Regarding legal means, it seems to me that crime prevention relies heavily on the conduct of criminal court judges, as they can help reduce major crimes in areas where they are frequent by imposing severe penalties. A close examination of how judges handled cases in the last twelve months of the year reveals that they sentenced only three out of eighty individuals, referred by examining magistrates to criminal courts on charges of premeditated murder, to death. The criminal courts rejected the premeditation charge in 49 cases and acquitted the remaining twenty-two cases due to mitigating circumstances. These figures, when compared to cases of attempted murder, show that the courts found premeditation in 37 out of 58 such cases, indicating that the courts require different degrees of premeditation for murder and attempted murder.

The criminal courts also tend to be lenient in their treatment of other crimes such as theft, highway robbery, and burglary, which are often prevalent in areas where crime is rampant. There is no doubt that judges imposing severe penalties in such situations would greatly benefit public security. Therefore, I believe that judges have the capacity to prevent authorities from resorting to an undesirable exceptional law like the law of July 4, 1909. I see no need to re-enforce this law, except perhaps to consolidate these legal measures and demonstrate their inadequacy in achieving the desired goal.

Last year, the police faced some specific factors that affected public security. They reorganized the guards during the year and gathered them in specific districts for training and instruction, leaving many posts without guards. This training is now nearing completion, which will allow for the demonstration of the efficiency of the new guard system.

Last summer, the cotton worm infestation in the Delta provinces suddenly intensified, necessitating the dispatch of all administrative staff, including police officers and personnel, to the cotton fields to work. They were absent from their usual duties for months. I hope that improving the method of combating the cotton worm will prevent the need for such exceptional measures this year. I also believe that the current police system lacks thorough consideration and foresight, and that in all circumstances, public security should be strengthened without resorting to exceptional measures. This requires all relevant authorities to fulfill their duty in this important matter.