Police-1957-1958 — Page 27

Attempted Murder

83. There were ten cases of attempted murder during the year, all being detected and prosecuted before the Courts. Convictions were recorded in four cases, in one case a nolle prosequi was entered and five cases remain pending.

Serious Assault

84. Serious assault includes all offences of wounding and the throwing of corrosive fluid. The total for the year showed a reduction of forty six from the 1956/57 total, the figures being 364 and 410. 293 (80%) of the 364 offences were detected.

Offences Against Public Morality

85. Although there was an increase of thirty four offences during the year under review, the overall total for this class of crime is very low indeed when account is taken of the high population and over- crowding in the Colony. Of the total of 125 sexual offences reported during the year, 103 (83%) were cleared up.

Offences Against Property

86. There was a very substantial reduction in offences under this heading, the total being 15,009 compared with 18,971 in 1956/57, a reduction of 3,962 crimes. 8,322 (55%) of the offences coming to the notice of the police during the year were cleared up. Property to the value of $3,561,487 was stolen and property valued at $331,616 was recovered.

Burglary and Housebreaking

87. There was also a substantial decrease in the number of offences of this type recorded, the total being 349 compared with 618 in 1956/57. Of these 127 (37%) were cleared up, which also compares favourably with the 26% detection rate of the previous year. In September 1957 only twenty seven such cases were reported, the lowest monthly total on record.

There were also sixty nine cases of shop, store and office breaking and seventeen of attempted breaking. This total of eighty six also showed a marked decrease, the figure for the previous year being 127. Property to the value of $410,348 was stolen and $47,169 was recovered. A total of thirty two persons were arrested during the year in possession of housebreaking implements.

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