XN000022-1983-08-23 — Page 9

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1983

JUNIOR POLICE CALL PRAISED FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

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THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR. ROY HENRY TODAY (TUESDAY) SAID 1981 AND 1982 WERE BIG YEARS FOR THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH PRECEDING THE JPC CENTRAL COUNCIL MEETING, MR. HENRY SAID THIS WHEN HE REFERRED TO THE LAUNCHING OF THE FIRST FIGHT YOUTH CRIME CAMPAIGN AND GOVERNMENT'S DECISION THAT IT SHOULD BE SPEARHEADED BY JPC.

HE SAID THE CAMPAIGN TARGETED AT YOUTHS UNDER 16 WENT ON FOR TWO YEARS AND WAS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND INNOVATIVE EVER INTRODUCED BY THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE.

HE SAID JUVENILE PROSECUTIONS BEGAN TO DROP WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF THE LAUNCHING OF THE CAMPAIGN IN APRIL 1981 AND HAD CONTINUED TO DO SO EVER SINCE.

IN 1982, A TOTAL OF 2 846 JUVENILES WERE PROSECUTED, REPRESENT- ING A DROP OF 23 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH 1981.

IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR THAT DROP HAD GROWN TO 32 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1981.

THE MOST HEARTENING RESULT, HE SAID, HAD BEEN THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES PROSECUTED FOR SERIOUS CRIMES SUCH AS ROBBERY, BURGLARY, THEFT AND CRIMINAL DAMAGE.

''THOSE FIGURES DEMONSTRATE CLEARLY WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT, POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY — PARTICULARLY THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY — GET TOGETHER AND TACKLE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH COMMITMENT, PROFESSIONALISM AND ENTHUSIASM.''

''THEY HAVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED TO EXTEND THE FIGHT YOUTH CRIME THEME TO OLDER TEENAGERS AND, THIS YEAR, THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON YOUNG BOYS AND MEN, AGED BETWEEN 14 AND 20 THE AGE GROUP FROM WHICH A THREAT TO LAW AND ORDER IS VASTLY DISPROPORTIONATE TO ITS NUMBER,'' HE SAID.

MR. HENRY WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE 1983-84 CAMPAIGN, ONCE AGAIN, WOULD BE SPEARHEADED BY JPC, WITH THE HELP OF OTHER HONG KONG YOUTH ORGANISATIONS.

"'WITH THE PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE BEEN PLANNED, THERE IS EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE IT WILL BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS THE JUVENILE CAMPAIGN, HE SAID.

APART FROM PROMOTING THE FIGHT CRIME CAMPAIGN, JPC HAD ALSO ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE.

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