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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1984
POLICE ABILITY TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CONF IRMED
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THE OPERATION CARRIED OUT IN THREE PHASES AGAINST THE DISTURBANCES IN KOWLOON ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 13 ILLUSTRATED THE RESTRAINT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE POLICE FORCE, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON RITA FAN, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE OPERATION ALSO FULLY CONFIRMED THE ABILITY OF THE POLICE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AGAINST ANY THREAT TO THE STABILITY OF HONG KONG.
EXPLAINING THE THREE-PHASE OPERATION, MR JEAFFRESON SAID FIRST, THERE WAS THE NEED FOR UNIFORMED OFFICERS TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING DESPITE THE SEVERE CONGESTION CAUSED BY TAXI DRIVERS ILLEGALLY PARKING THE IR TAXIS IN LARGE NUMBERS IN TSIM SHA TSUI TAI PO AND THE CENTRAL DISTRICT.
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+THIS EXERCISE CONTAINED A RISK OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO. IT WAS TO THE CREDIT OF BOTH, BUT IN PARTICULAR TO THE POLICE THAT THERE WAS NO SERIOUS CONFRONTATION DURING THIS PHASE,+ HÉ SAID.
HE ADDED THAT THE POLICE TACTIC WAS TO KEEP THE IR PRESENCE LOW-KEY, DEAL ING EXPLICITLY ONLY WITH FLAGRANT BREACHES OF THE LAW.
IN THE SECOND PHASE, THERE WAS LARGE, HOSTILE BUT NOT VIOLENT CROWDS WHO BEGAN TO GATHER IN SOUTH KOWLOON.
TO AVOID PROVOKING ANY ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION, THE POLICE DURING THIS PHASE DEPLOYED INCREASED NUMBERS OF UNIFORMED OFFICERS IN THE IR NORMAL DRESS RATHER THAN IN EMERGENCY GEAR, MR JEAFFRESON EXPLAINED.
IT WAS ONLY IN THE THIRD PHASE WHEN ABOUT 1 000 PEOPLE IN THE CROWDS OF SOME 10 000 PEOPLE BEGAN TO TURN VIOLENT AND BREACH THE LAW BLATANTLY THAT THE POLICE DECIDED OPENLY TO DEPLOY THE IR EMERGENCY UNITS, HE SAID.
THE POLICE THEN RESTORED LAW AND ORDER IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AS A RESULT OF A SWEEP CARRIED OUT THROUGH WEST KOWLOON, HE ADDED.
DURING THE OPERATION, THE POLICE SHOWED THEIR ABILITY TO ASSESS CORRECTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON AND TO DEVISE APPROPRIATE TACTICS, MR JEAFFRESON SAID.
THEY ALSO SHOWED HOW THE FORCE'S HIGH LEVEL OF TRAINING, DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO DEAL WITH INTERNAL SECURITY SITUATIONS, ENABLED THEM TO CARRY OUT THESE TACTICS EFFECTIVELY, HE POINTED OUT.
HE SAID THAT ONLY FIVE PER CENT OF THE POLICE FORCE'S EMERGENCY CAPACITY WAS EMPLOYED TO DISPERSE THE UNRULY CROWDS.
/MR JEAFFRESON