XN000022-1976-11-11 — Page 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1976.

FORMATION OF MAC'S A SUCCESS

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THE FORMATION OF MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IS A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT ON A GIGANTIC SCALE AND IT IS SUCCEEDING, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON. DENIS BRAY, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY,

WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING VARIOUS POINTS RAISED EARLIER BY THE HON. WONG LAM ON DIFFICULTY IN THE OPERATION OF MAC'S, HE SAID THE PROBLEMS DID NOT EVEN IN SUM DETRACT SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE GREAT BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO RESULT FROM MUTUAL CO-OPERATION IN TALL BUILDINGS.

+URBAN LIVING AT THE DENSITIES WE HAVE IN HONG KONG REQUIRES MUCH MUTUAL TOLERANCE, CONSIDERATION AND CO-OPERATION,+ HE SAID. +THIS IS LATENT IN THE PEOPLE AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT OUT THROUGH THE CATALYST OF MAC FORMATION.+

MR. BRAY SPOKE AT LENGTH ON A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS FACED BY MAC'S IN THEIR OPERATIONS.

HE ASSURED THE COUNCIL THAT SECURITY PATROLS FORMED BY MAC'S WERE LEGAL BECAUSE THEY WERE PATROLS OF RESIDENTS AND NOT HIRED MEN, AND BECAUSE THEY WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE POLICE WHO WERE ABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW FAR A PATROL MIGHT LEGALLY GO. AND HOW TO FOLLOW THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROCEDURES IN PREVENTING CRIME AND REPORTING IT.

MR. BRAY SAID THERE WERE 159 SUCH PATROLS AND ADDED THAT +WHILST THE POLICY IS TO ENCOURAGE MAC'S TO DEVELOP THESE PERFECTLY LEGAL PATROLS AND TO PROVIDE SUPERVISION, GUIDANCE AND TRAINING, IT IS ESSENTIAL IN THE INTERESTS OF LAW AND ORDER THAT THE POLICE MAINTAIN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE SECURITY PATROLS IN CASE AN OVER ZEALOUS INDIVIDUAL ABUSES HIS POSITION AS A GUARDIAN OF THE LAW+.

HE STRESSED: +ABUSE HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM. THESE PATROLS ARE A SUCCESS.+

REFERRING TO AN ASSERTION MADE BY MR. WONG LAM THAT MAC'S MUST BE SUPPORTED BY MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF RESIDENTS TO BE EFFECTIVE, MR. BRAY SAID MOST MAC'S HAVE OVER 50 PER CENT PARTICIPATION.

+WE DID ACCEPT 20 PER CENT PARTICIPATION IN THE EARLY DAYS AND MANY MAC'S FORMED ON THIS BASIS HAVE GATHERED MUCH GREATER SUPPORT AS THEY STARTED TO SHOW WHAT COULD BE DONE IN THE BUILDINGS.

+NOWADAYS WE LOOK FOR MUCH MORE THAN 20 PER CENT PARTICIPATION,

HE SAID.

/ON VICE

+