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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1986
VIOLENT CRIME CASES DOWN, OVERALL CASES UP
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REPORTED CASES OF VIOLENT CRIME DECLINED BY 4.5 PER CENT THOUGH OVERALL CRIME ROSE BY 3.4 PER CENT IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF LAST YEAR, COMPARED WITH THE SIMILAR PERIOD IN 1984.
THESE ARE AMONG SOME OF THE STATISTICS CONTAINED IN THE JUST RELEASED FIFTH REPORT OF THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR.
WHILE OVERALL REPORTED CRIME IN THE PERIOD ROSE FROM
61 947 CASES TO 64 062, VIOLENT CRIME CASES DECLINED FROM
18 027 IN JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 1984 TO 17 215 CASES IN THE SIMILAR 1985 PERIOD.
AMONG OTHER MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THE REPORT ARE THE PROPOSED BAN ON IMITATION FIREARMS, THE QUALITY OF WATCHMEN, THE CLOSURE OF VICE ESTABLISHMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, TRIAD AND GANG ACTIVITIES, ARRANGEMENTS FOR DEALING WITH YOUNG OFFENDERS, AND THE CRIME LEVEL IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
THE REPORT OF THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE, WHOSE CHAIRMAN IS THE CHIEF SECRETARY, ALSO SHOWS THAT THERE WAS A DECREASE OF 10.6 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF ROBBERIES.
THE NUMBER OF BURGLARIES INCREASED BY OVER 10 PER CENT AND SHOPLIFTING SHOWED A MARKED INCREASE OF OVER 50 PER CENT FROM 2 907 TO 4 483 CASES.
THE MAIN SUBJECTS COVERED BY THE REPORT ARE AS FOLLOWS:
* THE LAUNCHING OF A TERRITORY-WIDE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME
TO DETER CRIME, PARTICULARLY BURGLARIES, IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS.
THE SCHEME INVOLVES GROUPS OF 10 TO 15 HOUSEHOLDERS IN THE SAME BUILDING GETTING TOGETHER TO HELP EACH OTHER BY KEEPING AN EYE ON THEIR NEIGHBOURS' HOMES WHEN THEY ARE AWAY AND BY REPORTING TO THE POLICE ANY SUSPICIOUS PERSONS LOITERING AROUND THE AREA.
* THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES INVOLVING THE USE OF GENUINE FIREARMS AND +PISTOL-LIKE-OBJECTS+ IN CRIME. THE WORKING GROUP ON THE USE OF FIREARMS IN CRIME WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.
A BILL TO BAN IMITATION FIREARMS IS STILL BEING PURSUED. IT IS DESIGNED TO PROHIBIT THE IMPORT. SALE OR POSSESSION OF REALISTIC IMITATIONS. MANUFACTURERS WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR A LICENCE TO MANUFACTURE SUCH IMITATIONS BUT FOR EXPORT ONLY.
A PROBLEM THAT HAS ARISEN IS HOW TO DEFINE SUFFICIENTLY SPECIFICALLY AN IMITATION FIREARM OF THE PRESCRIBED CLASS.
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