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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1976
+ BUT IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES THE RESPONSE IS QUICK AND EFFICIENT AND IT IS ONLY WHEN A +999+ CALL DOES NOT REQUIRE AN
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE THAT THERE IS WHAT IS CALLED A REFERRAL' ELSEWHERE,+ HE SAID.
DURING 1975, HE SAID, THE POLICE RESPONDED TO A TOTAL OF 82,769 +999+ CALLS AND THE TIME REQUIRED FOR AN OFFICER TO REACH THE SCÈNE OF THE COMPLAINT AVERAGED FIVE MINUTES, 12 SECONDS.
+WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT THIS INCLUDES +999+ CALLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WHERE DISTANCES ARE RELATIVELY GREATER THAN IN THE URBAN AREAS, THE SPEED AND EFFECTIVENESS OF +999+ SYSTEM IS CLEARLY HIGH, HE EMPHASISED.
+WITH THE IMPENDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BEAT RADIO SCHEME, THE RESPONSE TIMES TO +999+ CALLS SHOULD BE EVEN BETTER.
+TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF REFERRAL REQUESTS +999+ CALLS ARE MONITORED. THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS OFFICERS WILL, IN THE COMING MONTHS, PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ALL SUCH CASES TO ENSURE THIS HAS ONLY BEEN DONE WHEN AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE EY A +999+ CAR IS NOT REQUIRED.+
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS FOR POLICE ENTRANTS, HE SAID 90 PER CENT OF THE APPLICANTS JOINING THE FORCE NOW HAD SOME SECONDARY EDUCATION, COMPARED WITH ONLY 44 PER CENT IN 1970,
REFERRING TO A CALL BY THE HON. MISS KO STU-WAH THAT MORE POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE ON DUTY IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, HE REVEALED THAT THERE WERE 15 NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING UNITS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, ALL BUT ONE IN GOVERNMENT ESTATES.
+ IN ADDITION WE ARE PRESSING AHEAD WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE POLICE REPORTING CENTRES,+ HE SAID.
+S IXTY-EIGHT SUCH CENTRES WERE IN EXISTENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR, AND AT LEAST A FURTHER 20 SHOULD BE IN OPERATION BY THE END OF MARCH NEXT YEAR.
+AREAS NOT COVERED BY THESE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING UNITS RECEIVE THE SERVICES OF PATROLS, EMERGENCY UNIT VEHICLES, DIVISIONAL POLICE VEHICLES AND MEMBERS OF CID.
+FOR THE FUTURE, ONE OF THE OBJECTS OF THE REVIEW OF POLICE ESTABLISHMENTS WHICH IS GOING ON IS TO SEE THE EXTENT TO WHICH GREATER RESOURCES OF MANPOWER NEED TO BE DEPLOYED.+
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