XN000022-1984-11-08 — Page 19

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984

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WORK ON NEW POLICE HQ STARTS NEXT YEAR

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CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE FIRST PHASE OF A NEW POLICE HEADQUARTERS AT ARSENAL STREET WILL START NEXT YEAR, SUBJECT TO THE DECISION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE AT ITS NEXT MEETING, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THIS PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE PURPOSE-BUILT ACCOMMODATION FOR THE MODERN EQUIPMENT AND COMPUTER-BASED TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS PROGRESSIVELY BEING INTRODUCED INTO POLICE WORK, MR JE AFFRESON

SAID.

IN PARTICULAR IT WOULD HOUSE A NEW COMPUTER-BASED COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BEAT RADIO NETWORK.

IT WOULD PROVIDE INSTANT INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF POLICEMEN SO THAT THEY COULD BE DEPLOYED QUICKLY TO MAXIMUM EFFECT TO DEAL WITH INCIDENTS, AND ON VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS THAT WOULD HELP THE POLICE TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE ON THE GROUND.

→THE NEW EQUIPMENT WILL BE INTRODUCED AT THE END OF THIS DECADE AND WILL RESULT IN THE EXTENSION OF THE BEAT RADIO NETWORK TO THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+MEANWHILE A PROGRAMME FOR INTRODUCING LOCAL BEAT RADIO SYSTEMS AS A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT IN THE MAJOR POPULATION CENTRES OF THE NEW TERRITORIES IS BEING PURSUED, + MR JE AFFRESON REPORTED.

HE SAID THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG HAD RIGHTLY LINKED THE INCREASE IN CRIME IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SINCE 1979 TO THE DRAMATIC POPULATION EXPANSION AS A RESULT OF THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS.

THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE'S OBJECT HAD BEEN TO EXPAND THE POLICE PRESENCE AHEAD OF THE GROWTH IN THE POPULATION, AND THIS TACTICS, MR JE AFFRESON SAID, SEEMED TO HAVE WORKED WELL.

HE PREDICTED ONLY A TWO TO THREE PER CENT INCREASE IN OVERALL CRIME LEVELS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES DESPITE THE CONTINUED POPULATION EXPANSION THERE.

ON THE POLICING OF THE KCR ABOUT WHICH MR CHEUNG HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN, MR JEAFFRESON TOLD THE COUNCIL THE POLICE HAD COMPLETED A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN JUNE THIS YEAR.

+THE COMMISSIONER CONCLUDED THAT THE LEVEL OF CRIME AND THE DEMANDS FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE POLICE ON THE RAILWAY WERE NOT SUCH AS TO JUSTIFY ESTABLISHING A DEDICATED POLICE UNIT FOR THE KCR, A UNIT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN COSTLY IN TERMS OF MANPOWER AND GENERAL LOGISTICAL SUPPORT,+ HE EXPLAINED.

/BUT THE