POINTS TO SUPPORT CLAIM FOR BETTER CONDITIONS.
118
L
It may be argued that to-day the aftermath of war is the cause
for a lot of dangers faced by Police Officers in the execution of their
duties. In part this may be so, but the history of this Force will readily
outmode any such argument.
The mere fact that this Force has always been armed explains
itself. At no time could it be saiû that "One could put away his gun"
as the citizenship had become peaceful minded,
In the past 20 years the casualties in the Force have been
"Too High", the use of arms by the Police in the execution of duty has
always been a necessity.
clear.
A short history may not be out of place to make this point
# TI JAPANESE RIOTS"
In 1931, the Police, to combat same had to resort to the use
of arms. All other measures, such as patrols to keep down gatherings, the
maintenance of posts in trouble spots, precaution /prevention of
wholesale vandalism, baton charges against unnecessary assaults, and large
scale looting by gangs of hooligans, oven the calling out of the Police
Magistrate at times to read the Riot Act, failed to have the desired
effect, and the then Inspector General of Police, the Hon. Mr. E.D.C.
Wolfe, a Feace loving citizen who had been on alert with his Force for
weeks, on visiting one of the trouble spots and seeing for himself that
all possible had failed resorted to the force of arms. This was the cause
of turning out the Military to assist the Police to restore order.
Casualties, th'o not fatal were rather high in the Force. The
Force then was alerted and on continous duty for weeks, no extra remuner-
ation was given or asked, instead of a reward, cup hours of duty were
extended from 6 to 8 hours daily. Again in the Pre Pacific War days the
use of arms was necessay on many occasions to overcome large scale armed
opposition.
During the Hong Kong war of December 1941 the Police Force,like
the armed services were continually in the front line not so much in
direct opposition to the enemy forces, but, under most adverse conditions
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