PUBLIC ORDER
Licensing and Societies Registration
The number of applications for licences, permits and registrations, for which the Commissioner of Police is the authority, continued to increase steadily. By the end of the year 20 193 applications for registration as watchmen, 201 applications for the granting of arms licences and 500 other applications had been received.
A total of 306 applications for registration or exemption from registration were received by the Registrar of Societies. At end-1989 there were 4 505 registered and 752 exempted societies.
The police view applications for a number of licences issued by the Commissioner of Television and Entertainment Licensing and the Urban and Regional Councils. The premises so licensed are visited and inspected by the police. Under this category, there were 3 090 liquor-licensed premises, and a total of 930 amusement game centres, public dance halls, table-tennis saloons, skating rinks, billiard saloons and mahjong or tin kau schools.
Efforts have been made to ensure that the fees for licences and permits fully reflect the actual costs involved in the licensing system. This will be a continuing exercise.
Police Dog Unit
Police dogs are currently trained at Yuen Long in the New Territories. A variety of basic and advanced courses are run following which the dogs are deployed territory-wide. Duties include general patrol, tracking and drug detection.
In 1989 the unit had 82 dogs on strength. However, this figure is expected to increase as part of the force's phased expansion programme to meet the demands of border patrol and explosive detection duties following the withdrawal of the British Army Garrison prior to 1997.
Personnel
At the end of the year, the force establishment totalled 26 980 disciplined posts, a decrease of 230 against the corresponding figure in 1988. In addition, there are 5 362 civilians repre- senting 19.8 per cent of the overall establishment.
During 1989, 6 324 applicants applied to join the force as constables. The number of constables appointed was 1 237 and of these 21 per cent were women. A total of 202 were appointed as police inspectors, of whom 62 were direct entry local appointees, 67 were direct entry overseas appointees and 73 were junior police officers appointed through the 'potential officer' selection scheme.
The recruitment targets for 1989 remained at a high level to cater for the continued expansion of the force and to compensate for the projected increase in wastage. The scheduled intake targets for the year experienced a shortfall of 1 073 for constables and 41 for inspectors.
Promotions
Promotion prospects in the force remained excellent. 21 gazetted officers were promoted to senior superintendent and above, 30 chief inspectors to superintendent, 87 senior inspectors to chief inspector, 146 sergeants to station sergeant and 580 constables to sergeant. In addition, 17 exceptionally-experienced station sergeants were advanced to the rank of inspector.
Exchange Scheme
The year saw the commencement of the fourth round of the Superintendent of Police Exchange Scheme between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Under the scheme,
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