§ Sir G. Jeffreysasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent there has been an increase in undetected crime in the last six months; and to what extent it is estimated this increase is attributable to the further call up for war service of previously reserved police personnel.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonAs regards the first part of the Question, complete statistics of the number of crimes recorded and detected in the last six months in England and Wales are not yet available. I have, however, made special inquiries into the position in the Metropolitan Police District and in six of the larger provincial forces. The result of this partial survey does not indicate that there has been any significant increase in the percentage of undetected crime in recent months, though
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Strength of the Metropolitan Police Force (Men). Uniform. C.I.D. Regulars. Re-engaged Pensioners. Full-time special constables. War Reserves Total. Regulars. Re-engaged Pensioners. Total. 31.12.43 12,248 835 906 5,539 19,528 1,029 25 1,054 31.12.44 11,694 670 687 3,922 16,973 997 19 1,016 there has been some increase in the total number of crimes committed. As I informed Parliament at the time, the reduction in police strength due to shortage of man-power is bound to result in some diminution of the protection hitherto afforded to the public.
§ Sir G. Jeffreysasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether instances of crime reported by the public to the police are invariably entered in the police station book; what was the number of cases so reported in the Metropolitan police district in the three months ended 31st December, 1944, and in the corresponding three months of 1943, or nearest convenient dates; and how many of these are recorded as detected and undetected crime, respectively.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonIt is a standing instruction in the Metropolitan police force that particulars of all crimes and alleged crimes coming to the notice of the police are to be entered in the crime book. As far as I am aware, similar instructions apply in other forces. In the last published report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis figures are given for each of the several classes of offences showing the number of crimes recorded and the number cleared up in each of the years 1939 to 1943. Similar figures will in due course be published for 1944.