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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1978
THE POLICE FORCE, HE SAID, WAS FUNCTIONING WITH MARKED SUCCESS, AND THE DOWNWARD TRENDS IN CRIME HAD BEEN MAINTAINED.
+
+VIOLENT CRIME HAS DECREASED BY A FURTHER THREE PER CENT THIS YEAR AND THERE HAS BEEN A FURTHER DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF YOUNG OFFENDERS.
+1 AM SURE THAT HERE THE EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS OF THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL WITH ITS QUARTER OF A MILLION MEMBERS, AND THE MASSIVE EFFORTS BEING MADE TO IMPROVE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART.
+SO TOO HAS THE CO-OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND THE MUCH GREATER AWARENESS THAT EXISTS OF WHAT CITIZENS CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT THEMSELVES AND HELP THE POLICE. LAST YEAR, NINE PER CENT OF ARRESTS WERE MADE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC - Á TRULY REMARKABLE RECORD, SIR MURRAY SAID.
THE POLICE FORCE HAD INCREASED BY 48 PER CENT SINCE 1973 TO 21,000 MEN AND WOMEN INCLUDING CIVILIANS, AND IT WOULD INCREASE BY A FURTHER 1,000 THIS YEAR. A FURTHER INCREASE OF STRENGTH OF 1,300 XAS PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR.
THESE INCREASES, HE SAID, WERE LARGE, BUT POLICE COMMITMENTS WERE GROWING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ESTATES AND NEW TOWNS, AND WITH THE GROWTH IN POPULATION.
AS AN INDICATION OF THE EFFORTS THE FORCE WAS MAKING TO USE ITS NEW STRENGTH TO INCREASE ITS COVERAGE, 97 NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE UNITS AND POLICE REPORTING CENTRES IN HOUSING ESTATES AND OTHER AREAS WERE ALREADY IN OPERATION, 32 MORE WERE PLANNED FOR COMPLETION DURING THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, AND 23 NEXT YEAR.
FIVE NEW POLICE STATIONS WERE BEING OPENED THIS YEAR IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. NEXT YEAR TWO MORE WOULD BE COMPLETED AND WORK WOULD START ON FOUR MORE.
IN ALL, 21 NEW STATIONS WERE PLANNED FOR COMPLETION BY 1985/86.
SIR MURRAY SAID: +WHAT INCREASES IN STRENGTH WILL BE NECESSARY OVER THIS PERIOD IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WITH PRECISION. THE HIGH LEVEL OF RECRUITMENT IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT, BUT THE FORCE IS NOW EXCEPTIONALLY YOUNG.
+THOUGH THIS REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHALLENGE, AND THE QUALITY OF THE NEW ENTRY IS HIGH, THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLING ON SUPERVISING OFFICERS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HEAVY, AND OTHER THINGS EE ING EQUAL AM SURE THAT THE NEED NOW IS FOR A PERIOD OF CONSOLIDATION, AND LESS FRENETIC EXPANSION.+
THE RECURRENT COST OF THE FORCE WAS ESTIMATED, AT 1978 PRICES, TO RISE FROM $600 MILLION IN 1978/79 TO ABOUT 3785 MILLION IN 1983/84.
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