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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1991
"IN LINE WITH THE GROWTH IN THE POLICE ESTABLISHMENT, THERE HAS BEEN A PARALLEL INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENT TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF THE FORCE," HE ADDED.
"SINCE 1986, NEARLY $230 MILLION HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO EXPAND MODERNISE THE MARINE POLICE FLEET, INVOLVING THE PURCHASE OF 19 ADDITIONAL AND REPLACEMENT VESSELS.
AND
"DURING THE SAME PERIOD, 19 NEW POLICE BUILDINGS WERE COMPLETED AND COMMISSIONED AT A COST OF OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS; AND NEARLY $900 MILLION WAS SPENT ON THE PROVISION OF QUARTERS FOR MARRIED JUNIOR POLICE OFFICERS, A MAJOR INCENTIVE FOR RETENTION OF TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED STAFF," THE SECRETARY SAID.
MR ASPREY NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAD AN OUTSTANDING FIRE SAFETY RECORD FOR A PREDOMINANTLY HIGH-RISE CITY,
"THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS CONTINUED TO IMPROVE RESPONSE TIME TO FIRE AND OTHER EMERGENCY CALLS; LAST YEAR THE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO 85 PER CENT OF FIRE ALARM CALLS WITHIN SIX MINUTES, AND TO OVER 90 PER CENT OF AMBULANCE CALLS WITHIN 10 MINUTES.
**THESE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF SUBSTANTIAL NEW INVESTMENT; SINCE 1988, 18 NEW FIRE STATIONS AND EIGHT AMBULANCE DEPOTS HAVE BEEN BUILT," HE SAID.
"THIS YEAR,
POUR NEW FIRE STATIONS AND FOUR AMBULANCE DEPOTS WILL OPEN; AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW COMPUTERISED COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE MOBILISATION OF FIRE VEHICLES AND AMBULANCES WILL FURTHER IMPROVE THE RESPONSE TIMES OF OUR FIRE AND SERVICES, MR ASPREY SAID.
++
THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT THE DEMAND FOR IMMIGRATION
HAD RISEN SUBSTANTIALLY IN RECENT YEARS.
AMBULANCE
SERVICES
"PASSENGER TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED BY NEARLY 46 PER CENT AND CROSS BORDER VEHICLE TRAFFIC BY ABOUT 116 PER CENT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS," HE SAID.
"THE DEMAND FOR DOCUMENTS OF VARIOUS KINDS HAS SEEN A GROWTH OF 35 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD. AT THE SAME TIME, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT HAS RISEN BY 22 PER CENT,
"THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO COРЕ WITH THIS INCREASED WORKLOAD AND OTHER MAJOR NEW COMMITMENTS, AND AT THE SAME TIME ΤΟ SHORTEN WAITING TIME, WITH ONLY MODEST INCREASES IN STAFF. AS A RESULT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATION AND COMPUTERISATION, SIMPLIFICATION IN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES,' MR ASPREY ADDED.
DURING THIS PERIOD,
IN COMPUTERISATION AND THERE IN PRODUCTIVITY.
AND
ABOUT $160 MILLION HAD BEEN INVESTED WAS SCOPE FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS
THE PINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD SOON BE ASKED TO APPROVE THE
OF IMPLEMENTATION
A NEW INFORMATION SYSTEM
FOR STRATEGY
THE DEPARTMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY NOTED.
MR ASPREY SAID THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT HAD TO UNDERTAKE SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS IN THR
HAD YEARS.
SIMILARLY PAST
FEW
/"THIS WILL