XN000022-1979-10-19 — Page 4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1979

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NEVERTHELESS, MR. LI ADDED, THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES FOR REPORTING CRIME REVEALED IN THE REPORT HAD TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

HE DREW ATTENTION TO A PASSAGE SUMMARISING THIS ASPECT OF THE SURVEY, WHICH READS +FOR SPECIFIC CRIMES, THE POLICE NOTIFICATION RATES RANGED FROM A HIGH OF 100 PER CENT FOR THEFT OF VEHICLES AND 69 PER CENT FOR SERIOUS ASSAULTS TO A LOW OF SIX PER CENT FOR PICKPOCKET AND FOUR PER CENT FOR OTHER HOUSEHOLD THEFT.+

FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE - A CATEGORY COVERING INTIMIDATION AND BLACKMAIL AS WELL AS SUCH CRIMES AS ROBBERY, ASSAULT AND RAPE THE REPORTING RATE WAS 28 PER CENT. FOR BURGLARY THE REPORTING RATE WAS 34 PER CENT,

MR. LI WENT ON TO DRAW ATTENTION ALSO TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS IN THE REPORT: +THE AMOUNT OF UNREPORTED CRIME JUSTIFIES THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT POLICY OF BRINGING THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE TOGETHER TO WORK IN HARMONY TO COMBAT CRIME, IT MUST BE OBVIOUS THAT THE POLICE CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO COUNTER AND SOLVE CRIMES ABOUT WHICH THEY KNOW NOTHING.

+TO SOME EXTENT THE KEY TO SUCCESS LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REPORT CRIME AS A MATTER OF CIVIC DUTY. THE POLICE, FOR THEIR PART, MUST CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GAIN THE PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE AND THEREBY ENCOURAGE THIS PROCESS.+

ENDORSING THESE COMMENTS, MR. LI SAID THAT THE REPORTING RATES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LESS SERIOUS KINDS OF CRIME, BORE OUT THE WARNINGS EXPRESSED EARLIER THIS YEAR BY THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ABOUT PUBLIC RELUCTANCE TO REPORT CRIME.

*IT IS NOT SURPRISING, HE ADDED, THAT THE POLICE ARE HIGHLY CONCERNED ON THIS SCORE, SINCE THEY REQUIRE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ABOUT ALL CRIMES IF THEY ARE TO DEPLOY THE IR RESOURCES TO MAXIMUM EFFECT TO PREVENT CRIME AS WELL AS TO CATCH CRIMINALS.

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+ THE REPORTING RATES ALSO CLEARLY JUSTIFY THE EMPHASIS WE HAVE PUT ON REPORTING CRIME IN OUR 'FIGHT CRIME' CAMPAIGNS UP TO NOW. FURTHER EFFORTS ON THE SAME LINES ARE EVIDENTLY NEEDED. AS YOU KNOW, A RENEWED AND INTENSIFIED 'REPORT CRIME' MESSAGE IS ALREADY BEING PUT OUT AS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN LAUNCHED.+

MR. LI ADDED THAT IN HIS OPINION THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOW REPORTING LEVELS LAY WITH PUBLIC ATTITUDES WHICH STILL REFLECTED AN UNWILLINGNESS TO BOTHER ABOUT LESS SERIOUS OFFENCES.

+AS SHOWN IN TABLES 54 AND 55, THE MAIN REASONS GIVEN FOR FAILURES TO REPORT SUGGEST NOT A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE OR A FEAR OF REPRISAL SO MUCH AS A RELUCTANCE TO GET INVOLVED AND A FEAR OF INCONVENIENCE.

/+IT WOULD