LAW AND ORDER
The teleprinter system is worked from a central transmitter in Radio Control at Police Headquarters with 20 receiver stations in the main police stations.
Crime-There was an increase in the figures for serious crime, mainly due to the increase in the number of persons unlawfully returning from deportation. There were 8,776 cases of this nature in 1954 compared with 2,945 in 1953. Another contributory factor was the large number of persons arrested for obtaining free meals by false pretences following the large squatter fire at the end of last year.
A total of 468,426 reports was made to the Police during the year, an increase of 52,402 over 1953. Of these reports no fewer than 191,989 disclosed no criminal offence, being mainly requests from the public for police assistance or advice. The balance of 276,437 included 27,876 serious offences (19,053 in 1953) of which 16,592 (59.52%) resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 15,441 persons of whom 358 (2.32%) were juveniles. The remaining 248,561 reports were of miscellaneous offences, of which 207,147 resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 221,995 persons. Summonses were issued in 16,600 cases. The figures for the various classifications of serious offences are given in Appendix
XI.
Members of the public continued to assist the Police during the year and were responsible for the arrest of 779 persons perpetrating serious crime. Forty- seven letters of appreciation and monetary awards were presented to members of the public for outstanding services to the community.
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