PUBLIC ORDER
129
matters, nuisance complaints, household accidents, complaints of inaction by other depart- ments and requests for information, advice and help. The steep rise in the number of requests for police assistance is evidence of growing public confidence in the force.
The Marine Police also played a significant role in providing assistance to the public and shore parties from patrol launches regularly visited various islands and remote areas to bring the day-to-day problems of the villagers quickly to the notice of the relevant govern- ment departments. In addition, police launches were regularly engaged in casualty evacua- tions and requests for assistance from people aboard pleasure craft, canoeists and swimmers.
Community Relations
Continued efforts by the police to improve its relations with the public - through the Police Community Relations Offices, neighbourhood police units, Junior Police Call, the Good Citizen Award and co-ordinated publicity campaigns played a significant role in en- couraging members of the public to become more actively involved in the fight against crime. Results were reflected by the fact, mentioned earlier, that 11 per cent of all arrests during the year were made by members of the public.
Junior Police Call enrolled its 250,000th member in July and by the end of the year its membership stood at 257,452 - making it possibly the largest youth organisation of its type in the world. Organised through the scheme are some 250 to 300 different youth activities ranging from sporting competitions and camps to fund-raising campaigns for charity and carrying out domestic chores for the aged and disabled. Weekly radio and television programmes continued to be produced in connection with the scheme.
Four winners of the Young People's 'Help the Police' competition held in 1979 visited New Zealand early in 1980 as guests of the New Zealand police. Now, plans are being made for the winners of the 1981 competitions to have a holiday in Canada as guests of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
A further 217 civic-minded citizens, who actively helped the police in combating crime, were given Good Citizen Awards by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. This brought to 942 the total number of people to have been selected for the award since the scheme was launched in 1973.
Following the success of the Chinese television drama series On the Beat, produced in 1979, the series was extended by a further 10 episodes in 1980. The programmes began screening in September and continued to attract good prime-time audiences. Production of the two long-established, weekly Pōlice Report television programmes, which seek help from the public in solving outstanding crimes, continued throughout the year with 437 arrests being attributed to information received from viewers.
Fight Crime Committees
Community efforts in preventing and combating crime are co-ordinated by the Fight Crime Committee which has been in existence since 1973. Chaired by the Secretary for Home Affairs and attended by the Secretary for Security and other senior government officials, the committee also includes seven unofficial members appointed by the Governor. Its terms of reference are to plan, organise and co-ordinate government and public efforts to assist the police to combat crime.
The committee has considered a wide range of crime-related topics since its inception and has commissioned a number of important surveys, the latest being a fullscale study on crime victimisation. Various legislative amendments have also been brought about through its work, the most recent of these being the overhaul of the law relating to loitering.
Page 180Page 181