COMMISSIONER'S REVIEW
Among the important 'firsts' for the Year of the Dragon was not only a general containment of the level of crime, but also a marginal downward trend - the first since 1973. Having opened with these encouraging words, one has to add that law and order remains Hong Kong's No. 1 internal problem. It is a matter of grave concern to the public and is being given top priority attention by the Government and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force.
-
In common with most other countries, only a relatively small proportion of the population disturbs the tranquillity of life for a community which is predominantly law-abiding. It goes without saying that this small criminal element causes suffering - ranging from death, to injury and loss of property - in a way that goes far beyond its numerical significance. For example, one unknown rapist can strike terror into the homes of hundreds, if not thousands, until he is brought to justice.
It is small comfort to Hong Kong residents to be told that our level of crime measures favourably with other countries and cities. The fact is that, by Hong Kong standards, our level of crime still remains unacceptably high.
The ultimate ideal must be to create a society that is crime free. But a more urgent aim, and one which is capable of being realised, is to bring about a progressive reduction in crime levels which are considered as tolerable by the man in the street. While there has been an improvement we, clearly, have a long way to go before we can say we really have got on top of even the most pressing of our problems. These continue to be crimes of violence and organised crime.
Triads, by whatever definition or whatever form they take, are the kernel of the problem of organised crime. These gangs, mainly in groupings of not more than 15 each, probably have a total of some 8,000 active followers; in short about 500 gangs. They are the leeches of our society and prey on those least able to protect and fend for them- selves. Fear is their greatest weapon - fear created through the myth of a long-dead giant and fear generated through their operation in packs. Individually, they are insignificant and cowardly little men.
As will be evident from our earlier public statements and the end product of our enforcement action, we are aiming to hit the higher echelons of criminal syndicates, be they involved in violent crime, drugs, gambling, prostitution or whatever.
Simultaneously, we continue to harrass the lower level operatives. These people, often young criminals, have an important role to play in fulfilling their masters' sinister objectives.
In our endeavours to gain more and more of the initiative in the battle against crime, we seek not only to eliminate existing crime, but also to pre-empt new avenues for un- lawful activity. Our research and analysis of present and potential problems cover the widest possible field, involving study not only within the Force but with appropriate Government authorities and other interested bodies.
A classic example of our determination to seek new and meaningful approaches to the various threats to law and order was the inauguration, towards the end of 1976, of the new $30 million command and control system – the most modern and effective police radio system anywhere in the world today. This was the end product of years of research and planning by police and commercial experts, here and abroad.
While it is to members of the Force that the primary role of enforcing the law on behalf of the community falls, this does not obviate the responsibility of each citizen to play an active part. Indeed, the crime battle can be won only if it is fought on the broadest possible community front so that criminals have to fear not only "the man in uniform" but the mass of our law-abiding citizens. This ground swell of public response is something that is relatively new to Hong Kong. It began to gain momentum with the 1973 Fight Violent Crime Campaign and has been growing steadily ever since. This movement is reflected in the creation of Mutual Aid Committees (now numbering over 2,000, with 1.7 million volunteers); the founding of Junior Police Call (a young membership of almost 200,000); moves to improve police community relations; and the establishment of Fight Violent Crime Committees at central and district level.
This improvement in public involvement is illustrated. by the fact that in 1976 members of the public were respon- sible for effecting the arrest of more than 2,000 criminals. In the same period, the public made 222,723 requests for police assistance, an 8.3 per cent increase over 1975.
In our determination to bring our facilities to the public the past year saw the completion of a new police station and the new district command and control centre at Kowloon Headquarters. Thus, we now have 65 stations (divisional, sub-divisional and posts) and 72 Neighbourhood Policing Units and Police Reporting Centres and we are committed to a policy of providing more of these facilities. The link-up between NPUs, Kaifongs and Mutual Aid Committees and other similar bodies is a major feature of our "localised" policing of urban areas. Our constant consultation with such representative groups helps to ensure that we are respon- sive and in step with local needs.
It is not now uncommon to find police personnel posted to an area, say, an estate, on a more or less permanent basis. As a consequence we are now better placed than ever before in terms of having men and women police who really know the people, the area, and the problems they face.
For the Force itself, 1976 was yet another period of in- novations and changes. All were aimed at improving our approach and techniques (including scientific ones) as well as ensuring the best possible deployment and use of resources. Our endeavours to streamline and improve our methods are designed to ensure that we operate as effectively and efficiently as the most refined and high-powered of business organisations. In essence we are now very much a 20th Century law enforcement agency.
Another reflection of our determination to improve the
1