Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎65r] (129/176)

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scattered estates, which form the endowment of the library, with a view to exchanging
them for a single Government estate, which woidd admit of being more economically
administered.
Chapter VI.— Interior.
69. Public Security.
405. The disturbed state of the political atmosphere has been reflected in the
criminal statistics. Murder and robbery increased to an alarming extent after the
riots of 1919, and the succession of incidents during the last three years has
prevented a return to normal conditions. During the last six months, however, the
population has been more orderly and officials have shown more interest in their
work. If the comparative political peace now reigning (April 1922) continues, there
is little doubt that the criminal statistics for the current year will be more
satisfactory. Tables of crime will be found in the chapter on " Justice.”
406. For some time it has been realised that in the provinces many crimes which
remained unproved might have been cleared up had sufficient attention been paid to
them, or a special officer, unencumbered by the routine work of a markaz, or an
outpost delegated to work at such cases and nothing else. As an experiment a small
office has been formed in the Public Security Department, which has devoted itself
especially to following up important crimes by delegating an officer to work with the
provincial authorities, to breaking up gangs of well-known criminals and to the
capture of persons wanted. The office has already proved its value in all these
matters. Several important crimes have been proved and sentences obtained by its
assistance, while criminal gangs in Behera and Beni Suef have been broken up and
their leaders captured, and a very large number of persons wanted, many of them
for life sentences, have been brougnt to hook.
407. It is intended to enlarge this office so that a special detective officer may be
available for each mudiria, keeping in Cairo at the same time a " mobile brigade
ready to deal with organised crime in the provinces wherever it may assume serious
proportions. To be a real success however, this system requires the loyal and
interested co-operation of mudirs, the majority of whom fail at present to realise
how important a part of their duties consists in public security work.
408. The ghaffir force, which is the real provincial police force, is now composed
of nearly 50,000 men. At present their pay on the whole is reasonably good and a
fair average of recruiting has been obtained, but in some mudirias the pay is still too
low considering the amount of work which the ghaffirs have to do and its dangerous
nature. The ghaffir force is paid locally, and the “ ghaffir cessis one of the most
unjust taxes in the country. It is levied on each village, and falls with greater weight
upon the poor than upon the rich. Moreover, the mudiria councils fix what the total
amount of salaries of ghaffifs in each mudiria is to be, and there is consequently no
uniformity of tax as between mudirias.
409. Laws and regulations prepared in the Permit Office of the Public Security
Department have included amendments to the legislation on dangerous and unhealthy
establishments, amendments to the public establishments law and a draft law on
betting. The most important law dealt with by the Permits Department is that of
unhealthy and dangerous establishments. The present amendments to the law are
designed to remove the chief drawback to the present system, that when once a
dangerous establishment is issued with a permit, the place is subjected to little or
no inspection, there being no staff of technical inspectors at the disposal of the
Ministry.
410. A close watch has been kept for some years back on licences for selling
alcoholic liquors During the year only one licence has been granted.
411. A committee under the Director-General of Public Security was appointed
early in the winter to study questions relating to the flash point, storage, transport
and importation of petroleum and petroleum products.
70. Police.
412. The police have been severely taxed during the year, especially in the cities
of Cairo, Alexandria and Port Saidl and also to a considerable extent in several
of the provinces, by the frequent occurrence of political unrest leading to
demonstrations, often of a dangerous nature.