CHAPTER VIII
SQUATTER CONTROL
104. It is the responsibility of the Squatter Prevention and Control Division to prevent the construction of new squatter huts or extensions to existing huts whether on vacant land, on streets or lanes, or on tenement rooftops. This Division derives its authority from the Resettle- ment Ordinance, No. 16 of 1958, under which the term 'unlawful structure' is widely defined and includes any unauthorized structure on Crown Land or land held on lease or permit from the Crown, and also any cave or tunnel which is occupied without authority.
105. In October 1954 a series of aerial photographs was taken of the areas patrolled and a public announcement was made that no new squatter structures would be tolerated and that any discovered would be immediately demolished without any offer of resettlement being made to the occupants. Action has been taken against any structures built on the ground after that date. Structures on tenement rooftops in the urban area were not controlled until November 1956, when a survey was made of all such structures then existing; action is now taken against any rooftop structures not listed in that survey.
106. The Squatter Prevention and Control Division, is under the charge of a Land Bailiff assisted by an Assistant Resettlement Officer. It consists of three Squatter Control Sections and one Rooftop Squatter Prevention Section. All squatters on Hong Kong island and Ap Lei Chau, whether on rooftops or on the ground, are now controlled by one Squatter Control Section. In Kowloon there is a separate section to prevent rooftop squatters and two sections to control squatters on the ground, one covering the eastern part of Kowloon and New Kowloon as far as Lei Yue Mun, and the other the western part of Kowloon together with Tsuen Wan and Sham Tseng in the New Territories. Each section is under the charge of an Assistant Resettlement Officer and is divided into 'Areas', each of which is patrolled by one Area Officer with two or three patrolmen.
107. An Area Officer visits every part of his whole patrol area at least once a week. His aim is to prevent, as far as possible, new squatter huts being built. A pile of firewood or baskets is often the first sign that a new squatter hut is about to be built, and when the officer sees any clues of this kind, he advises the intending squatter to desist. If he discovers a structure actually being built he demolishes it summarily but very often a structure is not discovered until it is completed and
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