XN000022-1985-01-19 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1985

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SIR PHILIP PRAISES HK YOUTH

THE VAST MAJORITY OF HONG KONG'S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DECENT, LAW-ABIDING AND FUN-LOVING BOYS AND GIRLS WHO TAKE A HEALTHY INTEREST IN WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND THEM; PARTICIPATE IN A WIDE RANGE OF SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES AND ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP THE LESS PRIVILEGED, THE OLD AND THE HAND ICAPPED.

THIS WAS SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) BY SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, WHEN HE WAS GUEST OF HONOUR AT THE JUNIOR POLICE CALL 10TH ANNIVERSARY KA WAH BANK AWARDS CEREMONY AT THE FURAMA HOTEL.

SIR PHILIP SAID THAT DURING THE PAST TEN YEARS JUNIOR POLICE CALL HAD PROVED THAT YOUNG PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WOULD RESPOND SENSIBLY, RESPONSIBLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY IF THEY WERE GIVEN THE PROPER GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

HE SAID: "FAR TOO OFTEN THE VOICES OF DOOM WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY ARE MATERIALISTIC .....

.. THAT THEY HAVE NO SENSE OF CIVIC DUTY OR PRIDE .. THAT THEY ARE CONSUMED WITH SELF INTEREST ..... THAT THEY ARE TAKING DRUGS THAT THEY ARE RUSHING OUT TO JOIN TRIAD SOCIETIES OR OTHER GANGS. THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

**WHILE WE MUST NEVER BE BLIND, OR COMPLACENT ABOUT THE DANGERS POSED BY CRIMES INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE, WE MUST MAINTAIN A SENSE OF PROPORTION ABOUT WHAT THOSE DANGERS ARE. IN 1984, LESS THAN 1 IN 125, OR 0.8 PER CENT, OF THE ONE MILLION PLUS YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7 AND 20 WERE PROSECUTED FOR CRIMINAL OFFENCES. LAST YEAR, HONG KONG WAS VISITED BY TWO OF THE MOST SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BOTH OF WHOM REMARKED THAT OUR YOUTH CRIME LEVELS WERE A DROP IN THE OCEAN WHEN COMPARED WITH THE LEVELS THERE.

''BUT THERE IS ONE FACT THAT HAS EMERGED FROM OUR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF CRIMES AND CRIMINALS AND THAT IS OVER 80 PER CENT OF YOUNG OFFENDERS WERE LIVING WITH THEIR PARENTS AT THE TIME THE IR CRIMES WERE COMMITTED. SURELY, THIS WOULD INDICATE A NEED FOR PARENTS TO TAKE A GREATER INTEREST IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE IR CHILDREN AND FOR THEM TO BE PREPARED TO EXERCISE MUCH MORE PARENTAL CONTROL AND GUIDANCE.

''I HAVE NO DOUBT JPC HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN INSTILLING INTO MANY BOYS AND GIRLS A CLEAR SENSE OF CIVIC DUTY AND PRIDE AND HAS PROVIDED THE NECESSARY GUIDANCE FOR THEM TO STEER WELL CLEAR OF PATHS THAT MIGHT LEAD THEM TO A LIFE OF CRIME.

/**THE FACT