H.—l6

1944 NEW ZEALAND

THE POLICE FORCE OF THE DOMINION (ANNUAL REPORT ON)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of Ilis Excellency

The Commissioner of Police to the Hon. the Minister in Charge of Police Department. Wellington, 19th July, 1944. I have the honour to present the annual report on the Police Force for the year ended 31st March last. Strength of Force.—On 31st March last the number of members of the Force of all ranks was 1,634, being a decrease of 6 during the year. The total is made up as follows : 6 Superintendents, 18 Inspectors, 7 Sub-Inspectors, 48 senior sergeants, 125 sergeants, 928 constables, 386 temporary constables, 12 senior detectives, 34 detective-sergeants, and 70 detectives. There were also 2 district constables, 1 Native constable, 33 women police, 8 matrons, and 14 police surgeons. The following are the losses in personnel for the year ended 31st March last: retired on pension under Public Service Superannuation Act, 9 ; retired as medically unfit, 4 ; died, 7 ; resigned voluntarily, 32 ; discharged, 3 ; dismissed, 17 : total, 72. Stations. —No stations were established during the year. Criminal 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 decrease of 1,416 on the figures of 1942. The percentage of offences to the population was 2-02, as against 2-11 the previous year. The number of offences reported during the year was 33,192, the number of cases in which arrests or summonses resulted was 28,722, leaving 4,470 cases in which no prosecution followed. The percentage of arrests or summonses resulting from offences reported during the year 1943 was 86-53, the figures of the preceding year being 88-96. There was an increase in the number of serious crimes as compared with the previous year, but a reduction in the number of indecent and sexual offences. Drunkenness. —There has been a decrease of 697 in the number of prosecutions for drunkenness during the year as compared with the previous year. The number charged with drunkenness in 1943 was 2,304 (2,127 males and 177 females), whereas in 1942 the number was 3,001 (2,856 males and 145 females). Five hundred males (23-51 per cent.) and 42 females (23-73 per cent.) had previous convictions recorded against them, and 4-56 per cent, of the males were not permanent residents of the Dominion. Prosecutions against Hotelkecpers. —The number of prosecutions against hotelkeepers during the year shows a decrease of 96 as compared with the preceding year. There were 422 prosecutions, resulting in 317 convictions, during 1943, as against 518 prosecutions and 373 convictions in 1942. Sly-grog Selling. —There were 403 prosecutions during the year for selling liquor without a license, and there were also 55 prosecutions for other offences against the provisions of the Licensing Act in force in no-license districts. The fines imposed on the sly-grog sellers during the year 1943 amounted to £2,126. Gaming Offences. —There were 529 prosecutions during the year under the Gaming Act, against 304 prosecutions in 1942. Two hundred and twenty-two prosecutions in connection with bookmaking during the year ended 31st March, 1944, resulted in 211 convictions, the amount of fines imposed being £9,347. Growth of Department. —The following return shows the growth of the Department, the population, and the total number of offences (irrespective of by-law offences) reported, and in which arrests orsummonses resulted, at each tenth year since 1877, prior to which date each province in the Dominion had its own Police Force. The figures for each year from 1939 to 1943 are also shown : —

i CQ .! » . Offences Arrests for 5c » j§ p . Cost per where Drunkenness Year. ® o O • & -S Total. T> , .' Inhabit- Population. . , Arrests or (included in § l % | | Population. ant _ reported. Summon3es offences I o « « § resulted. reported"). O S-§ ft g s. d. 1878 25 90 14 329 458 1 to 944 * 432,352 14,157 13,959 6,668 1888 13 69 17 388 487 1 to 1,328 3 If 646,913 12,897 11,854 5,387 1898 7 56 16 457 536 1 to 1,435 2 8 768,910 16,378 14,730 5,532 1908 15 83 32 604 734 1 to 1,331 3 2| 977,215 23,510 22,484 10,343 1918 20 111 38 732f 901 1 to 1,274 4 U 1,147,391 19,067 18,043 7,228 1928 23 127 54 913f 1,117 1 to 1,301 5 9 1,453,517 33,138 30,622 6,601 1938 26 145 93 l,164f 1,428 1 to 1,123 7 6 1,604,479 44,308 41,618 5,446 1939 27 148 91 1, J 73f 1,439 1 to 1,129 7 5f 1,624,714 46,378 43,162 5,935 1940 27 149 90 l,191f 1,457 1 to 1,126 7 8£ 1,640,901 45,009 41,619 5,4-70 1941 28 155 97 l,229f 1,509 1 to 1,084 7 ll| 1,636,230 38,559 35,896 4,887 1942 29 159 105 l,306f 1,599 1 to 1,022 8 3J 1,634,338 34,608 30,790 3,001 1943 29 175 112 l,324f 1,640 1 to 998 8 lo| 1,636,700 33,192 28,722 2,304 1944- 31 173 116 l,314f 1,634 1 to 1,006 9 5| 1,643,909 I | I * Not obtainable. t Includes temporary constables.