XN000022-1983-05-06 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 1983

IMPROVEMENT IN SCHOOL RESOURCES

THERE SHOULD BE AN EXPANSION OF, AND QUALITATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN, FACILITIES AND TEACHING RESOURCES. COMPENSATORY RESOURCES SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR LOWER QUALITY SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM RAISE THEIR STANDARDS.

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT PUBLIC COMMENT WAS BEING SOUGHT ON ALL PARTS OF THE REPORT, INCLUDING PROPOSALS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES, SUCH AS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EDUCATION COMMISSION.

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE SENT BEFORE THE DUE DATE TO:

THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER ROOM 1322 PRINCE'S BUILDING,

HONG KONG.

THE REPORT OF THE PANEL IS NOW ON SALE, TOGETHER WITH A BACKGROUND REPORT ON THE EXISTING EDUCATION SYSTEM. AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, CONNAUGHT PLACE. THE PANEL'S REPORT WILL COST $12 A COPY, AND THE BACKGROUND REPORT $21 A COPY.

OVERALL CRIME FELL BY FOUR PER CENT

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OVERALL CRIME KNOWN TO THE POLICE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR WAS 20 171, REPRESENTING A DECREASE OF FOUR PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

REVIEWING CRIME STATISTICS FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

OF 1983 TODAY (FRIDAY), THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CRIME,

MR BRIAN WEBSTER, TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE FIGURE ALSO REPRESENTED A DECREASE OF 1.6 PER CENT OVER FOUR QUARTERS AVERAGE OF LAST YEAR,

- MR WEBSTER SAID KEY CRIME DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 1983 ACCOUNTED FOR 79.6 PER CENT OF ALL CRIME, COMPARED WITH THE 79.4 PER CENT RECORDED DURING THE LAST QUARTER OF 1982.

**HOWEVER, IN LINE WITH THE OVERALL DECREASE IN CRIME FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, THE TOTAL WAS 16 049 OR A DROP OF SOME 3.8 PER CENT OVER THE LAST QUARTER," HE SAID.

DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN RAPES (DOWN 10 OR 37 PER CENT), IN DECENT ASSAULTS (DOWN 41 OR 21.9 PER CENT), SNATCHINGS (DOWN 88 OR 15.5 PER CENT), SERIOUS ASSAULTS (DOWN 297 OR 15.2 PER CENT) MISCELLANEOUS THEFTS (DOWN 465 OR 12.7 PER CENT) AND PICKPOCKETING (DOWN 78 OR 9 PER CENT).

/DURING THE