XN000022-1976-02-15 — Page 6

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1976

GREAT INTEREST IN FORMING MACS

SAYS TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICER

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THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST IN FORMING MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IN TSUEN WAN, THE TOWN'S DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. JAMES HAYES, STATED THIS (SUNDAY) EVENING.

MR. HAYES WAS TALKING TO MORE THAN 300 MEN AND WOMEN ASSOCIATED WITH MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND OWNERS' INCORPORATIONS WHO WERE ATTENDING THE FIRST ANNUAL SPRING GATHERING IN THE KAM YIP RESTAURANT.

+SO GREAT IS THE INTEREST BEING SHOWN+, DECLARED MR. HAYES, +THAT WE SHOULD DOUBLE THE NUMBER WITHIN A YEAR+. HE SAID THERE WERE 107 MACS AND 18 OWNERS' INCORPORATIONS NOW IN EXISTENCE WITH SEVERAL MORE IN THE PIPELINE.

MR. HAYES OUTLINED THE WAY MACS WERE FORMED IN TSUEN WAN, STATING THAT THE DISTRICT OFFICE LIAISON OFF İÇER AIDED BY AN EIGHT-MAN TEAM OF PART-TIME, PAID COMMUNITY ORGANISERS, VISITED MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, USUALLY BY INVITATION, TO GIVE ADVICE ON THE BEST METHOD OF SETTING UP AN MAC.

+WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF INQUIRIES TO DEAL WITH AS PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY RECOGNISING THE IMPORTANCE OF MACS IN IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND REDUCING CRIME+, MR. HAYES STATED.

HE SAID THE FORMATION OF MACS BEGAN IN JULY, 1973, AND AT PRESENT APPROXIMATELY ONE IN SIX OF TSUEN WAN'S POPULATION LIVE IN A BUILDING WHICH HAS EITHER A MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE OR AN OWNERS' INCORPORATION, + IF THE PRESENT TREND CONTINUES+, HE ADDED, THE RATIO SHOULD BE ONE IN THREE BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.+

MR. HAYES SAID THAT DURING THE LAST NINE MONTHS

17 MACS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN KWAI CHUNG, SEVEN IN THE SHEK LEI DISTRICT AND 22 IN TSUEN WAN TOWN. +THERE ARE EVEN MACS IN THREE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS+ HE DECLARED.

HE ALSO MENTIONED A NEIGHBOURHOOD SECURITY PATROL TRAINING COURSE ARRANGED WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL POLICE WHICH WAS COMPLETED BY 41 STUDENTS.

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