XN000022-1983-05-06 — Page 5

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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 1983

DURING THE SAME QUARTER, ROBBERIES KNOWN TO POLICE TOTALLED 2 185, AN INCREASE OF 217 OR 11 PER CENT,

*

**THIS IS INDEED A TREND WHICH GIVES CAUSE FOR CONCERN, MR NEBSTER SAID.

WHILST ALL REGIONS OF THE FORCE RECORDED ACTUAL INCREASES IN ROBBERIES, THE NEW TERRITORIES PERCENTAGE OF THIS TYPE OF CRIME INCREASED FROM 20 PER CENT OF ALL ROBBERIES IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 1982 TO 23.2 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1983, HE ADDED.

THE INCREASING TREND IN THE USE OF VIOLENCE BY THUGS IN ROBBERIES LED TO A TOTAL OF 367 PERSONS BEING INJURED. WEAPON S WERE USED IN 69.3 PER CENT OF ALL ROBBERIES.

MR WEBSTER POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE 22 OF THE ROBBERY CASEB RELATED TO GOLDSMITH SHOP ROBBERIES INVOLVING A TOTAL OF $9.58 MILLION WORTH OF GOLD, JEWELLERY AND WATCHES.

INADEQUATE SECURITY IN GOLDSMITH SHOPS CONTINUES TO NAKE THEN A SOFT TARGET FOR THE CRIMINALS AND IT IS IN EVERYONE'S INTERESTS THAT SECURITY IS TIGHTENED TO PREVENT THESE THUGS THE OPPORTUNITY THEY SEEK, HR WEBSTER STRESSED.

THE NUMBER OF ROBBERIES WHERE FIREARMS OR IMITATION FIREARMS WERE USED ROSE TO 81, AN INCREASE OF 35 CASES OVER THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. IN 14 CASES, GENUINE FIREARMS WERE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN USED.

TURNING TO BURGLARIES, MR WEBSTER SAID 52 PER CENT OF THE 2 671 CASES REPORTED TO POLICE OCCURRED IN DWELLING HOUSES.

*' L. CANNOT EMPHASISE_TOO OFTEN-THE NECESSITY FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO LOOK AFTER THEIR OWN PROPERTY.

**ADEQUATE CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES ARE A MOST NECESSARY FACET OF-LIFE TODAY - NOT JUST IN HONG KONG BUT EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. IF IT IS WORTH STEALING IT IS WORTH PROTECTING. **

REFERRING TO SERIOUS ASSAULTS, HE SAID THEY HAD DECREASED FROM 1 951 IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1982 TO 1 654 IN THE FIRST QUARTER THIS YEAR.' THERE HAD ALSO BEEN A MARGINAL DECREASE IN TAKING CONVEYANCE AND THEFT FROM VENICLE CASES.

ANALYSING THE AGE GROUP OF THOSE PROSECUTED FOR CRIME DURING THE QUARTER, MR WEEBSTER SAID 30.3 PER CENT OUT OF A TOTAL OF 8 115 WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 21, WHICH COMPARED FAVOURABLY WITH THE 32 PER CENT FOR THE LAST QUARTER.

THE NUMBER OF RECENT ARRIVALS INVOLVED IN CRIME DECREASED FROM A TOTAL OF 1 159 IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1982 TO 1 136 IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1983.

**WHEN EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED, THEIR INVOLVEMENT DECREASED MARGINALLY FROM 14.2 PER CENT TO 14 PER CENT.

/''LEGAL ARRIVALS .............