SUNDAY, MAY 22, 1983
POLICEMAN ON BEAT IS FRIEND IN TIMES OF NEED
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TO MANY PEOPLE, THE POLICEMAN ON THE BEAT IS OFTEN THE FIRST AND PERHAPS THE ONLY AVAILABLE FRIEND IN TIMES OF NEED.
THIS IS BORNE OUT BY THE FACT THAT 8 320 PEOPLE APPROACHED PATROLLING POLICEMEN FOR VARIOUS KINDS OF ASSISTANCE DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR. THIS REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 29.4 PER CENT OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1982.
**IT IS VERY ENCOURAGING BECAUSE INDIVIDUAL POLICE OFFICERS ARE BEING APPROACHED BY MORE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC,'' A POLICE SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
"EIT ALSO PROVES THE VALUE OF MAINTAINING A STRONG POLICE PRESENCE IN THE STREETS,'' HE ADDED.
THIS UPWARD TREND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A STEADY INCREASE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR POLICE ASSISTANCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH 1983, POLICE RECEIVED 158 650 SUCH REQUESTS, A RISE OF FOUR PER CENT OVER THE CORRESPONDING QUARTER IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND. OUT OF THIS TOTAL, 116 225 OR ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF THESE REQUESTS WERE FOR ASSISTANCE ON MATTERS NOT RELATED TO CRIME AT ALL.
**THESE INCLUDED ASSISTANCE IN SETTLING DOMESTIC DISPUTES, NUISANCE COMPLAINTS, ATTENDING TO ACCIDENT VICTIMS, LOOK ING FOR LOST CHILDREN, HANDLING FOUND PROPERTY AND EVEN DEALING WITH STRAY DOGS AND SNAKES, '' THE SPOKESMAN NOTED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE HANDLING OF THESE CASES MAY NOT REQUIRE SHREWD DETECTIVE ABILITIES IT CERTAINLY NEEDS SWIFT ACTION, A GOOD GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, A LOT OF COMMON SENSE, AND ABOVE ALL, PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.
**THE FACT THAT INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS HAVE DEALT WITH THESE REQUESTS PROMPTLY REFLECTS FAVOURABLY ON THE EFFICIENCIES OF THE FORCE AND HAS GONE A LONG WAY TOWARDS IMPROVING THE RAPPORT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
**THE STEADY INCREASE IN REQUESTS FOR POLICE HELP, PARTICULARLY IN MATTERS NOT RELATING TO CRIME IS MOST HEARTENING BECAUSE IT INDICATES THAT SUSTAINED POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS ARE PAYING DIVIDENDS AND THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO THE POLICE AS FRIENDS THEY WILL TURN TO IN TIMES OF NEED, HE ADDED.
APART FROM REQUESTS FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE, ANOTHER 19 155 PEOPLE, OR 12.1 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL, REQUESTED POLICE HELP IN CRIME-RELATED MATTERS WHILE A FURTHER 23 270 OR 14.7 PER CENT ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE IN RELATION TO MISCELLANEOUS AND MINOR NARCOTICS OFFENCES.
/ANALYSING THE .............