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Reply:
(b)
Mr President,
whether there is an increase in the number of crimes involving vehicles in privately-managed car parks in the housing estates in the past three years; if so, what are the reasons, which districts have the higher number of crimes reported and what are the major types of crimes committed?
The actual savings from the Housing Authority's car park privatisation scheme in each of the past three years are -
1993
$6 million
1994
$14 million
1995
$39 million
These savings are in line with the savings estimated before the scheme was launched.
In 1995, there were 1,073 cases of vehicle-related crimes in all car parks and parking spaces in public housing estates, compared with 1,261 in 1994 and 1,018 in 1993. This represents a slight increase over the period. Of the 1,073 cases in 1995, 764 were in privatised car parks in public housing estates. We do not have the figures for 1994 and 1993, and therefore cannot determine the trend.
The districts which have the highest reported number of vehicle-related crimes in 1995 are:
Sha Tin
213 (20%)
Tai Po
141 (13%).
One reason is that some smugglers have made use of the convenience of these districts for transporting stolen vehicles out of the territory through the border. In addition, there is a high concentration of families with teenage children in these new towns where vandalism and juvenile crime are an increasing problem.
In 1995, the types of vehicle-related crimes committed in privatised car parks in public housing estates are theft from vehicles (48%), theft of vehicles (31%) and criminal damage (21%).
End