Police-1959-1960 — Page 30

1955/56 1956/57

1957/58 1958/59

Serious Crime

19,556

19,915

15,662

14,970

1959/60 13,599

Deportation Offences

3.731

1.356

1,155

795

543

Membership of Unlawful Societies

79

752

1,796

3,478

Miscellaneous Offences

216,762

Reports disclosing No Offence

170,683

176,314 155,404 153,075

186,408

179,207

3,521 177,910

173,831 211,222

410,811 353,741 358,096 372,281 406,795

89. The reduction in serious crime of 9%, with an improved overall detection rate of 71%, follows the trend of the

past few years. Decreases were recorded under most of the crime headings, while the only major increases were in breaking and fraud offences.

90. Miscellaneous offences show a decrease compared with the preceding year; main increases were recorded under Narcotics and Gambling. Deportation offences were also fewer, but arrests for mem- bership of triad societies were maintained. The major part of the increase in reports dealt with is accounted for by reports which disclosed no offence.

CRIME RECORDING

91. Offences classified as serious crimes are listed in Appendix VII. This table includes all reports of crime; elsewhere, crime figures referred to are true cases and previous years' figures have been amended accordingly. True cases in this Report include all those where the facts showed conclusively that an offence had been committed. They do not include reported cases which were found to be trivial, false or where no case in law was disclosed.

SERIOUS CRIME

92. A graph showing the trend in serious crime since 1946/47 is included on page 19. The peak year was 1956/57 when 19,915 crimes were recorded; in that year occurred the October riots and the almost complete breakdown of the system of deportation. Subsequent years have seen a sustained drive against secret societies, the detention of undesirable aliens under the Emergency (Detention Orders) Regulations and the selective application of police supervision of habitual criminals ----resulting in a gradual reduction in the number of serious crimes recorded.

93. A further important factor in the success against crime is the increased co-operation from members of the public. Arrests by members of the public during the period under review totalled 957, an increase of 21% compared with the preceding year. Of the 13,599 crimes recorded

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