 He noted that while in 1954 there had been 30 secret society gang fights, by 1957 the number had risen to 150, and in the first six months of 1958 there had already been 157 fights – double the rate for the previous year.Such fights were difficult for the police to detect and to prosecute, as eyewitnesses were too frightened of reprisals to furnish information leading to the arrests of gang members.He said