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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1977
CS PAYS TRIBUTE TO POLICE FORCE
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THE HON. CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DENYS ROBERTS TODAY PRAISED THE POLICE FORCE'S INCREASING SUCCESS IN DEALING WITH CRIME.
SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR DENYS SAID MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAD MADE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION BY TAKING SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS, REPORTING CRIME, GIVING EVIDENCE AND, IN MANY CASES, COURAGEOUSLY RESISTING THE IR ATTACKERS, BUT, THE MAJOR CREDIT MUST GO TO THE POLICE FORCE.
+THIS MAKES ALL THE MORE REGRETTABLE THE TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE THROUGH WHICH THE FORCE HAS PASSED, WITH THE CONSEQUENT BLOW TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN IT, DURING THE LAST FEW WEEKS, HE SAID.
HE SAID THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE GOVERNOR IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON MONDAY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT TOLERATE A CONTINUANCE OF DISORDER WITHIN THE FORCE AND THE IMMENSE SUPPORT GIVEN THROUGHOUT HONG KONG TO THE STATEMENT MADE IT EQUALLY OBVIOUS THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS OF THE SAME OPINION.
+THERE ARE SIGNS THAT GOOD SENSE AND SANITY ARE RETURNING AND THAT MEMBERS OF THE FORCE HAVE RETURNED TO THE ESTABLISHED CHANNELS BY WHICH REPRESENTATIONS MAY BE MADE AND GRIEVANCES AIRED, DEVELOPMENTS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WARMLY WELCOMES,+ SIR DENYS SAID.
+THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE HAS A PROUD HISTORY OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND HAS GIVEN OF ITS BEST IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND DANGER.
+ALTHOUGH WE ARE SO CLOSE TO ITS UNHAPPIEST HOUR, I HAVE FAITH IN ITS FUTURE. I BELIEVE THAT IT WILL EMERGE FROM THESE TRIALS A MORE HONEST, RESPECTED AND EFFECTIVE FORCE THAN EVEN BEFORE,+ HE SAID.
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