PUBLIC ORDER
sentences to be imposed. District Boards and District Fight Crime Committees were briefed on the bill after its introduction into the Legislative Council. An ad hoc group of the Legislative Council is studying the bill in detail.
The Fight Crime Committee supported in principle in September 1990 the proposal to introduce a statutory post-release supervision scheme for adult offenders. The scheme aims to rehabilitate ex-offenders, reduce the threat posed by some to public safety, reduce the chances of their committing further crimes and turn them into useful members of society. The Fight Crime Committee further examined how the scheme could operate in July 1991. The Post Release Supervision Bill, which sets out the framework for the scheme, is under preparation. It is expected that the bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council in 1993.
The committee has devoted much of its attention to the problem of juvenile crime, in particular, triad activities in schools. There is no indication of an organised triad campaign to enter schools for recruitment. However, more can be done by schools and the government to strengthen liaison and to educate youngsters on the pernicious nature of triad activities. An inter-departmental working group has been set up to consider ways to reinforce support for schools which face triad problems. The police have also stepped up presence near such schools.
Triads are only one aspect of the juvenile delinquency problem. The majority of the youngsters who commit crime are not related to triad societies. The question why these youngsters commit crime is the subject of a research which the research team of the Social Sciences Research Centre of the University of Hong Kong has been commissioned to undertake by a sub-committee of the Fight Crime Committee. The purpose of the research is to find out the social causes of crime committed by offenders aged between seven to 20. The study started in September and is expected to be completed in early 1994.
The Young Offenders Assessment Panel continued to provide advice to the courts on the rehabilitation programmes most likely to reform juveniles and young people. A special Outward Bound course has also been arranged for inmates of the Correctional Services Department.
During the year, the Security and Guarding Services Bill was further refined in preparation for its submission to the Executive Council. The bill aims at regulating the security industry through a licensing system to be run on two levels, namely, the licensing of persons who do security work (including watchmen) and the licensing of the security companies themselves.
In view of the spate of armed robberies on goldsmith and jewellery shops in the early part of 1992, a working group set up by the committee has reviewed the security measures for such premises. The working group recommended that the goldsmith and jewellery trade should regulate its own security measures by setting up a Security Measures Group to promote acceptable standards of security. The group also proposes a set of guidelines on minimum standards of security relating to alarms, safes and access control for gold- smith and jewellery shops to follow. These recommendations were endorsed by the committee.
The District Fight Crime Committees continued to play an important role in the fight against crime. They monitored the crime situation in their districts and helped foster both community awareness of the need to prevent crime and community participation in combating crime.
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