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Police.
The Police Force of the Colony is under the control of the Commissioner of Police who is assisted by one Deputy Commissioner, thirteen Superintendents and two Police Cadets. The Force consists of four contingents, European, Indian, and two Chinese, namely, Cantonese and Weihaiwei. The strength of the different contingents is as follows:-
Europeans Indians Chinese (Cantonese) Chinese (Weihaiwei) 257 818 767 293In addition the Police Department controls the Anti-Piracy Guards, a force consisting of 39 Russians, 70 Indian Special Guards and 143 Weihaiwei Chinese Police, who are included in the regular Police establishment.
The department also supervises 687 Indian and Chinese Watchmen who are engaged by the Police Department and paid by private individuals for the protection of private property. In addition there are 488 Indian Private Watchmen registered at the Guards Offices.
The waters of the Colony are policed by a fleet of ten steam launches and five motor boats which employ a staff of 257 Chinese under European officers.
There were 11,388 cases of serious crime in 1938 as against 12,434 in 1937, a decrease of 1,046 or 8.4%. Amongst the classes of criminal offence showing decreases were the following:- a decrease of 13 cases in coinage offences, 177 in deportation, 16 in house and godown breaking, 3 in kidnapping, 830 in larceny, 3 in larceny on ships, 9 in manslaughter, 48 in obtaining by false pretences, 126 in receiving, 2 under the Protection of Women and Girls Ordinance and 11 in other serious offences.
Amongst the classes of criminal offence showing increases were the following:- an increase of 13 arms cases, 31 in serious assault, 2 in assault with intent to rob, 50 in burglary, 2 in embezzlement, 77 in larceny in dwelling, 5 in murder and 12 in robbery.
There were 49,555 minor cases in 1938 as against 43,288 in 1937, an increase of 6,267 or 14%.
Prisons.
In 1937 Victoria Gaol and Lai Chi Kok Prison for men were closed down and all male prisoners were transferred to the new Hong Kong Prison at Stanley. At the beginning of 1938, therefore, there were only two prisons in the Colony: The Hong Kong Prison at Stanley for men and the Lai Chi Kok Prison for women.
The Hong Kong Prison at Stanley has been built with single cellular accommodation throughout (except for Hospital Wards) and was designed to accommodate a total of 1,559 prisoners (exclusive of Hospital and Punishment Blocks). Accommodation for 23 European prisoners is included in this total.
On completion of the transfer of all male prisoners from Victoria Gaol and Lai Chi Kok Prison there were 2,215 prisoners in the Prison at Stanley; by November, 1937 this number had reached the high figure of 2,757.
On the 1st of January, 1938, there were in the Prison 18 European, 8 Indian and 2,313 Chinese prisoners—a total of 2,339.
The highest number of male prisoners recorded in 1938 was 2,908 on the 23rd of December. On the 31st of December the number was 2,848.
Thus, from the outset, the Hong Kong Prison at Stanley was grossly overcrowded and it has remained so ever since.