SUPPORT
Operational support services for the Force are co-ordinated by the Support Wing of Police Headquarters under the direction of the Commander/Support, while support on the ground is provided by a number of self-contained units.
A nucleus of combined police and military staff exists which can be rapidly expanded if required to handle any internal security problem or other major emergency.
Official visitors during the year included Consuls General, Members of Parliament, military officers, school groups and community organisations.
Public Order
In spite of an emergence by local industry from the economic recession, a number of issues arose which resulted in vociferous opposition from various sections of the com- munity. Poster campaigns, protest meetings and petitions were organised in an effort to rally support against inflation. However, no serious disturbances resulted and the year ended without any violent confrontations. A number of permits were issued for meetings of the 'Hyde Park forum' style which provided an outlet for expression of public opinion. The meetings were held mainly in Victoria Park. The Commonwealth Finance Ministers' Meeting hosted by Hong Kong in September, posed considerable traffic and security problems.
At Government House a total of 60 petitions, excluding those received by post, were recorded. Petitioners conducted themselves in an orderly manner and police involvement was consequently minimal.
Communications and Transport
The Communications and Transport Branch continued in its role of providing technical support to the Force and planning telecommunication and transport facilities.
The highlight of the year was the fruition of seven years of planning with the commissioning of the multi-million- dollar beat radio scheme. The radio nets on Hong Kong Island were brought into operation on December 4, while the nets in Kowloon and the New Territories will be opera- tional in 1977. The computer-assisted command and control system - which is the final stage of the scheme - will be introduced by phases until it becomes fully operational in 1977. The Force will then be equipped with a command and control capability equal to any similar system in the world. Plans are being formulated for an extension of the scheme to urban areas of the New Territories, including the new towns of Sha Tin and Tuen Mun.
Although the beat radio scheme was the main preoccupa- tion of the branch, active planning proceeded in the Signals Division and the Development Section for a number of major projects. These included the design of communica- tions for the policing of the mass transit railway, which will link the entire underground policing unit and its head- quarters at Ngau Tau Kok with all other police facilities. A radio terminal was established on the Far East Interpol
network which provided direct contact with major neigh- bouring Police forces. Other projects under planning embraced the re-design of the communications and security system at the International Airport at Kai Tak and communications for elevated highways being constructed by the Public Works Department.
Exciting as these developments may be, the principal day-to-day role of the branch remained the administration and maintenance of equipment throughout the Force, although even here the beat radio scheme influenced the workload considerably with a large increase in equipment, spares and consequent maintenance tasks. The Maintenance Division is now responsible for maintaining 87 repreater stations, 570 fixed radio stations, 906 mobile radios, 2,241 portable radios, 25 marine radar sets, four traffic radar sets and numerous other items of equipment.
Similarly, the Signals Division assumed additional res- ponsibilities. Apart from the function of providing and administering the telephones and teleprinters of the Force. and supervising the operational use of all police communica- tions, the division now also provides the civilian operators who, under the control of district police controllers, operate complicated consoles and computers in the automated control rooms.
The transport fleet grew to 1,112 vehicles and the Trans- port Division is currently undertaking a replacement programme for the entire motorcycle fleet and assisting in the planning of adequate transport support for the Criminal Investigation Department.
The Police Driving School held 93 courses during the year for all classes of vehicle and for drivers from learner to advanced levels. A total of 848 officers completed training, of whom 90.8 per cent reached the required standard. The school is located in temporary accommodation at Shouson Hill on Hong Kong Island, but plans are progressing for a permanent school.
To meet increased commitments and responsibilities, the establishment of the branch was expanded to 1,518 police officers and civilians, most of whom are deployed in opera- tional formations.
Police Tactical Unit
The Police Tactical Unit, based at Volunteer Slopes in Fanling, provides the Commissioner with an immediate reserve of manpower for use in any emergency. The unit also fulfills an important training role by providing instruc- tion in up-to-date internal security tactics for all ranks, from constable to superintendent.
During the year the unit trained eight companies, total- ling 1,344 men, in all aspects of internal security work and crowd control duties. Following this 12-week training course, each company returned to the police district from which it was formed to undergo an 18-week operational attachment under the command of the police district com- mander. During this attachment the 'Blue Berets' as they have become popularly known - performed a wide variety
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