WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994
43
SPEECH BY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY
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FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE ON MOTION OF THANKS TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
MR PRESIDENT,
I SHOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE POINTS MADE BY MEMBERS ON POLICING, LAW AND ORDER AND IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY MATTERS.
FIRST, THE ESTABLISHMENT AND STRENGTH OF THE POLICE FORCE. PRESENT MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS CANNOT BE RELATED SENSIBLY TO HISTORIC ESTABLISHMENT LEVEL. MANPOWER IS INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE AND MUST BE USED EFFICIENTLY. TO THIS END, WE MUST NOT BECOME HIDEBOUND BY PAST PRACTICE. WE NEED TO TAKE A FUNDAMENTAL LOOK AT WHETHER EXISTING TASKS NEED TO BE PERFORMED BY TRAINED POLICEMEN, OR INDEED AT ALL; AND, IF SO, WHETHER THERE ARE MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS MANPOWER INTENSIVE WAYS OF DOING THE JOB, FOR EXAMPLE BY THE APPLICATION OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY.
IN RECENT YEARS, THE POLICE HAVE SHED A NUMBER OF RESPONSIBILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE THE SERVICE OF SUMMONSES, THE ESCORT OF PRISONERS, MANY DUTIES IN SPECIAL BRANCH. ALL THESE HAVE RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS IN MANPOWER RESOURCES, WHICH THE POLICE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDEPLOY TO MAINSTREAM CONSTABULARY DUTIES. WE ARE ALSO INVESTING IN A LARGE SCALE COMPUTERISATION PROGRAMME, COSTING OVER $460 MILLION, WHICH WILL RELEASE SOME 420 POLICE OFFICERS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE WORK TO FRONTLINE OPERATIONAL DUTIES. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DEPLOY MORE MEN AND WOMEN TO FIGHTING CRIME ON THE STREET. THIS HAS UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FALL IN CRIME WE HAVE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS AND ARE CONTINUING TO EXPERIENCE A DROP OF 5 PER CENT IN VIOLENT CRIME FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR AS COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, A DROP OF 11 PER CENT IN CAR THEFT, AND OF 37 PER CENT IN ARMED ROBBERIES.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE POLICE FORCE HAS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE EFFICIENT. IT IS ACHIEVING MORE WITH THE SAME RESOURCES. I MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR THIS. THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS RESULTS ACHIEVED, NOT RESOURCES USED. THIS WAS PRECISELY THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICE MANAGEMENT REVIEW, WHICH EXAMINED ALL THE FORMATIONS OF THE FORCE, AND PRODUCED 42 DETAILED REPORTS. WE SHALL FINALISE OUR CONCLUSIONS ON ALL THESE REPORTS WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRIORITISED FOR RESOURCES TOTALLING MORE THAN $145 MILLION HAVE BEEN FUND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE COMING YEAR. WILL BE DEPLOYING AN EXTRA 400 POLICE OFFICERS ON ADDITIONAL 80 OFFICERS WILL BE PROVIDED TO COMBAT RELATED CRIMES; AND WE WILL SET UP A CENTRAL WITNESS PROTECTION UNIT.
MANY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION.
EAR-MARKED TO FOR EXAMPLE,
WE THE STREETS; AN TRIADS AND DRUG
/I NOTE