XN000022-1983-01-06 — Page 5

4

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE IMPROVED PEPORTING RATE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED IN PART TO EFFORTS MADE BY THE POLICE TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO REPORT CRIME, IMPROVED REPORTING FACILITIES, AND THE SIMPLIFICATION OF REPORTING PROCEDURES. IN GENERAL, THE DATA OBTAINED FROM THE SURVEY SUGGESTS THAT BY MAKING IT MORE CONVENIENT TO REPORT CRIME, PROVIDED THE VICTIM CONSIDERS THE LOSS WARRANTS SUCH ACTION, MORE REPORTS WILL BE MADE.+

+ADDITIONALLY, MEASURES INTRODUCED IN OCTOBER 1980 REQUIRING ALL PERSONS OVER THE AGE OF 15 TO CARRY A DOCUMENT OF IDENTITY, MAY ACCOUNT FOR PART OF THE INCREASE IN REPORTED CRIME IN CASES INVOLVING THE LOSS OF IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, HE SAID.

+WHILE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY THE EXTENT, THIS RELATES PARTICULARLY TO CRIMES OF THEFT FROM PERSON. THE REPORTING RATE FOR SNATCHING CASES INCREASED FROM 15.5 PER CENT IN 1978 TO 45.1 PER CENT IN 1981, AND PICKPOCKETING FROM 6.4 PER CENT TO 38 PER CENT,+ HE SAID,

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE LEVEL OF UNREPORTED CRIME STILL REMAINED VERY SUBSTANTIAL AND WARRANTED THE CONTINUATION OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT POLICY TO FOSTER PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO REPORT ALL CRIME HOWEVER INSIGNIFICANT,

+THERE REMAINS EVIDENCE OF A WIDESPREAD BELIEF THAT THERE IS NO POINT IN REPORTING BECAUSE NOTHING CAN BE DONE, OR BECAUSE THE MATTER IS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH. TO CORRECT THIS MISCONCEPTION, GOVERNMENT WILL MAINTAIN AND CONSOLIDATE ITS EFFORTS TO SECURE PUBLIC COOPERATION. +

+THIS PROCESS WILL BE ASSISTED BOTH BY POLICE CRIME PREVENTION OPERATIONS AND THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE FORCE TO ENCOURAGE GREATER CONFIDENCE BY STRENGTHENING ITS TIES WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGH ITS VARIOUS COMMUNITY RELATIONS SCHEMES,+ HE SAID.

TURNING TO OTHER FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY, THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THE FOLLOWING POINTS OF INTEREST:

* 60 PER CENT OF THE VICTIMISATIONS INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS AND

40 PER CENT INVOLVED HOUSEHOLDS.

* 63 PER CENT OF ALL VICTIMISATIONS OCCURRED IN KOWLOON, 20

PER CENT IN HONG KONG ISLAND, AND 17 PER CENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

* THE LESS SERIOUS TYPE OF OFFENCE, NAMELY PERSONAL CRIMES OF THEFT AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD THEFT, ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL. CRIMES OF VIOLENCE MADE UP 15 PER CENT OF ALL VICTIMISATIONS,

* ROBBERY WAS THE MOST FREQUENT AMONG CRIMES OF VIOLENCE,

WITH AN AVERAGE OF EIGHT OUT OF EVERY 1 000 PERSONS VICTIMISED.

* PICKPOCKETING WAS THE MOST FREQUENT CRIME OF THEFT, WITH A

VICTIMISATION RATE CF 2.24 PER CENT.

MOMENT AGROD