ford Kort. 1898.
22
COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
VI-JUDICIAL STATISTICS.
(4.) POLICE.
The total strength of the Police Force during 1898 was as follows:---
Europeans 112
Indians 226
Chinese 292
Total 630
COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
1895. 1896. 1897. 1898. Increase in 1898.
2,575 2,767 2,314 2,896 2,935 39 or 1.34%
6,062 10,608 10,661 6,733 7,661 928 or 13.78%
8,637 13,375 12,975 9,629 10,596 967 or 10.04%
The prisoners are employed on productive labour, on unproductive labour, and on gaol services. The value of the productive labour and that utilised on prison services is returned at $9,919.45.
The establishment consists of 29 Europeans and 44 Indians. Besides these there are a superintendent, a chief warder, clerical staff, and servants.
(C.) CRIMINAL STATISTICS.
The following table will show the total number of cases reported to the police during each of the past five years :—
Besides these there are a captain superintendent and deputy superintendent, a paymaster, three clerks, and 43 coolies. This brings the total number of the entire staff up to 679.
Several rewards were granted to members of all three contingents for intelligence and promptness.
Chinese constables, it is remarked, never appear to fail in courage.
Several of the staff were detailed for plague services. Seven of the force died of plague during the year, but only one of these was on plague duty. Altogether there were 19 deaths, of which 12 were among the Chinese, 4 among the Europeans, and 3 among the Indians.
(B.) PRISON.
The total number of prisoners admitted to Victoria Gaol in 1898 was 5,427, as compared with 5,075 in 1897. The daily average in the prison was 511, as compared with 462 in 1897. The offences of a criminal nature numbered 3,500; the offences of a non-criminal nature, 1,837. Offences against prison discipline numbered 4,038, as against 2,619 in 1897, being an increase of 2.24 per head of population. This increase is attributed by the superintendent partly to the interruption of regular routine work and the placing of a larger number of prisoners in association during the progress of structural alterations, and partly to numerous resignations in the Indian staff giving rise to the employment of inexperienced officers and consequent relaxation of discipline.
The capacity of the gaol accommodation extends to 530 prisoners; yet on several occasions during 1898 it was found necessary to accommodate a slightly larger number, and on one occasion room had to be found for as many as 589. It is evident that with a growing population and the acquisition of new territory, the question of increasing the gaol accommodation for the Colony will become a pressing one.
Serious cases reported
** Minor Total ... 31 26 : : : 23HONG KONG
1898.
In "serious" offences reported, the year 1898 shows an increase over 1897 in the following crimes :-- "Unlawful possession" (38 cases), "larceny " (45 cases), "burglary" (11 cases), and "assault with intent to rob" (1 case). But against these increases must be set decreases in the following :-- "Murder" (7), "robbery " (7), "kidnapping" (19), and "other felonies" (23).
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