Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1883-10-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

YEAR'S POLICE WORK AT STO3KTON.  Superintendent Bell has issued his annual returns giving statistics of the criminal and other work of the police of the Stockton Division of the Durham constabulary during the year ending September 29. From the various returns we take the following figures : The number of indictable offences committed during the year was 74, for which 40 persons were apprehended, and 32 committed tor trial. This is a reduction on the previous year, the number of such offences committed in which was 87. The indictable offences of the past year include I murder, for which 1 person was committed for trial; I attempt to murder, for which there was no apprehension; 1 case of manslaughter, and 2 persons committed for trial; 1 cake of sacrilege (Presbyterian Church), for which there was no arrest; 2 cases of burglary and housebreaking, 1 person arrested, committed for trial; 3 cases of breaking into shops, warehouses, &c., for which 4 were arre,ted and committed for trial ;1 robbery with violence, 2 apprehended; 3 cases of horse: stealing, for which 3 persons were arrested, but only 1 committed for trial; 9 cases of obtaining goods by false pretences; and 1 case of perjury, which was dismissed. Of the above apprehensions 5 sere discharged for want of evidence, and 3 for want of prosecutors. For offences dealt with summarily •, there were 2,964 persona proceeded against, of whom 2,364 were males and 603 females; 2,699 were convicted and 265 discharged. Of those convicted 2,169 were fined, 176 sent to prison or reformatories, and 354 otherwise punished. In the previous year 2,541 persons were proceeded against summarily. This shows a great increase of offences dealt with summarily in the past year, but it may be pointed out that the increase is chiefly in prosecutions under the Education Act,thore having been nearly 500 School Board cases during the year, which almost makes up the entire increase us summary offences. Coming to statistics of drunkenness, we find that 1,052 per Eons were proceeded against for this offence during the year, 839 banig males and 223 females; of these 1,048 were convicted, and 14 discharged. In the previous year the number proceeded against for drunkenness was 1,017, 792 being males and 225 females. This gives a slight increase in prosecutions for drunkenness during the year. The number of public-houses in the Division is 162; the number I proceeded asainst for offences against the tenor of their license was 16, and the number  convicted 11. The number of beerhouses in the Division is 45; 4 were proceeded against during the year for offences under the Licensing Acts, and convictions wore obtained in each case. The number of beerhouses licensed to soil for . .  consumption off the premises is 39; number of refreshment licenses, 2 ; and other houses licensed for the sale of liquors, 9. Under the Food and Drugs Act 4 prosecutions were instituted ' by the police during the year; in 2, convictions were obtained, and the other 2 were discharged. Among the miscellaneous statistics contained in the returns we find that there are 100 licensed pedlars or hawkers in the Division. There are 20 houses of bad character known to the police (brothels, resorts of thieves, and houses for the reception of stolen goods); and there are 64 known thieves residing in the Division.