WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1988
25
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH WELL RECEIVED
THE POLICE ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED BY THE PUBLIC AND PUBLIC INTEREST HAS BEEN MAINTAINED, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LIU LIT-FOR, MR BARNES SAID THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED BY THE ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE IN RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS, WHICH WERE JOINTLY IDENTIFIED BY THE POLICE AND THE DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEES TO TAKE PART IN THE SCHEME.
"IN ADDITION, MANY REQUESTS HAVE BERN RECEIVED FROM OTHER HOUSEHOLDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHEME IN THEIR BLOCKS," HE SAID.
MR BARNES EXPLAINED THAT THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME WAS FIRST INTRODUCED AS A PILOT SCHEME IN SHA TIN IN 1984.
IN OCTOBER 1985 THE FIRST PHASE OF ITS EXTENSION ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS TOOK PLACE AS A VITAL ELEMENT OF THE FIGHT CRIME CAMPAIGN'S EMPHASIS ON HOME SECURITY ΤΟ COMBAT THE PROBLEM OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES.
HE SAID THE PURPOSE OF PHASING WAS TO AVOID PUTTING AN UNDUR STRAIN ON POLICE RESOURCES AND TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT EACH PHASE, COVERING ABOUT 16,000 HOUSEHOLDS, WAS IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVELY.
"THE SCHEME IS NOW IN ITS
FIFTH PHASE. 30 FAR, 7,474 NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH UNITS HAVE BEEN FORMED, COVERING A TOTAL OF 77,983 HOUSEHOLDS IN 399 BLOCKS. THOSE TAKING PART REPRESENT AROUND 10 PER CENT OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS IN HONG KONG, MR BARNES SAID.
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"THE SIXTH PHASE IS SCHEDULED TO START THIS YEAR ON JULY 1
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MR BARNES NOTED THAT THERE MIGHT, ADMITTEDLY, HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE INITIAL ENTHUSIASM HAD WORN OFF, BUT THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE POLICE A WORKABLE INTEREST IN SUCH CASES HAD BEEN MAINTAINED.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT, LIKE MANY DETERRENT AND CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES, IT WAS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO ASSESS WHAT HAD ACTUALLY BEEN ACHIEVED.
FOR EXAMPLE, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES IN HONG KONG DROPPED BY 14.7 PER CENT IN 1986 AND 11 PER CENT IN 1987, THE FIGURES FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 12 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1987.
MR BARNES