XN000022-1985-07-27 — Page 7

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1985

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THREE PATROL LAUNCHES COMMISSIONED

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THREE HIGH-EFFICIENCY PATROL LAUNCHES. THE LATEST ACQUISITIONS OF THE MARINE POLICE, WERE TODAY (SATURDAY) COMMISSIONED BY THE ACTING COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR JAMES MORRIN, IN JOSS HOUSE BAY.

BUILT IN HONG KONG BY CHUNG WAH SHIPBUILDING AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, THE NEW DAMEN CLASS LAUNCHES KING SHUN, KING TAK AND KING CHĺ HAVE TAKEN THE MARINE POLICE TO MORE THAN HALF WAY THROUGH THEIR PROGRAMME OF BUILDING 15 DAMEN LAUNCHES BY JANUARY 1, 1986.

THE NEW LAUNCHES BRING TO NINE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DAMEN LAUNCHES EMPLOYED IN THE IMPORTANT TASK OF MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER AND SECURITY IN THE WATERS OF HONG KONG, THEREBY CONTINUING THE HIGH TRADITIONS THE MARINE POLICE HAVE ESTABLISHED FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.

SPEAKING AT THE COMMISSIONING CEREMONY, THE ACTING COMMISSIONER SAID THE NEW LAUNCHES BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE MARINE POLICE IN 1965, WHEN HE WAS PRESENT AT THE COMMISSIONING OF THE POLICE LAUNCHES NO. 1 AND 2, WHICH ARE STILL RENDERING VALUABLE SERVICE AFTER 20 YEARS.

EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT HAD TAKEN PLACE WITHIN THE MARINE POLICE THROUGHOUT THESE YEARS AND, TODAY, POLICE PATROL LAUNCHES WERE EQUIPPED WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE MACHINERY AND FITTINGS, MR MORRIN SAID.

EACH OF THE NEW LAUNCHES, MEASURING 27.8 METRES AND CAPABLE OF SPEEDS OF UP TO 25 KNOTS, WILL BE MANNED BY HIGHLY-TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED MARINE POLICE OFFICERS.

EARLIER, MR MORRIN, LIT JOSS STICKS AND TOOK PART IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE CEREMONIES ABOARD THE NEW LAUNCHES, ACCOMPANIED BY THE REGIONAL COMMANDER, MARINE, MR JOHN MACDONALD, THE DIVISIONAL COMMANDER WEST MARINE, MR RICHARD BELL, THE DIVISIONAL COMMANDER SOUTH MARINE, MR KONG SHING-SHUN AND THE DIVISIONAL COMMANDER NORTH MARINE, MR RICHARD WORRALL.

MR MORRIN ALSO PRESENTED COMMISSIONING PLAQUES TO THE OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF THE NEW LAUNCHES SENIOR INSPECTOR CHEUNG WING-KEE, AND INSPECTORS TSE CHUN-NAM AND YEUNG WING-YIU.

AFTER THE COMMISSIONING. THE NEW LAUNCHES CAST OFF AND SALUTED THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN BY COMPLETING THREE FIGURES-OF-EIGHT IN THE WATERS OF JOSS HOUSE BAY.

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