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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1975
FIGHT AGAINST CRIME REMAINS TOP PRIORITIES
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THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME WILL CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TOP PRIORITIES AND WILL BE PRESSED FORWARD VIGOROUSLY, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SOUND PROGRESS WAS ALREADY BEING MADE WITH THE VARIOUS MEASURES ADOPTED, HE SAID, AND FURTHER STEPS WERE PLANNED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.
AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT, HE SAID, WERE PLANS TO BRING THE POLICE FORCE UP TO STRENGTH NEXT YEAR AND TO INCREASE THE ESTABLISHMENT WITH THE INTENTION THAT REPORTED CRIME BE PURSUED EVEN MORE INEXORABLY, AND EVEN STRONGER PREVENTIVE MEASURES IMPLEMENTED.
HE EXPECTED THAT BEAT POLICE OFFICERS IN URBAN STREETS WOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH RADIOS IN LITTLE OVER A YEAR. +NOT ONLY WILL THE SCHEME INSPIRE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE AND ENGENDER GREATER PUBLIC CO-OPERATION IT WILL ALSO GREATLY IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FORCE, HE SAID.
MR. DAVIES SAID THAT WHILE CRIME APPEARED TO HAVE LEVELLED OFF, THERE WAS NO EASY OR QUICK SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. BUT WITH SUFFICIENT DETERMINATION, HE ADDED, THE TIDE WILL TURN.
THE SECRETARY REJECTED THE ASSERTION THAT THERE WAS MOUNTING RELUCTANCE TO REPORT CRIME. +FAR FROM IT, THERE IS INCREASED WILLINGNESS AND INCREASED OPPORTUNITY.+
CONTACTS AND FEEDBACKS FROM KAIFONGS, MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND POLICE OFFICERS IN DAY-TO-DAY CONTACT WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, HE SAID, INDICATED A GREATER WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF THE PEOPLE TO ACT AGAINST CRIME. THIS RANGED FROM ORGANISED COMMUNITY RESISTANCE TO REPORTING CRIME TO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF REPORTING CENTRES, POLICE STATIONS AND NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING UNITS.
NOR WAS PUBLIC CO-OPERATION CONFINED TO DETERRING CRIMINALS. OUT OF EVERY TEN PEOPLE ARRESTED FOR COMMITTING A CRIME THIS YEAR, HE NOTED, ONE WAS APPREHENDED BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. LAST YEAR IT WAS ONE IN 12 AND THREE YEARS AGO IT WAS ONE IN 20.
+THESE FIGURES REFLECT A TREND OF INCREASED PUBLIC WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST ACTIVELY IN FIGHTING CRIME. IT CERTAINLY DOES NOT SUGGEST FEAR OR APATHY, HE SAID.
ONE AREA WHERE NEW POLICE CONCEPTS APPEARED TO BE PROVING SUCCESSFUL, MR. DAVIES SAID, WAS THE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING SCHEME WHICH MAINLY AIMED AT HELPING TO REDUCE THE ABSOLUTE LEVEL OF CRIME THROUGH CLOSER POLICE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
NEIGHBOURHOOD