K 8
# MUSKETRY.
24. The Europeans and Indians were put through the usual course of musketry and 11 Europeans and 70 Indians passed as qualified marksmen.
# IDENTIFICATION BY FINGER IMPRESSIONS.
25. Eight hundred and forty-two persons were identified as having previous convictions against them, an increase of 194 as compared with 1916.
Sixty-two identifications were those of criminals who had returned from banishment.
# CONDUCT
26. The conduct of the European Contingent (average strength 160) was good. The total number of reports against them was 15 as against 22 in 1916. There was one report for being drunk or under the influence of drink as against 2 in 1916. One was reported for sleeping on duty as against 3, and 2 for neglect of duty as against none.
The conduct of the Indian Contingent (average strength 481) was good. There were 228 reports as against 276 for the preceding year. For drunkenness there were 5 as against 8, for disorderly conduct 29 as against 26, for neglect of duty 15 as against 8, for absence from duty 45 as against 60, for gossiping and idling on duty 35 as against 62, and for sleeping on duty 28 as against 20. 267 men had no report.
Five Indian Constables were convicted by the Police Magistrate (one dismissed from the Force): 2 for assault, 1 for importing wine into the Colony, 1 for larceny, and 1 for using threatening language.
The behaviour of the Chinese Contingent (average strength 408) was fair. There were altogether 1,073 reports as against 1,218 in 1916. There was one report for drunkenness as against one, 122 for sleeping on duty as against 138, 32 for disorderly conduct as against 23, and 499 for minor offences as against 598. 153 men had no report.
18 Chinese Constables were convicted by the Police Magistrate (7 dismissed from the Force): 6 for gambling, 3 for desertion, one for dilating his duty as a Chinese Constable by refusing to allow a man to make a lawful complaint, two for misconduct as a Police Constable, two for wilful neglect of duty by allowing a prisoner to escape, and 4 for assault.
The seamen, coxswains, engineers, and stokers (average strength 180) had 165 reports as compared with 117 for last year. For drunkenness there was none as against one in 1916, and 144 for absence from station and late for duty as against 91 in the previous year. 99 men had no report recorded against them.
One seaman was convicted by the Assistant District Officer, Southern District, for attempting to obtain a bribe (dismissed from the Force).