Crime Statistics in Japanese Colonial Taiwan

This paper compiles Taiwanese crime statistics for the period 1897--1942. Violent crimes, such as murder, robbery and arson, are found to have decreased significantly at the beginning of Japanese rule. On the other hand, crime rates for gambling and theft increased constantly over time. The crime situation varied greatly among regions. Taitung and Hualien Districts had the highest violent crime rates (including murder and arson), while Taipei Prefecture had the highest crimes rates for gambling and theft.