H.—l6.

Casualties. The following are the casualties for the year ended 31st March last : Retired under section 26, Police Force Act, 1918, 1 ; retired on pension under the Public Service Superannuation Act, 7 ; retired as medically unfit, 7 ; died, 6 ; resigned voluntarily, 4resigned compulsorily, 1 ; dismissed, 6 : total, 32. Cbiminal Statistics. The criminal statistics (Appendix A) deal with offences reported to the police during the year ended 31st December last, and show an aggregate net increase of 882 on the figures of 1934. The proportion of offences to the population was 2-11 per cent., as against 2-07 the previous year. There were increases during the year under the following headings, viz. : —• Assault (common) .. .. . . 52 Minor breaches of Motor-vehicles Act .. 599 Assault (indecent) .. .. 34 Unlawfully using horses, motor-cars, &c. .. 101 Burglary, house or shop breaking .. 36 Opium-smoking, &c. .. .. 35 Failing to maintain wives or children .. 34 Receiving property dishonestly obtained . . 60 False pretences .. . . 60 Stealing postal packets, &c. .. .. 46 Found on licensed premises after hours . . 146 Theft from dwellings .. .. 26 Being intoxicated in charge of motor-vehicle 77 Unlawfully on premises at night without Reckless or negligent driving of motor- criminal intent .. .. 27 vehicle . . .. .. .. 317 The principal decreases were — Assaulting, obstructing, or resisting con- Mischief .. .. . . 49 stables, &c. .. .. .. 35 Theft (petty) .. .. .. .. 427 Breaches of Arms Act . . . . 29 Theft by clerks or servants .. .. 96 Drunkenness .. .. .. .. 124 Using profane, indecent, or obscene language 35 Forgery . . .. .. .. 51 Vagrancy offences .. .. .. 78 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 percentage of arrests or summonses resulting from offences reported during the year 1935 was 92-26, the figures of the preceding year being 91-16.

2

Number o£ Offences Number in which p„i- „ Number of in which Arrests no Arrests J- UXivt/ J-/IōuI10v» /~\ /V , "I /N Otiences reported. or (Summonses or Summonses resulted. resulted. Whangarei .. .. .. .. 1,167 1,128 39 Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 7,237 6,503 734 Hamilton .. .. .. .. .. 2,114 1,977 137 Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. 1,106 1,046 60 Napier .. .. .. .. .. 1,439 1,320 119 New Plymouth .. .. .. .. 1,295 1,235 60 Wanganui .. .. .. .. .. 1,180 1,064 116 Palmerston North .. .. .. .. 1,669 1,551 118 Wellington .. .. .. .. 5,817 5,400 417 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 931 839 92 Greymouth .. .. .. .. 880 798 82 Christ church .. .. .. .. 3,616 3,294 322 Timaru .. .. .. .. .. 679 618 61 Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 2,882 2,765 117 Invercargill . .. .. .. .. 1,156 1,063 93 Totals .. .. .. .. 33,168 30,601 2,567