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who hijacked a Hong Kong-bound jetfoil from Macau and stole about $10 million in June 1995. The subsequent joint investigation by police in Hong Kong, China and Macau resulted in arrests in all three jurisdictions and the recovery of the stolen property.
The year 1995 saw the enactment and implementation of the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, and the establishment of a Witness Protection Unit on April 28. Key points in this legislation are that, subject to judicial approval, authorised officers can require the making of statements or the production of material by witnesses and, similar to anti-narcotics legislation, ask the courts to confiscate the proceeds of organised crime. The WPU can provide a witness with a wide range of protection measures to best suit the needs of that witness and counter any potential threat. A Witness Protection Appeals Board was also formed to arbitrate in grievances raised by witnesses concerning the protection offered or refused. The board comprises a senior police officer, a Security Branch representative and four distinguished members of the community appointed by the Governor.
In March 1995 the Commissioner of Police made public his commitment to the ongoing development of a Service of Quality. He advocated the adoption of the philosophy of continuous improvement, the development of qualitative measurement, the advance of awareness of all Force members as to the desires of the community through Customer Liaison Groups and the aim to respond to these expectations; greater emphasis on the best use of resources; and the development of further - Performance Pledges.
The Force has introduced a strategy aimed at promoting a corruption-free working environment for its members. In August 1995, a Steering Committee was set up containing a cross-section of senior police officers, representatives of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and an adviser on human behaviour. It was tasked to identify and address those areas of police activities which present opportunities for corruption and the phenomena that influence susceptibility to corruption.
Training was introduced at the Police Training School aimed at bringing women officers to the same standard as their male counterparts in using the Smith and Wesson Model 10 revolver. The first batch of 21 women recruits passed this training on August 19 and are now deployed throughout the territory joining women officers in the Emergency Units who were trained and armed in a separate pilot scheme. Meanwhile, women officers who joined before 1995 are being canvassed to gauge their interest in obtaining this skill and arrangements will be made to train and equip volunteers.
Crime
Reported crimes in 1995 totalled 91 886, an increase of 4.6 per cent compared with the 87 804 crimes recorded in 1994. The crime rate stood at 1 484 cases per 100 000 of the population. This represented a slight increase of 2.4 per cent, compared with 1994.
Violent crime, which includes murder, wounding, serious assault, rape, indecent assault, kidnapping, blackmail, criminal intimidation, robbery and arson, declined to 17 087 cases, compared with 17 232 in 1994. Robbery, wounding and serious assault accounted for some 73.2 per cent of the total number of violent crimes in 1995.