236
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 14TH MARCH, 1896.
LIGHT AND PASS ORDINANCE.
7. The provisions of the Light and Pass Ordinance were enforced from the 23rd November (when notices were issued in the Chinese papers) till the end of the year. The regulation requiring almost abrupt the carrying of a light after 7 p.m. was also adhered to, the result being an termination of all descriptions of offences after night-fall.
Comparing the period between the 25th November, 1894, and the 21st December of the same year with the corresponding period of 1895 exclusive of Light and l'ass offences there were 325 fewer cases in the Police Court in 1895.
During the same period there were 8 fewer burglaries reported, viz., 9 in 1894 and 1 in 1895, and 88 fewer cases of larceny.
During the period under review there were 1,450 arrests for breaches of the Light and Pass sections of the Ordinance, of whom 51 were women, amongst that number there being 38 blind singing girls, miserable creatures who belong to the lowest class of prostitutes.
Trade was safeguarded by arranging that head men with passes and lights should accompany their gangs of coal or cargo coolies to and from their lodging-houses.
A great deal of work was thrown on the Police Office as also on that of the Registrar General, the number of quarterly night passes rising rapidly to over 13,000; it has since risen to 15,000 and annual passes, I believe, to nearly 800.
STRENGTH OF THE FORCE.
8. The average strength of the Police Force during the year 1895 has been 558, its greatest strength, in February, 590, and its least in August 535. In December it was 541. Exclusive of men on leave, the European force has been on an average 6 men short, and the Indian contingent 40. In December the latter was 53 below strength and the Europeans 7; the total of all ranks being 541. To endeavour to some extent to supplement the Indians 30 temporary Chinese Constables were engaged, but the substitute has been a very feeble one.
Several Europeans were engaged locally, but save for the Water Police the practice is not fruitful of success.
The men are not trained Constables (whereas the recruits from the United Kingdom are). During their probationary period they are merely learners not available for street duty and frequently at the expiration of the three months they have found more suitable or remunerative employment. One result of the failure to recruit Indians has been that they have had no leave and it has been not unnaturally a source of considerable dissatisfaction, several good men having resigned. 10 Europeans from the Metropolitan l'olice Force arrived in March last and have given every satisfaction.
One man committed suicide by cutting his throat a fortnight after arrival.
In connection with the reduction of the Police Force, a table is attached hereto, showing the ratio of increase in certain towns in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Shanghai compiled from returns received last year, from which it will be seen that Hongkong is the only place that reduces its Police as the population increases, nor does the situation of the Colony, the mixed character of its population and Police Force appear to place it in any more favourable position for adopting such a course than the other places in the table below :—
STRENGTH.
INCREASE IN 20 YEARS.
Town.
Inhabit-
1874
1894 Houses.
Streets. Lamps. ants.
RATIO OF POPULA-
TION PER Const-
ABLE.
REMARKS.
London, Brighton,..
9,958
15,216 | 314,724
101
175
No. Miles.
839 3,767 18 miles
No.
765
Bristol,
357
393
9 acres
1,991,894 378 23,402 662 39,026 563
Police rate 9d. in the £.
Dublin,
1,145
9,711
New St. 199
Edinburgh,
355
514 16,609 40 miles
3,000
64,952
Glasgow,
951
1,855
307 526 513
Force raised in ratio of 32 per 10,000.
Guildford,
403
601
Leeds,
315
450
Liverpool,
1,097
1,694
29,136 160 miles) 16,456 26
3,225 3,976
136,145
302
County Police Force raised in ratio of
10 per 10,000.
28,440
311
""
Plymouth,
83
118
20,000
745
Portsmouth,
113
194
4
Hongkong,
626
587
2,262 38 miles
Shanghai,
189
485
16,588 | 16
235 175
Singapore,
514
920
111 sts.
*
881 119,437 426 148,344 506 87,443 200
Force raised in ratio of 13 per 10,000.
* In 1874 cost $10,428.04. In 1894
cost $34,313.29.