WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1988
16
POLICE AWARE OF HOLIDAY HOUSE PROBLEMS
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THE POLICE HAVE BEEN AWARE FOR SOME TIME OF PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE RENTING OUT OF PRIVATE HOUSES TO HOLIDAY MAKERS, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, TOLD THE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
LEGISLATIVE
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ROSANNA TAM, MR BARNES SAID SO FAR REPORTS HAD MAINLY INVOLVED OFFENCES IN THE OUTLYING 18LANDS, ESPECIALLY CHEUNG CHAU, LAMMA AND PARTS OF LANTAU.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO GIVE ACCURATE DATA FOR THE WHOLE TERRITORY OF THE TYPES OF CRIMES INVOLVED BECAUSE SEPARATE STATISTICS HAD NOT BEEN KEPT OF THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE RESORT HOUSES OR THE OFFENCES COMMITTED IN THEM.
"THE POLICE HAVE SO FAR ONLY KEPT RECORDS OF REPORTS INVOLVING HOLIDAY MAKERS IN GENERAL IN THE CHEUNG CHAU DIVISION, WHICH INCLUDES LAMMA ISLAND, WHERE THE PROBLEM APPEARS ΤΟ BE MORE PREVALENT, HE SAID.
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IN CHRUNG CHAU AND LAMMA COMBINED, 18 PER CENT OF CRIME REPORTS AND 10 PER CENT OF NUISANCE COMPLAINTS CONCERNED HOLIDAY MAKERS, BUT NOT ALL OF THESE INVOLVED RESORT HOUSES, HE SAID.
"THE PROBLEM OF OFFENCES ASSOCIATED WITH RESORT HOUSES HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE ISLANDS DISTRICT BOARD AND BY THE DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE."
PRIVATE
MR BARNES NOTED THAT LEGALLY ANY PERSON COULD RENT OUT ACCOMMODATION AND NO LICENCE WAS REQUIRED, ADDING THAT A BUSINESS REGISTRAT LON CERTIFICATE WOULD BR NECESSARY IF THE RENTING CONSTITUTED A BUSINESS UNDER THE BUSINESS REGISTRATION ORDINANCE.
"THE POLICE HAVE NO SPECIAL POWERS ΤΟ ENTER THESE HOUSES,
WHICH COUNT AS PRIVATE PREMISES," HE SAID,
"ACCESS CAN ONLY BE OBTAINED BY INVITATION, BY SEARCH WARRANT OR BY EXECUTING POWERS UNDER AN APPROPRIATE ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WOMEN AND JUVENILES ORDINANCE OR THE DANGEROUS DRUGS ORDINANCE."
MR BARNES NOTED THAT THERR WAS NO LEGISLATION SPECIFICALLY GOVERNING THE RENTING OF PRIVATE RESORT HOUSE ACCOMMODATION.
I ACCEPT THAT THERE ARE COMPLAINTS AND OFFENCES ARISING FROM GROUPS OF, MOSTLY YOUNG, PROPLE RENTING THESE HOUSES, HE SAID.
"PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN LARGE
TI
GROUPS, USUALLY OF YOUNG PEOPLE
FROM THE URBAN AREA, RENT THESE PREMISES AND HOLD NOISY PARTIES.
"ALCOHOL IS
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