SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1985
''WHEN THE GOOD CITIZEN AWARD WAS LAUNCHED IN 1973, AS PART OF THE FIRST FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME CAMPAIGN, CITIZEN'S ARRESTS CONTRIBUTED ABOUT THREE PER CENT TO TOTAL ARRESTS, MR HINDHAUGH SAID.
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''LAST YEAR, THEY ACCOUNTED FOR 11.7 PER CENT OF ALL ARRESTS AND, IN THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO MAY THIS YEAR, THEY SHOWED A DRAMATIC RISE TO 14.3 PER CENT.
IN OTHER WORDS, 2,132 ARRESTS WERE MADE BY ORDINARY CITIZENS UPHOLDING THE LAWS AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR ANY EQUIVALENT PERIOD.''
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MR HINDHAUGH SAID HE BELIEVED THERE WERE INCREASING NUMBERS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO LEAP INTO ACTION TO SAFEGUARD LIFE AND PROPERTY, TO ASSIST THE POLICE UNRESERVEDLY, AND TO TAKE A FIRM STAND ON THE SIDE OF LAW AND ORDER.
''THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A MATURING SENSE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY
WHEN AND A GREATER DESIRE BY INDIVIDUALS TO RESPOND UNSELFISHLY CALLED UPON IN THE INTERESTS OF COMMUNITY WELL-BEING,'' HE SAID.
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ALL OF THE AWARDS PRESENTED AT TODAY'S CEREMONY, IN THE NEW WORLD CENTRE PLAZA, WERE FOR ACTS OF EXCEPTIONAL COURAGE RESOURCEFULNESS OR INITIATIVE IN PREVENTING OR DETECTING CRIME, OR IN APPREHENDING CRIMINALS.
THE RECIPIENTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 14 TO 69 AND COVERED A WIDE RANGE OF OCCUPATIONS. THERE WERE 11 PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS, EIGHT STUDENTS, SIX CIVIL SERVANTS, A HOUSEWIFE, A MANAGER, A HAWKER, A SAILOR, A SALESMAN, A PAINTER AND A COOK, THERE WERE ALSO TWO AUXILIARY POLICEMEN AND TWO JUNIOR POLICE CALL LEADERS AND A JPC MEMBER.
ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS, MR CHU KWOK-KEI, A HAWKER, RECEIVED TWO SEPARATE AWARDS FOR HIS BRAVERY IN BRINGING TO JUSTICE THE SUSPECTS IN TWO SNATCHING' CASES.
THE INDIVIDUAL AWARDS VARIED IN VALUE BETWEEN $1,000 AND $2,500, AMOUNTING TO A TOTAL OF $118,000.
MR HINDHAUGH SAID IT SHOULD BE EMPHASISED, HOWEVER, THAT AT THE TIME THE RECIPIENTS PERFORMED THE IR VALUABLE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, THEY DID SO WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OF RECONGNITION, FINANCIAL GAIN, OR EVEN THANKS.
"'QUITE THE OPPOSITE, IN FACT.''
''BY ARRANGING THIS CEREMONY TODAY, WE NOW HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU TO THEM," HE SAID.
IT WAS PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE THAT IN A YEAR IN WHICH THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE THEME IS THE POLICE AND THE PEOPLE FIGHTING CRIME TOGETHER'', THE PUBLIC COULD SEE SUCH TANGIBLE RESULTS.
/IN CONGRATULATING