+
THE HONGKOng governmeNT GAZETTE, 16тп APRIL, 1870.
187
7. Prevention of Crime.--The success of the Police is so much enhanced by the deportation of fenders that every effort is made to arrest men of this class. In this we have received valuable stance from the Gaming-house licensees, who have, during the past year, caused the apprehension men who were convicted under Ordinance 9 of 1857; most of whom had been previously tesaded und deported.
8. Assistance has also been received from the Native District Watchmen, who have brought up everal cases during the year.
9. Night patrolling, both on horseback and on foot, has been efficiently performed and its value been especially shown on the roads above Victoria, at Pok-foo-lum, and British Kowloon, are several daring robberies have been averted by the opportune arrival of the Police.
10. The introduction of new Ordinances has doubtless reduced some serious offences; accidental also have contributed to the temporary diminution of crime, but I consider that xrcumstances may
teady decrease during the last four years may be reasonably accepted as proof that the exertions the officers of this department have not been wholly futile; and that, as regards the prevention of rime, the chief purpose for which a Police is maintained, the force has not been unsuccessful.
11. Detection.-The subjoined statement shews an improvement in the working of the Police as ted by the percentage of prisoner's convicted and discharged. No reliable record has hitherto en kept of the number of cases traced, and the amount of property recovered, by the Police; but orms for this purpose are now being prepared.
OFFENCES.
SERIOUS.
MINOR.
Year.
Persons
arrested. discharged.
Persons No. of Persons convicted.
Year.
Total.
No. per cent.
Persons Persons No. of Persons convicted.
arrested. discharged. Total. ¡No. per cent.
1688 1809
1,422
517
905
63.6
289
285
604
6.9
1808 1869
3,836 2,652
895 647
2,011 2,005
76.6
75.6
*
12. It is impossible to lay down any standard in detection below which the working of a Police free can be justly condemned. Success in this respect must depend quite as much on external scumstances, such as the talent and dexterity displayed by the criminal classes, the natural features of the country, and the character of its natives, -as on the ability and exertions of the Police. As a remarkable illustration of this I may refer to the present deplorable state of Ireland, where numerous rarian outrages, of the most daring character, have hitherto baffled the ablest detective officers, much so that it was lately stated by Lord Cairns in the House of Lords that in Ireland, during the var 1869, out of 59 cases of murder and other heinous offences, including eighteen assassinations, in aly one had the criminal been discovered and committed for trial. Here the dishonesty of the na- ves, on whom we have to depend for the detection of crime, renders it impossible to maintain an granized detective Police. Indeed, if such a force did exist, I am of opinion that it would be of very attle use, unless outposts could be maintained, under European supervision, at different points in the -On District, and in Canton and Macao; which, under existing circumstances would of course Le impossible.
13. There is ample evidence to shew that the perpetrators of most of the serious offences which Lave occurred in this Colony were inhabitants of Chinese territory. Many daring crimes have been dently planned beyond our jurisdiction. And, in most cases, precautionary arrangements were de by the depredators to secure a safe retreat before information could reach the Police.
14. From Appendix C it will be seen that larceny by servants has decreased in a very remark- manner since the opening of licensed Gaming Houses, the average number of cases reported per eter during the years 1865, 1866, and 1867 being 82, compared with 25 during 1868, and 15 during
15. I take this opportunity of submitting a statement, Appendix D, of the working of the different nbers of the force, as tested by the number of persons arrested, convicted, and discharged; which was called for some months ago by Ilis Excellency the Governor, but in consequence of Mr. Deane's ess, remained unfinished when he left the Colony on sick leave. This return shows the number of ons apprehended and the result of these arrests. In the Water Police, the European Constable durge of a boat invariably gets credit for all arrests, although in most instances he receives the information from Chinese Lo-kongs.
Europeans, and Chinese; but, it is useful to show the comparative efficiency of the Sikhs and other han members of the force, in the performance of the most important duty of a Municipal Police.
For this reason the statement cannot be relied on in the cases