SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1976
UP TO NOW, SAID MR. MALIG, 37 OFFENDERS HAD BEEN GIVEN SUSPENDED SIX-MONTH JAIL TERMS WHILE ANOTHER 14 OFFENDERS HAD BEEN JAILED FOR TERMS RANGING FOR ONE TO THREE MONTHS.
+FINES IMPOSED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS TOTAL $239,290,+ HE ADDED. IN JUNE AND JULY ALONE, THE FINES IN THESE ILLEGAL OCCUPIER CASES AMOUNTED TO $32,950 AND WE STILL HAVE 267 CASES TO COME BEFORE THE COURT,+
MR. MALIG SAID THAT APART FROM PROSECUTIONS, THE UNIT HAD ALSO CARRIED OUT 1,102 ILLEGAL OCCUPATIONS CLEARANCES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THEY ARE CARRIED OUT BY THE CLEARANCE AND JOINT ACTION SECTIONS OF THE UNIT. +THE JOINT ACTION SECTION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE BECAUSE IT LIAISES WITH AND CO-ORDINATES THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED,+ HE SAID.
+THESE ARE THE POLICE, WHO ARE ON HAND TO MAINTAIN ORDER, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, WHICH HANDLES THE PHYSICAL SIDE OF THE CLEARANCES, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WHICH LOOKS AFTER THE CLEAN-UP SIDE, AND IN SOME CASES, THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WHICH CARRIES OUT SUCH TASKS AS RESURRECTING AND REPAIRING CLEARED THOROUGHFARES.+
MR. MALIG SAID: +AS A RULE, THE CLEARANCES GO FAIRLY SMOOTHLY, BECAUSE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THE ILLEGAL OCCUPIERS HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THEY CANNOT EXPECT TO SET UP SHOP ON LAND THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM.
+WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF CLEARANCES AFTER RECEIVING COMPLAINTS FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS ABOUT ILLEGAL OCCUPATIONS SPOILING THE ENVIRONMENT.
+HOWEVER, WHEN WE COME ACROSS GENUINE HARDSHIP CASES, WE HELP THEM BY SENDING THEM TO THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP THEM ON COMPASSIONATE GROUNDS.
+WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT ALREADY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT THE REMOVAL OF THESE UNLAWFUL OCCUPATIONS HAS MADE TSUEN WAN A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW.
+IT WILL BE EVEN BETTER ONCE THE PROBLEM IS ELIMINATED COMPLETELY.+
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