Police-1965-1966 — Page 15

ESTABLISHMENT AND RECRUITMENT

13. The approved establishment at the beginning of the year was 10,149 all ranks, and at the end of the year it had risen to 10,346 all ranks. The actual strength of the Force at the end of this period was 10,180 all ranks-166 under establishment.

REVIEW OF crime 1965-66

14. Recorded cases of crime (the term does not include miscellaneous offences such as traffic, gambling, hawking cases etc.) rose from 17,076 in the year 1964-65 to 20,022 in the current year, being an increase of 2,946 (17.3%).

15. The principal increase was in the category of miscellaneous larcenies which rose from 5,758 to 6,651. Other notable increases were in the cases of larceny from vehicle, larceny from person and larceny in dwelling. The increase in cases of breaking into houses and buildings was relatively low.

16. It is noteworthy that of the total increase of 2,946 cases of crime, 606 were in the category of prevention of crime, namely persons arrested for loitering and possession of an instrument fit for an unlawful purpose.

17. Prosecutions of persons in cases of serious crime rose from 8,672 to 9,656, an increase of 11.3%. It is pleasing to note that despite this overall increase in prosecutions, cases involving juvenile offenders fell from 1,612 to 1,490. During the year, 613 (as against 353 in the previous year) juvenile offenders were referred to the Police Juvenile Liaison Section for supervision and examination of parental control, as an alter- native to prosecution.

18. The number of police supervision orders made by the Courts was 329 compared with 371 during the previous year, a reduction of 42. During the year approximately one-third of these supervisees were sent to prison for offences committed after supervision orders had been made against them.

19. During the year, 18,159 narcotics offences of all types were recorded, as against 19,647 during the previous year, a decrease of 1,488 cases (7.6%). Seizures of narcotics were less in quantity than those of the previous year in which one spectacular case accounted for 76% of the total. Discounting this extraordinary circumstance in 1964-65, seizures during the year under review were relatively high.

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