XN000022-1979-09-15 — Page 5

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1979

TRAINED STAFF TO CONTROL HAWKERS

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IF THE GOVERNMENT IS TO SUCCEED IN ITS HAWKER POLICIES, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS (G.D.T.) SHOULD FUNCTION AS EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT AGENTS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR. H.S. GREWAL, WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE GRADUATION CEREMONY AT THE CITY HALL THEATRE TODAY (SATURDAY) FOR THE FIRST GENERAL DUTIES TEAM BASIC TRAINING COURSE.

MR. GREWAL SAID THE TEAMS WHICH WERE FIRST SET UP IN 1974 HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN ON AN EVEN GREATER ROLE WITH THE DISBANDMENT OF THE HAWKER CONTROL FORCE.

+TEAM MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE FULLY CONVERSANT NOT ONLY WITH THE VARIOUS PROCEDURES AND LEGISLATION INVOLVED IN HAWKER CONTROL WORK, BUT THEY ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO FUNCTION AS A TEAM AS WELL AS TO DISPLAY TACT AND PERSEVERANCE IN DEALING WITH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS WHICH MAY ARISE IN THE COURSE OF THEIR DUTIES,+ HE SAID.

SINCE THE TASKS ASSIGNED TO THE TEAMS ARE BY NO MEANS EASY, MR. GREWAL BELIEVED IT IS ONLY PROPER THEN THAT G.D.T. MEMBERS SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO CARRY OUT THE DUTIES THAT ARE EXPECTED OF THEM.+

AFTER DELIVERING THE SPEECH, MR. GREWAL PRESENTED GRADUATION CERTIFICATES TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRAINEES WHO HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED THE SIX-WEEK BASIC TRAINING COURSE.

THREE G.D.T. MEMBERS WHO HAVE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE DURING THE COURSE AND IN THE EXAMINATION ALSO RECEIVED AWARDS FROM THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES.

THE 92 G.D.T. MEMBERS - ALL FROM VARIOUS DISTRICT OFFICES OF THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT -- ARE THE FIRST BATCH OF GRADUATES SINCE A CENTRALISED G.D.T. TRAINING UNIT WAS SET UP IN THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN MAY THIS YEAR.

FURTHER TRAINING COURSES WILL BE ORGANISED BY THE UNIT FOR G.D.T. MEMBERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND IN THE URBAN AREA.

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