,220 persons were received, classified, indexed, and filed ; 284 persons were identified as previous offenders who, had it not been for the finger-print system, would have passed as first offenders ; 2,737 photographs were taken by the photographers attached to the Branch ; the photographs of 2,881 prisoners (5,143 photographs) were received and dealt with ; 720 photographs were reproduced in the Police Gazette ; 18 wanted persons located ; and 2 unknown deceased persons identified by finger-prints. Finger-prints left by the offenders when committing 27 crimes were identified as belonging to 22 persons, who were prosecuted. All pleaded guilty with the exception of 2, who were convicted on finger-print evidence. During the year the sub-division of the groups in the main collection was completed. The finger impressions of 2,622 persons over the age of seventy-five years were removed from the main collection and filed separately, together with the index cards relating thereto. Finger-prints of 417 persons were received for inquiry from other countries, of which 38 were identified as those of persons previously convicted in New Zealand ; and the finger impressions of 100 New Zealand offenders were sent overseas for inquiry, 36 being identified as having been previously convicted outside this Dominion. It is interesting to note that in New Zealand the finger-print system has, to date, been responsible for the identification of 7,224 persons. The above figures indicate a marked general increase in the work of this branch. In addition to the usual illustrated lectures on finger-prints, <fcc., given to the police trainees at the depot, the senior officer of this Branch visited twenty-three towns throughout the Dominion and gave illustrated lectures and instructions to members of the Force. The comparison microscope, besides being in constant use in the Arms Bureau, has already been the means of clearing up two shooting cases, establishing the fact that the bullets were fired from certain rifles. It was also used to great advantage to prove that a strip of material used to tie the top of a bag containing stolen money dug up from the ground was part of a handkerchief found in a suspect's pocket. The balopticon has been used to project illustrations during lectures given to members of the Force. The other instruments procured during the year, especially the ultra-violet-ray and spot lamps, have also been found of the utmost value for the examination of questioned documents, &c. 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

,, , Number of Total Amount of Fines payable to Convictions. Fines imposed. £ s. d. Consolidated Fund 12,135 29,790 15 7 Main Highways Revenue Account (section 24, Motor-vehicles Act, 1924) 7,806 15,337 13 3 Local authorities (by-law offences) .. .. .. .. 439 400 6 7 Total 20,380 £45,528 15 5

Number of Increase on Number of Increase on l" 80 ' 1618 Year. Prints in Previous Year. Prints in Previous traced as Collection. Y.„. C.llMta, Y„, „ P ~ 1904 .. 3,500 3,500 117 1922 .. 28,408 1,758 255 1905 .. 4,200 700 72 1923 .. 30,284- 1,876 292 1906 .. 5,000 800 88 1924 .. 31,929 1,645 289 1907 .. 6,151 1,151 | 104 1925 .. 33,802 1,873 267 1908 .. 7,622 1,471 123 1926 .. 35,844 2,042 292 1909 .. 8,718 1,096 j 138 1927 .. 37,808 1,964 255 1910 .. 9,919 1,201 ! 140 1928 .. 39,409 1,601 276 1911 .. 10,905 986 148 1929 .. 40,852 1,443 208 1912 .. 12,097 1,192 178 1930 .. 42,371 1,519 239 1913 .. 13,552 1,455 i 183 1931 .. 43,973 1,602 257 1914 .. 15,302 1,750 230 1932 .. 45,692 1,719 215 1915 .. 16,682 1,380 , 270 1933 .. 47,306 1,614 213 1916 .. 18,134 1,452 I 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 i 1,350 153 1937 .. 52,461 1,408 164 1920 .. 23,686 1,354 176 1938 .. 54,062 1,601 260 1921 .. 26,650 1 2,964 ! 232 J1939 .. 55,801 1,739 284