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PUBLIC ORDER
The Fight Crime Committee continued to pay close attention to the problem of juvenile crime. The Young Offender Assessment Panel, set up to co-ordinate advice given to the courts on the backgrounds of young offenders and the correctional programmes most likely to reform them, has since considered 133 cases. The committee also considered in depth the question of triad influence and juvenile crime in schools, and as a result, has compiled a detailed report on its findings for consideration by the Education Commission.
The committee continued to monitor the implementation of the standardised law and order statistical system, which became fully operational in July 1986, and which provides compatible statistics from major branches of the criminal justice system. To gather comprehensive data on the criminal justice system and on recidivism, a more sophisticated integrated statistical system was planned. A preliminary design of the system was drawn up and a mini-computer system will be developed when funds are available.
Liaison with goldsmith and jewellery trade associations continued in order to keep up the pressure on shopowners to provide adequate security measures in their premises. The proposed criminal closure order scheme was further refined, with a view to controlling more effectively nuisances caused by vice establishments in residential buildings.
The District Fight Crime Committees continued to play a vital role in the fight against crime by monitoring the state of crime and law enforcement in the districts, and co- ordinating district efforts to help the police. They also organised their own fight-crime activities in support of the various central government initiatives, such as the Neighbour- hood Watch Scheme and the anti-triad publicity campaign, and maintained close links with the central committee.
Discussions continued with the Security Association on how best to regulate the security industry to ensure that the services it provided met adequate standards. The possibility of introducing legislation to regulate the industry and replace the Watchman's Ordinance was examined. Draft legislation to improve the standard of burglar alarms was also considered.
Police Force
The year saw continued development throughout the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, no- tably in the Marine Region, which underwent further modernisation and the expansion of its fleet by two command launches, seven harbour patrol launches and 25 inflatable boats. It was also a busy year for Marine Police personnel responsible for intercepting the major surge of Chinese illegal immigrants and Vietnamese illegal immigrants from China. However, the task of maintaining the professional and technical standards of officers was made easier with the opening of the extension to the Marine Police Training School.
On land, planning continued for the split of the Kowloon region into two regions by 1991 and it was decided also to split the New Territories region into two regions by 1993.
In May, the Commissioner of Police visited Peking, Shanghai and Guangzhou to discuss counterfeiting, narcotics, illegal immigration and other operational matters. The commis- sioner described his nine-day visit as fruitful and worthwhile.
Triad society influence in the community continued to be a major public concern. The year saw progress on proposals in the Fight Crime Committee's discussion document on options for changes in the law and in the administration of the law to counter the triad problem. These include a triad renunciation scheme, the use of one-way mirrors at identification parades and intensive anti-triad publicity in schools.
Another crime trend which came under scrutiny was the upsurge in pickpocketing. A series of operations by the regional anti-pickpocket units, formed in November 1986, resulted in the number of reported cases dropping significantly.