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PUBLIC ORDER
was increased by 1,454 compared with 2,222 in 1974 and 1,320 in 1973. The new constables included 251 women. In 1975 the Police Training School trained 136 inspectors and 1,511 constables (including 736 taken on strength during the previous year) compared with 94 and 1,428 respectively in 1974.
The educational standards of recruits continued to improve, with 1,169 of the 1,321 new recruits having some form of secondary education. There were 172 with recruit inspector qualifications and a further 197 had more than three passes in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examination.
A total of 170 local applicants and rank and file attended interviews for appoint- ment or promotion to the inspectorate grade. Of these, 34 local applicants and 15 rank and file were taken on strength as recruit inspectors. Some 28 per cent of the local inspectorate strength has been promoted from the rank and file of the force.
Women Police
Increasing numbers of women police are serving in the uniformed branch, Criminal Investigation Department and specialist units, with senior officers holding key-posts in both administrative and operational spheres in the uniformed branch. Based on the current force establishment, the approved strength for women of all ranks is 1,519, of which 1,326 are serving.
During the year two members of the rank and file became the first to be promoted to the inspectorate; two officers attended training courses in Britain; one attended a seminar in Australia; and an officer accompanied the winners of the young people's 'Help the Police' competition on their two-week prize holiday visit to Britain.
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police
The increase in strength of the regular force allowed for a proportionate decrease and streamlining in the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police. At the end of 1975 the auxiliary strength was 5,329-some 1,546 less than the previous year. The auxiliaries provided on average 1,300 officers a day throughout the year to support the regular police in their beat and anti-crime patrol duties. Auxiliary police officers made many good arrests, and 10 officers were commended by regular district police commanders and 46 officers received the Commandant's commendations.
Members are required to undergo 14 days and 96 hours training a year. Seven of the training days are spent at an annual camp. Duties in support of regular police are purely voluntary and additional to periods of training. Selected auxiliary police officers during the year attended additional weapon training courses, internal security training courses, adventure courses and command courses run by the regular force.
Marine Police
The Marine Police are responsible for maintaining law and order within the 700 square miles of Hong Kong waters and for policing the outlying islands. The Marine District has an establishment of 1,349 police officers and 47 vessels. Besides normal police duties, in 1975 the launches carried 367 sick and injured people from the outlying islands to hospitals in the urban area.