WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1994
MEASURES
WERE
ΤΟ
INTO OF
THE RECENT INCREASE IN DRUG ABUSE BY YOUNG PERSONS IS CERTAINLY WORRYING.
TACKLE IT. AND
TAKING ADDITIONAL WE ARE AMENDMENTS
DANGEROUS DRUGS ORDINANCE
BROUGHT TO THE OPERATION LAST MONTH. ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST THE ILLEGAL SALE DRUGS BY RETAIL PREMISES HAS BEEN STEPPED UP. ADDITIONAL MANPOWER HAS INCREASED BEEN PROVIDED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THIS PURPOSE. EMPHASIS IS BEING GIVEN TO DRUG EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS AND THE TREATMENT OF YOUNG DRUG ABUSERS. A PILOT PROJECT FOR A TREATMENT CENTRE FOR YOUNG ABUSERS IS BEING PLANNED.
BY THE I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN TO THE RESEARCH COMMISSIONED
THE RESEARCH YOUNG OFFENDERS.
AT AIMS STANDING COMMITTEE ON
CRIME AND AT MAKING IDENTIFYING THE SOCIAL CAUSES OF JUVENILE
IT IS RECOMMENDATIONS ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES AFFECTING YOUNG PEOPLE.
MORE THAN 2,000 A LARGE-SCALE, TERRITORY-WIDE RESEARCH PROJECT.
то KNOWN ABOUT 400 YOUNG PERSONS WHO WERE AND
BE SCHOOL STUDENTS OFFENDERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. MAJOR FIELD WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THIS IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE COMPLETED BY END OF YEAR.
PICTURE OF HONG KONG. IT MIGHT TAKE ΤΟ
I BELIEVE THAT THE RESEARCH WILL GIVE US A CLEAR THE
REGARDING JUVENILE CRIME IN PRESENT SITUATION SHOULD ALSO HELP POINT TO NEW INITIATIVES WHICH WE TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF JUVENILE CRIME.
STRATEGY, SERVICES
THAT IT I EXPECT
WILL
AN RECOMMEND
OVERALL CO-ORDINATED INVOLVING PARENTS, SCHOOLS, REHABILITATION AND OTHER SUPPORT STAGE ANY I DO NOT RULE OUT THAT AT THIS TO YOUNG PEOPLE.
VALUE OF NEW INITIATIVES. BUT I MUST EXPRESS SOME DOUBTS AS TO THE
SUGGESTED BY SOME RE-INTRODUCING THE TRIAD RENUNCIATION SCHEME AS
WAS A BECAUSE THERE MEMBERS. THIS
WAS SUSPENDED IN 1991 SCHEME DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED SUGGESTING THAT THE POOL OF POTENTIAL RENOUNCERS WAS DWINDLING BECAUSE A PERIOD OF TWO THEIR TRIAD YEARS
LONG ENOUGH FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO RELINQUISH
SCHEME LINKS TO COME FORWARD AND BECAUSE OF FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE COULD HAVE THE NEGATIVE OR EVEN COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE EFFECT ENCOURAGING IT COULD ALSO TEMPT POTENTIAL RENOUNCERS TO DEFER THEIR APPLICATIONS. OTHERS, ESPECIALLY YOUTH, TO EXPERIMENT WITH TRIAD MEMBERSHIP IN EXPECTATION THAT THEY COULD RENOUNCE THEIR MEMBERSHIP LATER. THE FIGHT EARLIER CRIME COMMITTEE CONSIDERED THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHEME THIS YEAR, BUT FELT THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE RIGHT, EVEN IF LIMITED TO
STILL WHICH
REMAIN YOUNG
FOR THE REASONS SEDUCED IN 1991, PERSONS, VALID.
DEPARTMENT,
15
ITS
UNDER GROUP
AND SERVICES CRIME IT HAS STANDING
SINCE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE RESEARCH IN SEPTEMBER 1992, PROGRESS HAS BEEN CLOSELY MONITORED BY A WORKING GROUP, SET UP
OFFENDERS. THE WORKING THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON YOUNG COMPRISES REPRESENTATIVES OF SECURITY BRANCH, THE POLICE, HEALTH WELFARE BRANCH, SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, THE CORRECTIONAL
FIGHT AND MEMBERS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, COMMITTEE AND
STANDING COMMITTEE ON YOUNG OFFENDERS. THE
THE THE PROGRESS OF REGULARLY
THE RESEARCH. REVIEWED COMMITTEE WILL SOON MEET TO DISCUSS THE FINAL REPORT AND OTHER MATTERS
TO YOUNG
IN THE LIGHT RELATING
OFFENDERS.
OF THE FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RESEARCH, THE COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW, AND NECESSARY, REVISE THE STRATEGY FOR TACKLING THE PROBLEM CRIME. IT WILL ALSO MONITOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AND ENSURE THAT THE MEASURES WE ARE PROPOSING TO TACKLE THE EFFECTIVE,
ARE CARRIED OUT AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE. AND VERY GLAD TO REPORT REGULARLY TO THIS COUNCIL ON PROGRESS.
AND WHERE OF JUVENILE
PROBLEM ARE I SHALL BE
/MR PRESIDENT,