TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1977
TRIADS FACE +GET TOUGH+ TACTICS
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TRIAD ACTIVITIES INSIDE PRISONS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG WERE PRACTICALLY WIPED-OUT DURING 1976, A SENIOR PRISONS OFFICER SAID TODAY.
MR. R.W.B. HIGGINBOTTOM, SUPERINTENDENT (STAFF OFFICER), PRISONS DEPARTMENT, SAID THAT THE SETTING-UP OF ANTI-TRIAD UNITS IN 1976 HAD PROVED AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT AGAINST ANY ATTEMPTED GANG ACTIVITY IN THE DEPARTMENT'S 16 INSTITUTIONS.
+THE FORMATION OF THE ANTI-TRIAD UNITS WAS A FOLLOW-UP TO SUCCESSFUL ACTION WHICH HAD ERADICATED ORGANISED TRIAD GANG ACTIVITIES INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTIONS.+
+ THE FIRST TASK IS TO IDENTIFY TRIAD LEADERS OR POTENTIAL LEADERS ON ADMISSION AND TO ISOLATE THEM FROM OTHER INMATES, COUPLED WITH THE SEGREGATION OF NON-TRIAD PRISONERS WHO MAY OTHERWISE COME UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BAD ELEMENTS+, HE SAID.
+ANOTHER TACTIC IS TO ENCOURAGE PRISONERS TO ACTIVELY REBEL AGAINST THEIR TRIAD SOCIETY BY HAVING THEMSELVES +CLEANSED+ IN COURT BY SELF CONFESSION.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT ALL OFFICERS IN THE ANTI-TRIAD UNITS WERE VOLUNTEERS. EACH INSTITUTION HAD A UNIT OF ABOUT 20 OFFICERS, REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL RANKS, WORKING ON ANTI-TRIAD TACTICS.
THEY SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME COLLECTING, ASSESSING AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON ANY AREA WHERE TRIADS MAY TRY TO OPERATE WITHIN THE PRISON, DETENTION CENTRE OR TRAINING CENTRE.
IN ADDITION, HE ADDED, INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS ENSURED THAT ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL INSTITUTIONS.
MR. HIGGINBOTTOM STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT ALL STAFF WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ANTI-TRIAD MEASURES, NOT JUST THE ANTI-TRIAD UNITS.
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