previous year. From these there were positive identifications in 64
cases.
Criminal Records Office
134. The Criminal Records Office works in close conjunction with the Identification Bureau, and its main function is to assist in the de- tection of crime by the collation of information on criminals, suspected persons and criminal activities. It is also responsible for the publication of information on missing persons, stolen, lost and found property, for dissemination throughout the Police Force.
135. Among the comprehensive indices maintained in this section is a photographic index of convicted criminals, consisting of 18,221 photographs. This index, kept at Police Headquarters, was used on 487 occasions during the year, resulting in 25% positive identifications. In June 1965 a programme was started to duplicate this index for use at Kowloon Headquarters.
136. The Statistics Office, under an Executive Officer, publishes a monthly analysis of serious crime, in addition to which it maintains graphs and charts on most categories or classes of crime thereby enabling current trends to be plotted and analysed.
137. Reorganization work carried out included the incorporation of subsidiary indices into the main nominal index, so that one check will now suffice where previously two or even three checks were necessary.
Forensic Laboratory
138. In addition to doing medico-legal work in conjunction with the Police, the Forensic Laboratory, staffed by a Specialist and three Pathologists seconded from the Medical and Health Department, is also responsible for the running of the two public mortuaries in the Colony, and for conducting post mortems on uncertified deaths which have not occurred in hospitals. They therefore have a considerable role in the investigation and control of major infectious and industrial diseases.
139. During the year the work carried out by the Laboratory staff included 3,841 blood groupings, 2,146 examinations of various types of exhibits and 476 of persons who were either victims or suspects in criminal cases. The staff also performed 1,635 post mortem examina- tions on the 3,333 bodies received at the public mortuaries.
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