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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1976
+ AM SURE THAT ONE EFFECTIVE WAY OF DOING THIS IS TO EXPAND THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES, BUT THEIR QUALITY MUST BE MAINTAINED AND THE NUMBERS MUST NOT OUT-RUN EXPANSION OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT TO SUPPORT THEM.
+BY THE END OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR THERE WILL BE ABOUT 2,200 COMMITTEES, AND THE RATE OF INCREASE WE HAVE IN MIND IS ABOUT 600 A YEAR IN THE URBAN AREAS PLUS 120 A YEAR IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, +HE SADID.
SIR MURRAY ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF THE POLICE AND SAID HE HAD NO DOUBT THAT THE GENERAL SITUATION IN THE FORCE HAD VASTLY IMPROVED.
+THREE YEARS AGO IT WAS 3,200 UNDER STRENGTH, HE SAID. +BUT BY THE END OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR IT WILL BE VIRTUALLY UP TO ITS FULL ESTABLISHMENT OF 17,000.+
HE SAID THE POLICE HAD TOTALLY OVERHAULED ITS ORGANISATION TECHNIQUES, PROCEDURES AND DEPLOYMENT, CITING AS EXAMPLES THE STRENGTHENING OF THE CID, THE INTRODUCTION OF A PERSONAL RADIO SCHEME, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NETWORK OF 85 REPORTING CENTRES, THE BUILDING OF A SYSTEM OF NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE UNITS, THE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE AUXILIARY POLICE, IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGH POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERS AND CONTACT WITH MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES, AND THE REMARKABLE IMPACT OF THE 168,000-MEMBER JUNIOR POLICE CALL.
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