L
War on-
'crime
a stunt
says lawyer
2 ↑ JUN 1973 FIRS
THE Fight Violent Crime campaign yesterday was criticised by a leading lawyer for not tackling the root causes! of crime.
t
Mr Henry Litton, a former' chairman of the Bar Association, said in a speech to the Lions Club of Bayview, "I believe that the Fight Violent Crime campaign might have a better chance of success if the root causes of crime had been tackled first, and not in the spirit of a publicity stunt.'
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"I refer to the education gap, to the lack of recreation facilities, the lack of open space and many such matters which the Government recognises call for improvement."
Mr. Litton also criticised government's introduction of laws to cut down trial by jury.
INCREASED
He said he was not in favour of the provisions of the District Court (Admendment) Bill which proposed that some of the more serious cases now tried by the Supreme Court be Their summary jurisdiction would be increased to seven years imprisonment.
Since the District Courts sit without juries and with the increases in their sentencing powers vested in one man, these changes would pose a threat to the rule of law in Hongkong, he said.
Secret plans to suppress
21 JUN 1973 S.CNP
armed gangs
Police
have secret and
effective plans to crack down on armed youth gangs in different areas.
This was hinted at by the Secretary for Home Affairs. Mr Jack Cater, when replying to questions by Mr Hilton Cheong- Leen on the current Fight Violent Crime Campaign at a Legislative Council meeting yesterday.
Mr. Cater assured that everything possible would be done to increase the rate of detection of the violent criminal.
course,
"And this, of includes effective action against arnied youth gangs.
"It would be counter productive to give detailed information on police operational plans for dealing with particular problems in particular areas," he said,
MR CATER
Mr Litton commented that' the overuse of slogans and gimmicks in the campaign had absorbed some of the energy that should have been given to more thought and analysis.
He said he was against the tendency of community leaders to condone white-collar middle-class crime such as tax- evasion while demanding draconian punishment for robbers and thugs.
OUTCRY
"For instance, in the latest report of the Inland Revenue Department, the commissioner: alleged that the understated profits on salaries tax returns for the past year totalied $71,000,000. That is more than the total spent on social welfare and housing services combined. Is there an outcry against that? Is there a campaign?
Mr Litton concluded by saying that it would be wrong to treat all young criminals living in resettlement estates as "mad dogs" as recommended by the chief of police in a television programme recently.
"We have to accept that if they are mad dogs, we as the community have bred them. Ultimately, society's ills can only be dealt with
by compassion, and not by repression," he said.
1
Mr Cater said that the police figures in the first two days of the Campaign - 796 raids and 13,266 stop-and-search operations resulting in people being detained only the beginning.
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722
were
"These efforts will continue. "There is now a much greater and visible police presence on the ground, and it is expected that this will have a deterrent effect on the violent criminal."
Mr Cater also said that 15 reporting centres had been set; up in kaifong associations and; in low cost housing estates.
"In the next month 25 similar centres in prefabricated transportable structures will be established.
**In addition, police landrovers are deployed in strategic locations, and they serve as mobile reporting
centres.
"
Mr Cater also assured that there would be a continuing review of all police procedures for receiving and recording reports, with a view to reducing time still further.
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Students
to visit Pivis 21 JUNHAS.C.M.F Britain
Ten local students will participate in the one-month "Commonwealth Youth and Student Exchange Programme" in the United Kingdom on June 29.
The programme is sponsored by the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council and the British Council. It is organised by the British Association of Experiment in International Living.
Tours, visits and a home-stay programme will be organised for the students.
In addition, the students will also meet Members of Parliament, Government officials, unionists, educators and overseas Chinese.
An official visit will also be made to the National Union of Students of the United
Kingdom.
Topics like Language
the Chinese status, housing.
education and youth problems in Hongkong will most likely be brought up for discussion by the students.
The delegates are: Mr Cheng Kwong-woon, Leader, Mr Liù Kwok-hong, Deputy Leader, Mr Wong Tak-sing, Miss Yu Wai-ping, Miss Chau Ping- kuen, Miss Lo Yuk-yen Miss Liu Yuk-ling, Mr Kwan Pun-fong, Miss Chan Yuk- kwun and Miss Lau May-chi.