TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1977
THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE SYSTEM IN TSUEN WAN HAS EXPANDED RAPIDLY. WITH THE FIRST SET UP FOUR YEARS AGO, THE NUMBER OF MAC'S HAS MUSHROOMED TO OVER 150, AND THERE ARE AT LEAST A DOZEN MORE IN THE FORMATION STAGE.
THROUGH BETTER ORGANISED MANAGEMENT. THE MAC'S HELP BRING ABOUT A MORE COHERENT NEIGHBOURHOOD AND BETTER SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT.
APART FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD SECURITY PATROLS, THEY ORGANISE A WIDE RANGE OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING PICNICS, SPORT GAMES, VARIETY SHOWS AND CHESS COMPETITIONS.
A VIVID EXAMPLE THAT REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT OF THE MAC SYSTEM WAS THE MOBILISATION OF VOLUNTEERS OF THE KWAI HING ESTATE BLOCK 5 MAC TO ASSIST IN REMOVING DEBRIS FROM THE SQUATTER AREA OF KWAI SHING CIRCUIT IN JUNE THIS YEAR.
AS REGARDS AREA COMMITTEES, THERE ARE NOW SIX IN THE NEW TOWN TWO IN TSUEN WAN AND FOUR IN KWAI CHUNG-IN WHICH BOTH OFFICIALS AND LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS VARIOUS NEEDS OF THE IR AREAS.
RECENT IDEAS DISCUSSED HAVE INCLUDED TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT. BLACK-SPOT CLEANUPS, PAVEMENT REPAIR AND TREE PLANTING, AS WELL AS THE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.
ON THE FIGHT-CRIME SIDE, A FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME COMMITTEE WAS FORMED EARLY LAST YEAR AND HAS ALREADY TURNED UP POSITIVE RESULTS BY INVOLVING VERY CLOSELY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
ONE WAY IN WHICH THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN ABLE TO INVOLVE LOCAL PEOPLE WAS BY CO-OPTING THEM TO A SERIES OF SUB-COMMITTEES WHICH ARE GIVEN THE TASK OF TACKLING THE PROBLEM AT GRASS-ROOT LEVEL BY IDENTIFYING BLACK SPOTS IN PARTICULAR AREAS.
LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES HAVE NOW BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE SUB-COMMITTEES DEALING WITH CRIME IN THE HOUSING ESTATES, SCHOOLS AND INDUSTRIAL AND RURAL AREAS.