WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1975
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NEW APPROACH IN STOP-AND-SEARCH OPERATIONS
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POLICE HAVE ADOPTED A NEW APPROACH IN STOP-AND-SEARCH OPERATIONS WITH SUSPECTS BEING SEARCHED ONLY WHEN PRIOR QUESTIONING INDICATES IT ADVISABLE, THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. MICHAEL CLINTON, TOLD COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN,
MR. CLINTON SAID IT WAS APPRECIATED THAT STOP-AND-SEARCH OPERATIONS CAUSED SOME INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THEY WERE CONSIDERED NECESSARY FOR THWARTING CRIME.
HE CONFIRMED THAT STOP-AND-SEARCH OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS AS A COUNTER MEASURE MAINLY AGAINST TRIAD GANG ACTIVITY AND THE CARRYING OF OFFENSIVE WEAPONS AND NARCOTICS OFFENDERS.
THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, HE SAID, TRIED TO ENSURE THAT THE OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE MINIMUM OF INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC, AND HAD DIRECTED HIS OFFICERS TO CONDUCT THEM IN A SENSIBLE AND OBJECTIVE MANNER' SO AS TO ACHIEVE FULL PUBLIC CO- OPERATION.
EXTENSIVE EDUCATION, TRAINING AND BRIEFING OF POLICE PERSONNEL HAD ALSO BEEN UNDERTAKEN,
THIS TRAINING INCLUDED DIRECTIONS THAT NO PERSON SHOULD BE STOPPED AND SEARCHED UNLESS THERE ARE REASONABLE GROUNDS TO SUSPECT HIM OF AN OFFENCE THAT WHERE A SEARCH IS CARRIED OUT IT SHOULD BE DONE AS DISCREETLY AS POSSIBLE - THAT IF A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC REACTS STRONGLY TO BEING SEARCHED THE POLICE SHOULD EXPLAIN THE REASONS AND CLARIFY THEIR LEGAL POWERS AND FINALLY THAT WHERE A SEARCH PRODUCES NOTHING, THE POLICE SHOULD COURTEOUSLY REGRET ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.
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