also an auxiliary unit of 250 Water Police, which is gradually being transformed into a Marine Unit for amphibious duties. The Force is composed of 227 Europeans, 400 Shantung Chinese, who are recruited because of their superior physique, 2,140 Cantonese and 180 Indians, and is relieved of all but strictly Police duties by a civilian staff of 600.
Training and Education.
The European officers are engaged with some previous train- ing, but undergo a further period on arrival. Locally recruited Sub-Inspectors receive 6 months' training and the Rank and File 3 months. There is a special course of training for the Marine Police. Detectives are recruited from the Uniformed Branch, and are given C.I.D. training. The syllabus includes law and Police duties, first aid, unarmed combat and weapon training, including the use of tear smoke. Six hundred and sixty-nine men were pass- ed out of the Police Training School during the year, and continu- ed training by regular weekly instruction after posting.
All ranks are literate in their own language when recruited. Chinese is compulsory for non-Chinese, and Basic English is taught to Chinese at the Police Training School.
Traffic.
The city area was built in the last century for a small popula- tion, and is not easily converted to provide for the increase of vehicles and inhabitants. Sir Patrick Abercrombie, the Town Planning expert, was invited to survey the problem and has com- piled a comprehensive report which is now being considered. In the circumstances, the accident rate was better than might have been expected:
Fatal Accidents Serious Accidents
Slight Accidents
1947
1948
131
97
216
474
1,805
1,945
There were 9,266 vehicles of all kinds in use in 1947, and 11,757 in 1948, on 410 miles of roads and streets.
Crime.
The figure of serious crime dropped from 13,704 cases to 11,008 cases. There was a marked decrease in robberies of all kinds, from 375 to 227. Burglary and larceny cases were still at an abnormal figure of 1,198, but it is an improvement over the 1,651 cases in the previous year. Property stolen amounted to
103