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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1994
MOTION DEBATE ON JUVENILE CRIME: S FOR S
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FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN MOTION DEBATE ON JUVENILE CRIME IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
MR PRESIDENT,
IS NO WHICH
THROUGH AND
AS MANY MEMBERS HAVE EXPLAINED VERY CLEARLY THIS EVENING, THERE SINGLE CAUSE OF JUVENILE CRIME. IT HAS MANY SOCIAL CAUSES, MUST BE ADDRESSED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEASURES THE FAMILY, THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRECTIONAL AND REHABILITATION SERVICES. I CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF JUVENILE CRIME IS A PRIORITY FOR THE GOVERNMENT. MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT POLICE, THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT. THERE EXISTS THE NECESSARY INSTITUTIONAL MACHINERY TO CO-ORDINATE THEIR WORK AND MONITOR THE RESULTS.
THE
THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE HAS ALWAYS GIVEN PARTICULAR ATTENTION то THE PROBLEM OF JUVENILE CRIME. IT HAS ESTABLISHED A STANDING COMMITTEE ON YOUNG OFFENDERS, ON WHICH BOTH NON-OFFICIALS AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST JUVENILE CRIME ARE REPRESENTED:
* TO PUT FORWARD
RECOMMENDATIONS
ON WAYS OF
PREVENTING
THE
POTENTIAL YOUNG OFFENDERS FROM OFFENDING;
то ADVISE THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE ON POSSIBLE WHICH THE TREATMENT OF YOUNG OFFENDERS COULD BE AND
WAYS IN IMPROVED;
PANEL
* TO MONITOR THE WORK OF THE YOUNG OFFENDERS ASSESSMENT
AND CONSIDER SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS то THE REHABILITATION OF YOUNG OFFENDERS.
RESEARCH
STANDING COMMITTEE HAS COMMISSIONED THE SOCIAL SCIENCES CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO THE SOCIAL CAUSES OF JUVENILE CRIME, TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE BETTER AND TO HELP US FORMULATE NEW AND IMPROVED POLICIES IT.
THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE.
PROBLEM
ΤΟ TACKLE
BUT I SHOULD LIKE FIRST TO OUTLINE THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM AND WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN DOING TO ADDRESS IT.
DURING EACH OF THE PAST TEN YEARS, THE PROPORTION OF JUVENILES ARRESTED FOR CRIME HAS VARIED BETWEEN 12% AND 18% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ARRESTED FOR CRIME. IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1994, 5.220 JUVENILES WERE ARRESTED, REPRESENTING 14% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ARRESTED FOR CRIME DURING THAT PERIOD. IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT, APART FROM A SLIGHT INCREASE IN 1991, THE PROPORTION OF JUVENILES ARRESTED HAS REDUCED CONSISTENTLY IN EACH OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
/BUT WE