PART IV
CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT
CRIME
83. During the year the total number of reports dealt with by the Police was 665,119, an increase of 176,110 compared with the preced- ing year. Of the 665,119 reports dealt with 224,602 disclosed no offence. Reported offences amounted therefore to 440,517 as compared to 320,516 in 1967-68. A breakdown of these reports in the various categories together with comparative figures for the previous four years shown at Appendix 12. The number of crimes recorded showed a decrease of 6.9% over the preceding year, and prosecutions of persons for crime numbered 11,261 a decrease of 8.8% compared with 1967-68. This decrease in reported crime is largely accounted for by the drop of 1,554 cases in the category ‘Against Public Order', which is attribut- able to the Colony's return to normal conditions after the civil disturbances of 1967. Hawking, obstruction and traffic offences in- creased by 45,236 cases, whilst as a whole, Miscellaneous Offences totalled 401,246, an increase of 116,976 cases over the preceding year, and the highest figure recorded. There were 16,872 minor narcotics offences, an increase of 4,715 cases compared with 1967-68. The large increase in these types of offences dealt with during the year is attribut- able to the Force's return to normal duty after many months of being primarily engaged on internal security duties during the preceding year.
84. An analysis of crime over the past 5 years is also given in Appendix 12 attached. Comparative tables showing cases of crime (excluding minor narcotics offences) reported and detected, and juveniles and adults prosecuted, over the past three years are shown in Appendices 13 and 14 respectively. In addition tables showing an analysis of, and persons prosecuted for minor narcotics offences are given in Appendices 15 and 16 respectively.
85. There were 22,380 cases of crime reported during the year, a decrease of 1,667 or 6.9% compared with last year. Apart from the decrease in offences Against Public Order mentioned above, there were substantial decreases in Larceny from the Person (snatching) and Miscellaneous Larceny, by 762 cases (44.6%) and 681 cases (11.5%) respectively.
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