XN000022-1985-02-06 — Page 34

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1985

IF SOMEONE SUDDENLY DROPS COINS IN THE STREET, WAITS FOR BUSËS WITHOUT TAKING A RIDE OR USES SIGN LANGUAGE LIKE A DEAF AND DUMB PERSON THEY COULD BE THE FIRST SIGNS THAT A VICTIM HAS BEEN SPOTTED AND A POCKET OR PURSE IS ABOUT TO BE PICKED.

WITH A HIDDEN SLIVER OF RAZOR BLADE THE PICKPOCKET MOVES CLOSER TO HIS VICTIM, READY TO SEIZE A MOMENT'S ADVANTAGE TO CUT OPEN A POCKET OR BAG.

IN FRONT OF DOZENS OF ON-LOOKERS HE SLASHES, DEFTLY STEALING MONEY, CREDIT CARDS AND VALUABLES.

WORKING IN GROUPS SOMETIMES AS MANY AS SEVEN STRONG THEY STRIKE, PASSING STOLEN PROPERTY FROM HAND TO HAND UNTIL THEY DISAPPEAR INTO THE PEOPLE PACKED STREETS OF CAUSEWAY BAY OR CENTRAL.

THE SLIGHTEST SUSPICION THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEN OR THAT POLICE ARE PRESENT AND THE GANGS DISPERSE AND MOVE TO ANOTHER PREARRANGED LOCATION.

BUT THEY KNOW THAT RAPPS ARE MAKING LIFE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR THEM.

EXPLAINED MR ERIC LEE, SENIOR STAFF OFFICER, CRIME, HONG KONG ISLAND: ''WE HAVE NOW REACHED A STAGE IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST PICKPOCKETS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PASS THE RESPONSIBILITY BACK TO THE DISTRICTS AS PART AND PARCEL OF THEIR WATCH AND WARD DUTIES.'*

IT WAS NOT THE SAME IN 1982, WHEN THERE WERE 1,063 PICKPOCKET REPORTS ON THE ISLAND. MOST OF THE VICTIMS WERE TOURISTS OR FOREIGNERS FROM JAPAN OR SOUTH EAST ASIA, PEOPLE CARRYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF CASH AND CREDIT CARDS.

SAID MR LEE: "AS A RESULT PICKPOCKETS CONVERGED ON WANCHAI CENTRAL AND CAUSEWAY BAY. THE STREETS ARE CROWDED WITH PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC IN CENTRAL DURING LUNCH HOURS AND IN OTHER AREAS DURING THE NIGHT. WE WERE HIT BY A HIGH RATE OF PICKPOCKET REPORTS.''

AS A RESULT IT WAS DECIDED EARLY IN 1983 TO ESTABLISH A UNIQUE SECTION SPECIALLY CHARTERED TO DEAL WITH PICKPOCKETS IN BOTH OPERATIONAL AND INTELLIGNCE FIELDS. THE RESULT WAS THE FORMATION OF RAPPS.

UNDER THE COMMAND OF CHIEF INSPECTOR STEVE CHANDLER THE SQUAD HAD 25 MEMBERS OF ALL RANKS FROM UNIFORM BRANCH AND CID. THE SQUAD WAS LATER REDUCED INTO TWO SMALLER TEAMS, COMMANDED NOW BY SENIOR INSPECTOR CHEUNG PUI-KUEN.

**WE SYSTEMATICALLY ANALYSED AND IDENTIFIED THE PICKPOCKETS, '' SAID MR LEE. ''MOST OF THEM WERE IN ORGANISED GROUPS, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME FREELANCES. WE ESTABLISHED THE BLACKSPOTS AND TIMINGS OF INCIDENTS AND STUDIED THE TACTICS OF THE GRIMINALS.

''NO SOONER