LAW AND ORDER
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quarters with 22 receiver stations in the main police stations and units.
During the year a total of 12,726 calls which necessitated police action was received at the Control Room at Police Headquarters. Of this number 9,716 were 999 emergency calls and the immediate police action taken in response to them resulted in the arrest of 2,196 persons.
The Force has a fleet of 270 vehicles of all types ranging from 3 ton vehicles designed to carry 30 passengers to small Land Rovers, saloon cars and motor cycles. The total mileage of police vehicles for the year was 2,850,716, and the fleet had an accident rate of only one vehicle to every 15,465 miles.
Crime. Over-population and economic distress continue to be the main causes of crime in the Colony. Corruption is still a major problem, but during the year much progress was made in detecting cases and bringing the offenders before the courts.
During the year the Criminal Records Office was reor- ganized and a new modus operandi system was introduced. A new Police Supervision Ordinance, to replace the Police Supervision Ordinance of 1923, was made law in March 1956.
Many of the criminal offences committed in the Colony have a triad background, and it has been found necessary to set up an Anti-Triad Bureau at C.I.D. Headquarters for particular investigation into the activities of members of triad societies. These persons are usually to be found among the baser criminal elements engaged in gambling, prostitution activities, dealings in narcotic drugs, extortion and most forms of vice.
The geographical position of Hong Kong lends itself as a natural transit area for narcotics. During the year a large number of seizures were made. Investigation led to the detec- tion of illicit morphine and heroin factories, and a number of dealers, who had formed well organized syndicates for the importation of narcotics, were arrested and convicted.
An art class at Northcote
Teachers Training College.
C. H. Cheng