K 9
The following table indicates the number of serious crimes for the whole Colony 1934-1939:-
Year. Charge cases. No charge cases. Total cases. Property stolen. Property recovered. $ $ 1934 3,480 2,069 5,549 363,436 50,551 1935 4,322 2,051 6,373 576,203 42,704 1936 6,234 2,804 9,038 303,497 69,739 1937 8,169 4,265 12,434 531,190 115,829 1938 7,002 4,386 11,388 543,545 119,400 1939 7,859 3,945 11,804 685,216 128,05129. Total serious crime in 1934 was 5,549 and in that year the total C.I.D. (Crime) Cantonese staff was 137. In 1939 total serious crime was 11,804 an increase of 112%, and total C.I.D. (Crime) Cantonese staff was 172 an increase of 25%. In 1934 total European C.I.D. (Crime) staff was 40, as against 42 in 1939, an increase of 5%.
30. A summary of the number of articles lost or recovered during the year is given below :--
Year. Articles reported lost. Value. Articles recovered or found but not reported lost. Value of articles found. $ $ 1938. 760 71,965 100 5,630 1939. 511 49,102 39 41531. The attention of police authorities is constantly devoted to the suppression of corruption among members of the Police Force, and there were 7 successful prosecutions for this offence during the year.
32. A grave problem raised by the large number of poverty-stricken refugees is that of prostitution. Certain limited areas of the Colony have become by night the haunt of a large number of prostitutes. Soliciting for prostitution has become a serious social evil, and the number and poverty of the women concerned have favoured the spread of venereal disease. This problem formed the subject of an inquiry by a Committee appointed for the purpose by H.E. the Governor. It is considered that the time is now ripe to try the experiment of enlisting Chinese women police for this purpose.
33. Another evil effect of overcrowding, poverty and unemployment is the spread of opium and heroin divans. Frequent raids are conducted on such illicit divans by both Police and Revenue officers. During 1939 there were 2,484 cases for offences against the Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinances, as compared with 2,081 cases in 1938.
34. The rise in the price of firewood and the presence here of large numbers of poverty-stricken and unemployed refugees has caused an increase in the number of forestry offences. There were 2,393 cases for such offences as compared with 2,246 cases in 1938. A large number of raids have been made by police and forestry officers, but the position is still serious.