H.—l6

6

Police Buildings, etc. The following works in connection with police-stations have been carried out during the year by the Public Works Department:-— New Buildings erected. -Waipukurau, Caversham. New Buildings in Course of Construction. —Auckland (additions to Central Station), Wellington (new headquarters station). Site acquired. —Devonport. Alterations, Improvements, &c, were effected at Mangonui, Kawakawa, Russell, Whangarei, Te Aroha, Whakatane, Ormoudvilie, Waipawa, Shannon, Pahiatua, Kilbirnie, Petone, Lyttelton, Christchurch, Dunedin, and South Dunedin. Growth of Department. The following return shows the growth of the Department, the continued increase of the population, and the total number of offences (irrespective of by-laws offences) reported, and in which arrests or summonses resulted, each year since 1877, prior to which date each province in the Dominion had its own Police Force, and reliable data are not available :■ —

General. Commissioner J, Culien, 1.8.0., retired on superannuation on the 23rd November, 1916, after a long connection with the New Zealand Police Force. Since his retirement Mr. Culien has been awarded the King's Police Medal, he being the first member of the New Zealand Police Force to receive the distinction. The conduct of the members of the Force has on the whole been very satisfactory during the yea I-. Notwithstanding the great increase of special work arising out of war conditions, all members of the Force, especially those in charge of stations and in other responsible positions, have done their work, sometimes under diftictdtics and hardships, thoroughly and well and without complaint.

Year. 1878 1879 L880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 L890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 i cd • a! I O rj <D « O «_ 25 90 14 25 84 16 25 86 21 13 73 18 13 72 19 13 72 20 13 70 17 20 65 L7 20 66 L8 20 69 18 13 69 17 13 65 17 12 66 13 7 i 61 14 7 1 60 14 7 53 14 7 55 13 7 51 13 6 | 51 13 7 ! 45 12 7 ! 56 16 11 53 15 11 56 20 11 56 20 12 58 20 12 59 20 12 59 21 12 65 25 14 71 25 14 78 30 15 83 32 16 87 35 16 86 34 15 87 38 15 89 39 17 93 41 17 94 40 19 100 , 37 19 104 36 20 108 36 © a a o O 329 364 379 337 343 356 365 372 | 390 395 388 389 403 404 401 407 I 410 416 414 453 457 475 499 504 514 522 534 553 557 577 604 633 639 648 692 695 719 755 757 734 Total i Polioe to Population. 458 1 to 944 \ 489 1 to 948 511 1 to 9491 441 1 to 1,136 f 447 1 to 1,158 1 461 1 to 1,173) 465 1 to 1,263 i 474 1 to 1,293 494 1 to 1,266 502 1 to 1,265 487 1 to 1,328 484 1 to 1,347 494 1 to 1,346 486 1 to 1,375 482 1 to 1,401 481 I 1 to 1,439 485 1 to 1,472 487 1 to 1,495 484 1 to 1,530 517 1 to 1,461 536 1 to 1,435 554 1 to 1,414 586 1 to 1,359 591 1 to 1,381 604 1 to 1,375 613 1 to 1,388 626 1 to 1,398 655 1 to 1,375 667 1 to 1,387 699 1 to 1,375 734 1 to 1,331 771 1 to 1,308 775 1 to 1,330 788 1 to 1,333 835 1 to 1,287 846 1 to 1,303 870 1 to 1,304 911 1 to 1,257 916 1 to 1,258 898 1 to 1,280 :Cost per Inhabit- Population, ant. ! | . / 432,352 | 463,572 £ 484,939 °2 ' 500,976 517,626 S3 540,753 3/3 587,295 3/0| 613,212 3/2 625,849 3/24- 635,215 8/11 646,913 2/102 652,125 2/lOf 664,855 2/11* 668,353 2/9 675,775 2/8* 692,426 2/7J 714,258 2/6| 728,121 2/7* 740,699 2/7£ 754,016 2/8 768,910 2/9} 783,317 2/102 796,359 2/10} 816,290 2/10* 830,800 2/10* 851,068 2/10} 875,648: 2/10} 900,682 2/10* 925,6051 3/0 " 961,604 3/2} 977,215 3/4} 1,008,373 3/3* 1,030,657 3/4* .1,050,410 3/5 1,075,250 3/8 1,102,389 3/9 1;134,506 4/1 1,145,840 4/22 1,152,669 4/3 1,150,002 Offences reported. 14,157 16,374 17,837 16,635 18,613 18,775 18,263 18,955 18,135 17,752 12,897 12,945 13,115 12,674 13,153 13,165 13,530 14,010 14,673 15,219 16,378 16,865 18,358 19,909 19,771 20,736 21,066 20,249 21,160 23,204 23,510 23,930 25,106 24,999 25,981 25,415 27,563 28,412 24,920 Offenoes where Arrests or Summonses resulted. 13,959 14,696 16,723 15,212 17,470 17,727 17,322 17,723 17,000 16,500 11,854 11,885 12,177 11,748 12,187 12,100 12,500 12,435 13,171 14,042 14,730 15,561 17,131 18,742 18,802 19,867 20,118 19,251 20,241 22,244 22,484 22,880 23,949 23,492 24,837 24,364 26,494 27,096 23,848 Arrests for Drunkenness (included in " Offences reported "). 6,668 6,794 6,484 5,587 6,860 7,572 7,151 7,034 6,260 5,226 5,387 5,444 5,866 5,410 5,360 5,251 4,594 4,636 5,005 5,204 5,532 6,289 7,299 8,057 8,269 8,815 9,615 8,707 9,210 10,203 10,343 10,657 11,718 11,699 11,884 11,707 13,189 13,268 10,833 1_