Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16
LONDON COMP ARES
CRIMES WITH u. S.
Byng's Report Is Comforting
to City Despite Increase
of 1880 0ffenses.
~ Radio to The star.

~ Radio to The Star.
LONDON, August l5.-While the pa
pers and readers thereof In this coun-
try have been waxing indignant ovei
the Wickersham Commission reports or
crime and police, the same circles hero
this week are taking some comfort frcm
the annual report of the commissioner
OF the ropolitan-London area-po-
lice for 1880, despite a substantial In
crease Of crime in that year IN this dis
trict as compared with 1929. The num-
Der of indictable offenses in London
last year was 20,553, which is $3.50
more than the previous year.
Discussing crimes OF violence, the re-
mort shows that the murders of persons
more than a year old in 1880 numbered
81, which is IL more than in 1929,
which was an unusually low year, but
the yearly average for the last 70 years.
AS usual, London police, following the
motto of the Canadian mounties, got
their man." except IN one case, winch
is still unsolved In 8 out OF 81 cases
the rnurderers committed suicide, and
of 10 arrests in the remaining III cases
Of the accused persons Zone OF
whom committed a double murder)
were found insane, which in this coun-
try means they are sent to criminal
lunatic asylum for life. The other three
were acquitted, including two who were
survivors of suicide pacts.
There were eight cases OF the murder
of infants under a year old, which IS
SLIGHTLY below the average, though twice
as great as in 1929. There were Al
cases of manslaughter. This is four
more than in the previous year, ana au-
tomobile accidents accounted for most
OF them. What the report terms crime
against property house,
breaking and shopbreaking accounted
for a considerable part OF the increase
burglary were $50, as compared with
262 in 1929; HOUSEKEEPING, 1855, as
compared with 2,543, and breaking and
entering buildings and other houses,
2,Io1, as compared with 1883.
So far as house robberies is concerned,
Lord Byng'S report partly passes the
buck to the public, saying, Much more
could be done by the public to protect
themselves. The number OF cases IN
which entry can be made without use OF
any tool and in which once entry is
made there is absolute freedom to roam
about the premises is far too large.
There is one comfnendable increase,
however, in a specific set OF crime ng-
tres-those involving blackmail.
"The practice of the courts during
the past five or six years, says the re-
port, 'of allowing the suppression Of
the victims identity IN eases Of black
mail and other forms OF extort1on Is
bringing about q considerable increase
in the number of cases reported" There
were 48 in 1890, compared with 20 in
the previous year. and the 1880 figure
Is thrice the average Of the proceeding
IL years
In contrast to the Wickersham report
on the tie-up between police and crooks,
Byng's report expresses satisfaction with
the morals of the London police, Dis
cipline has been well maintained" says
the report, land the general conduct of
the men has been very good, though
the number of puniShments awarded
were mostly for such offenses as neg
lect to patrol boats, exceeding the
period allowed for refreshments and
absence from sectional houses without
leave, shows an increase. On the other
hand. the number Of cases dealt with
by the discipline boards (the more seri-
Gus breaches of discipline) continues to
decline"
Seven men were dismissed in 1890,
compared with "a the previous year. The
present year, however, is not likely to
produce much self-congratulation Some
weeks ago Scotland Yard announced
that 81 members Of the force were Sus-
pended pending an investigation of
charges that they accepted brides from
street bookmaker and street traders
OF this number, six SO far have been
found guilty and have been dismissed.
with the remaining is cases stu under
investigation. There is a small unex-
planned increase in prosecutions for
drunkenness in 1880, compared with the
previous year, the figure being 24,335,
which is an increase Of T66 over 1929.
fCopyrfght 1917