E
Sir Murray calls for support as tough laws are announced
GO-AHEAD
FOR FIGHT ON CRIME
Full support Murray by Kaifongs
1 2 MAY 1973 ELKS THE Governor, Sir MacLehose, yesterday announced multi-pronged attack against "the most worrying aspect of life in Hongkong”.
crime.
a
ALL of Hongkong's 56
Supreme Court.
The District Court will also start to try some of the more serious cases previously handled by the Supreme Court.
Finally, the Public Order Kaifong associations and other (Amendment) Bill 1973 will civic communities yesterday repeal the law on possession of pledged their full support for an offensive weapon in a public the coming Fight Violent place.
Under the new Bull, the : Speaking to a large gathering of community Crime Camp
To help in the operation of offence will remain an offence of offenders will be widened leaders, businessmen and members of the press, the campaign, area committees but the scope for punishment
for the courts. - Sir Murray said a massive publicity drive to comprising of representatives of herald the start of Hongkong's Fight Violent these bodies will be set up by Crime Campaign next month would start on Monday.
The Governor spoke of the number of "soft targets"
making crime "more difficult the "208-percent increase and more risky". in violent crime in four years, and the indignation and real fear and distress this has created".
Turning to the actual machinery of the campaign, which starts up on June 18, Sir Murray outlined the Imain efforts: --
• "The laws have been progressively strengthened”.
The introduction of new detention centres.
• Police procedures "reviewed and revised”.
Massive recruitment of
auxiliary police.
Recruitment and training of regular police "pressed forward as hard as possible".
But the Governor also called on the public, as well as the Government and police, for support.
Sir Murray described the elements of the campaign which will involve the pubic directly.
Area committees will be set up throughout the Colony to undertake three basic tasks:
• To explain basic security
, precautions and thereby reduce
✪ To inform the public of how to help the police and do so safely".
establish
• "To
confidence personal communication between police and the public”.
better and the
The Governor also complimented the pubic on the response to the auxiliary recruitment campaign.
Describing the response as "magnificent." he said about would be 2,000 auxiliaries patrolling the Colony's streets every night.
the Secretariat for Home
Affairs later this month to help promote security measures in το improve buildings and liaison between the police and the public.
Magistrates (Amendment) Bill
1973.
Under the Criminal Procedures (Amendment) Bill, with four serious a person convictions will be liable to
preventive detention."
sentences
This new power will be subject to various conditions. A criminal under 25 will not be liable. A person convicted on a minimum of three charges of which at least two resulted in will be custodial
offences were. liable, if the Coinciding with yesterday's committed since he was 17. A conference came the previous sentence of at least announcement in yesterday's two Government Gazette sweeping
years
15 the minimum of "qualification" for detention. for new powers
and the Hongkong's courts introduction of a new type of hardened for sentence criminals.
Magistrates will be able to impose sentences of up to four previously two years was the maximum
years
-
under the
-
SENTENCES
Preventive sentences will be in addition to other sentences. Under the Magistrates Bill, Magistrates will handle much of the currently high burden of cases set for trial by the