XN000022-1983-05-26 — Page 14

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1983

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SIR PHILIP VISITS POLICE HEADQUARTERS

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE VISITED POLICE HEADQUARTERS THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE ACTING COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR PETER MOOR, SIR PHILIP STARTED HIS TOUR WITH A BRIEFING BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, MR RICHARD QUINE, ON THE REVIEW OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FORMATIONS CONCLUDED LAST SEPTEMBER. HE WAS PLEASED TO KNOW THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NUMEROUS RECOMMENDATIONS WAS GOING AHEAD AS PLANNED.

HE WAS GIVEN DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS AT REGIONAL, DISTRICT AND DIVISIONAL LEVELS, RESTRUCTURING OF HEADQUARTERS CRIME UNITS AND ADDED EMPHASIS ON CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BY INDIVIDUAL DETECTIVES.

SIR PHILIP DESCRIBED AS A GOOD MOVE THE FURTHER STREAMLINING OF REPORTING PROCEDURES INTRODUCED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND AFFIRMED ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS IN ENCOURAGING MORE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO COME FORWARD TO SUPPLY VALUABLE INFORMATION TO THE POLICE.

DURING HIS DISCUSSION WITH THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CRIME, MR BRIAN WEBSTER, ON THE CURRENT STATE OF CRIME, THE CHIEF SECRETARY ENQUIRED ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CONTINUOUS OFFENSIVE ON THE LAW AND ORDER FRONT.

HE WAS SATISFIED THAT OFFICERS TASKED WITH DIVERSE RESPONSI- BILITIES WERE WORKING AS A COORDINATED WHOLE TOWARDS MORE SOPHISTICATED CRIME PREVENTION AND DETECTION TECHNIQUES.

THE $10 MILLION POLICE OPERATIONAL NOMINAL INDEX COMPUTER SYSTEM, THE FIRST PHASE OF WHICH CAME ON STREAM IN MARCH THIS YEAR, IS PART OF THE MODERNIZATION PROGRAMME AIMED AT HEIGHTENING THE ABILITY OF FORCE MEMBERS TO MEET THE CHALLENGE.

AFTER AN INTRODUCTION BY MR GEOFF HOBBS, SENIOR STAFF OFFICER, COMPUTER DEVELOPMENT BRANCH, SIR PHILIP WENT TO THE SUPER SECURE COMPUTER SUITE IN THE CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU TO SEE THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE MAJOR FIGHT CRIME AID.

EXPRESSING INTEREST IN THE COMPUTER HARDWARE, SIR PHILIP INSPECTED THE VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINALS OF THE IN HOUSE' NETWORK LINKING THE CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU WITH THE IDENTIFICATION BUREAU, THE CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE BUREAU AND THE NARCOTICS BUREAU. MR HOBBS POINTED OUT THAT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE REMOTE NETWORK COMPRISING THE FOUR REGIONAL COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTRES, TUEN MUN, SHATIN, FRONTIER, MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY AND AIRPORT POLICE STATIONS WAS EXPECTED TO BE IN FULL OPERATION BY AUGUST 1.

DURING A TOUR OF THE CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE BUREAU AND A BRIEFING BY THE SENIOR STAFF OFFICER, MR BRIAN MERRITT, SIR PHILIP GAINED AN INSIGHT INTO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE FORCE IN SURVEILLANCE AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING.

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