WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1980
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PEOPLE PROSECUTED FOR DROPPING OBJECTS
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POLICE ARE TAKING ACTION TO PROSECUTE PEOPLE FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR DROPPING OBJECTS OR ALLOWING THEM TO FALL.
REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON WONG LAM AT TODAY'S (WEDNESDAY) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON LEWIS DAVIES, SAID THAT 198 ̊ PEOPLE WERE PROSECUTED IN 540 REPORTED INCIDENTS IN THE 12 MONTHS ENDED ON JUNE 30,
THE INCIDENTS CAUSED FIVE DEATHS AND INJURIES TO 288 PEOPLE.
MR DAVIES POINTED OUT THAT INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING OBJECTS FALLING FROM HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WAS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT MIGHT INVOLVE A LARGE NUMBER OF FLATS AND PEOPLE.
SUCH INVESTIGATIONS WERE +EXTREMELY TIME-CONSUMING AND NOT ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL+
HE SAID THE POLICE ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY THE CULPRITS BY INVITING WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD WITH INFORMATION, BY EXAMINING THE OBJECTS FOR FINGERPRINTS AND OTHER CLUES, BY CONDUCTING DOOR-TO-DOOR ENQUIRIES AND BY MAINTAINING SURVEILLANCE ON PARTICULAR BUILDINGS WHERE REPEATED INCIDENTS OCCURRED.
HE TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT EXTENSIVE PUBLICITY EFFORTS WERE MADE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE IRRESPONSIBLE PRACTICE THROUGH THE MEDIA, CO-OPERATION WITH DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS AND VISITS TO HOUSING ESTATES.
*THE RECENT DEPLORABLE INCIDENTS WHICH OCCURRED IN SHAU KEJ WAN MR DAVIES SAID, HAVE, VERY RIGHTLY, GENERATED A GREAT DEAL OF PUBLIC CONCERN AND INDIGNATION.+
HE HOPED THE RECENT INCIDENTS HAD BROUGHT HOME TO THE COMMUNITY THE NEED FOR MUCH GREATER CARE AND CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS IN THIS REGARD,
UNDER THE SUMMARY OFFENCES ORDINANCE, ANY PERSON WHO DROPS AN OBJECT OR ALLOWS IT TO FALL FROM A BUILDING, COMMITS AN OFFENCE AND IS LIABLE TO A FINE OF $10 000 AND SIX-MONTHS IMPRISONMENT, AND WHERE SUCH AN ACT RESULTS IN A PERSON BEING KILLED, THE CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER IS PUNISHABLE BY LIFE
IMPRISONMENT.