WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1978
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HE ALSO STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT FOR THE FORCE AND HOPED THAT COMMUNICATION WOULD BE
IMPROVED BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER ECHELONS WITHIN THE FORCE AND BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC.
THE USEFULNESS AND IMPORTANCE OF THE AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE, THE CIVIL AID SERVICES AND AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED TOO, AND HE URGED THAT THEIR ESTABLISHMENT BE STRENGTHENED, PARTICULARLY THE CAS WHICH HAD CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO FOREST-FIRE FIGHTING, CROWD-CONTROL AND DUTIES IN NATURAL DISASTERS.
HE WAS CONCERNED THAT OVER HALF OF THE OFFENCES RECORDED BY THE POLICE IN THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY RELATED TO HAWKING WHILE THE MAIN THRUST OF POLICE ACTIVITIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON REDUCING VIOLENT AND SERIOUS CRIME.
ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES NEW TOWNS, HE SAID, UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT ACTS MORE DECISIVELY IN PROVIDING THE USD WITH ADDITIONAL STAFF AND MORE LAND FOR HAWKER BAZAARS AND MARKETS. THE SITUATION WILL DEGENERATE UNTIL, AS IN MANY OF THE HAWKER CONGESTED AREAS IN.KOWLOON, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE USD BARELY HAVE CONTROL.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN QUERIED THE CUT-BACK IN THE NUMBER OF MAGISTRATES NEXT YEAR FROM 30 TO 25 IN SPITE OF THE LONG WAIT FOR HEARINGS AND COMPLAINTS BY THE PUBLIC.
IF GOVERNMENT WISHES TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSES OF LAW AND ORDER AND GAIN EVEN MORE CO-OPERATION FROM THE PUBLIC, IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO INCREASE BOTH THE NUMBER OF COURTS AND OF MAGISTRATES, HE SAID.
HE ALSO ASKED THAT RECRUITMENT FOR QUALIFIED STAFF FOR THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION UNIT BE PROCEEDED WITH DESPATCH, NOW THAT GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF THE PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS AND THE POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS DERIVING FROM SEA, LAND, AIR ALL NOISE POLLUTION.
HE PRESSED FOR QUICK ACTION FROM GOVERNMENT TO LOCATE AND DEVELOP SITES FOR HOLIDAY CAMPS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SO THAT YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE CAN GET AWAY ON REST DAYS FROM THE URBAN AREAS.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECORD NUMBER CF 13,862 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN 1977 WHICH RESULTED IN 372 PEOPLE KILLED, 6,031 SERIOUSLY INJURED AND. 11,454 SLIGHTLY INJURED, AND PEDESTRIAN CARELESSNESS WHICH MAINLY" CONTRIBUTED TO THESE ACCIDENTS.
HE WANTED MORE AND SUSTAINED GOVERNMENT EFFORT IN PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY, INVOLVING POSSIBLY THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL AND MORE WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION 2 THE SCALE OF THE KEEP MONG KONG CLEAN CAMPAIGN.
/HE DEPLORED