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HONG KONG YOUTH PRAISED
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HONG KONG HAS A YOUTH POPULATION THAT IS INTELLIGENT ARTICULATE, WELL MOTIVATED AND ABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES THE TERRITORY WILL FACE AS IT MOVES TOWARDS THE 21ST CENTURY,
MR DREW RENNIE, CHIEF STAFF OFFICER OF POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS BRANCH SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
**WE ARE NOW EMBARKING ON WHAT IS, WITHOUT DOUBT, THE MOST VITALLY CHALLENGING ERA IN OUR HISTORY AND IT IS THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TODAY WHO WILL HAVE TO CARRY THE BURDEN OF ENSURING THAT WE EMERGE FROM IT INTACT, IN GOOD HEART AND IN GOOD SHAPE.
**FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I WOULD SAY WE HAVE LITTLE TO WORRY ABOUT. COMPARED TO SIMILAR SOCIETIES THROUGHOUT THE CIVILISED WORLD WE HAVE AN INORDINATELY HIGH YOUTH POPULATION - ABOUT TWO MILLION, OR 37 PER CENT OF OUR INHABITANTS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 - AND THAT, IN MY VIEW, CAN ONLY BE GOOD FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE," SAID MR RENNIE AT THE BAYVIEW LIONS CLUB LUNCHEON MEETING.
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THE CHIEF STAFF OFFICER SAID THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL AND THE YOUTH CRIME SITUATION JUSTIFIED HIS VIEW.
HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT IN 1974 OF JPC, WHICH NOW HAS 350 000 MEMBERS AND 12 000 LEADERS AND IS RECOGNISED AS A WORLD LEADER IN POLICE-YOUTH RELATIONSHIPS, SOME 13 000 DIFFERENT JPC ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE EACH YEAR. AND, THE MEMBERS NOW WERE MORE ASSERTIVE AND DEMANDING THAN THEIR RETICENT FELLOW-MEMBERS A DECADE AGO, HE ADDED.
''THERE IS NOTHING MORE REFRESHING OR ENCOURAGING THAN TO LISTEN TO THE VIEW AND SHARE THE ASPIRATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS OF THOSE KEEN AND EAGER YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT; THEY ARE NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK THEIR MIND; THEY ARE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING USEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY; AND THEY ARE PREPARED TO WORK INDIVIDUALLY, OR COLLECTIVELY, TO ACHIEVE THEIR AMBITIONS. THAT CAN ONLY AUGUR WELL FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. SURELY, IS HEARTENING TO KNOW THAT THOSE WHO WILL INHERIT OUR FOOTSTEPS WILL
IT DO SO WITH KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, DIRECTNESS AND CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.
''APART FROM ADOPTING HOSPITALS AND HOMES FOR THE AGED HELPING TO MAKE LIFE MORE BEARABLE FOR THE HANDICAPPED; PROMOTING CAMPAIGNS TO FURTHER THE CAUSES OF ROAD SAFETY: CRIME PREVENTION AND ANTI-DRUGS: JPC MEMBERS TURN OUT REGULARLY TO SELL FLAGS AND RAISE MONEY FOR LOCAL CHARITIES.
IT IS NOT UNCOMMON ANY SATURDAY FOR HUNDREDS, SOMETIMES THOUSANDS, OF JPC MEMBERS TO BE OUT ON THE STREETS ENCOURAGING YOU AND ME TO BUY A FLAG FOR THE ST. JAMES SETTLEMENT, OR SOME OTHER DESERVING CHARITY, ** MR RENNIE SAID.
TURNING TO YOUTH CRIME, THE CHIEF STAFF OFFICER SAID THAT SINCE JPC HAS BEEN ASSIGNED BY THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE IN APRIL 1981 TO SPEARHEAD THE FIGHT YOUTH CRIME CAMPAIGN AIMED AT YOUTH AGED 16 AND UNDER, JUVENILE CRIME RATE WAS ON THE DECLINE.
/"IT WAS,