147
HONGKONG,
REPORT OF THE ACTING CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE FOR 1891.
7
No. 92
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 22nd February, 1892.
No. 17.
POLICE DEPARTMENT, CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 22nd January, 1892.
SIR, I have the honour to submit for the information of His Excellency the Governor the Police Report for the year 1891.
2. The total number of offences coming under the cognizance of the Police was 10,869, being an increase on the year 1890 of 2,445 cases, giving an increase of 29.02 per cent.
Subdivided into serious and minor offences (so-called) there were in 1891, 2,994 cases of the former class as against 3,100 cases in 1890, shewing a decrease of 106 or 3.41 per cent; and in the latter class 7,875 cases in 1891, as compared with 5,324 cases in 1890, giving an increase of 2,551 cases or 47.91 per cent.
3. This rather large increase is to be accounted for by the number of arrests made for "Unlicensed Hawking,"
," "Uttering Street Cries" and contraventions of the "Markets Ordinance," the "Opium Ordinance" and the "Gambling Ordinance."
4. The European Force has been increased by 1 Sergeant and 4 Constables. The present strength of the Force is as under:
Captain Superintendent,
Deputy
Clerks,
Chief Inspector,
Inspectors,
Interpreters,
Jemedar,....
Sergeants,
Acting Sergeants,
Constables,
European. Indian.
1
1
2
1
11
Chinese.
2
...
14
1
12
5
8
10
5
8
90
199
294
128
211
326
This number is exclusive of the Police specially employed by other departments and private firms.
5. Three new Police Stations were completed during the year, one at Aberdeen, one at Tsat-Tsye- Mui (Quarry Bay), and one at Kennedy Town. The latter has not yet been occupied by the Police in consequence of the non-completion of the new approach road.
6. Owing to the extent of the Police beats in the Hill District, one of the three standard Police Electric Alarms obtained from England in 1890, has been placed at the Magazine Gap, and connected with the Mount Gough Police Station, and I have recommended that the other two standards or "Call Points" be fixed, one at Mount Kellet Spur, and the other at Plantation Road.
7. In my Annual Report on the Government Fire Brigade for 1891, I have called attention to the disadvantages of the present system of overhead Electric Light wires in the city. From a Police point of view the disadvantages are equally great. On the occasion of a fire in Queen's Road Central on the morning of the 6th May, it was considered necessary, in order to prevent an accident to the firemen, to shut off the current, thereby placing a part of the city in darkness during the confusion which more or less always occurs at fires; and again on the night of the storm, the 3rd December, just at a time the work of rescuing persons from boats alongside the Praya was going on, the Electric Light on Praya West failed in consequence of the lines being damaged by the masts of a junk.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
GEO. HORSPOOL, Acting Capt. Supt. of Police.
Honourable W. M. GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
&c., &c.