XN000022-1985-09-10 — Page 13

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1985

OF THE TOTAL, ONLY 63 PER CENT WERE SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED. THE REMINDER EITHER FAILED FOR INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OR BECAUSE THE HAWKERS WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE WITNESSES TO SUPPORT THEIR DEFENCE.

MRS ELLIOTT TU QUOTED GDT OFFICERS AS SAYING THAT IN SOME AREAS HAWKERS WERE MILITANT AND WELL ORGANISED, AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF CRIMINAL GANGS AND TRIADS WERE SUSPECTED.

+THE COUNCIL'S WORKING PARTY TO REVIEW HAWKER AND RELATED POLICIES WILL SHORTLY ISSUE A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENTS CONTAINING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGES WHICH WILL GENERALLY IMPROVE HAWKER MANAGEMENT AND THEREFORE RESULT IN LESS CONFRONTATION BETWEEN ILLEGAL HAWKERS AND GDT OFFICERS,+ SHE SAID.

+ IN ADDITION, THE USD HAS SET UP A HAWKER CONTROL OPERATIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF HAWKER MANAGEMENT ON THE GROUND. IT WILL REVIEW GDT ORGANISATION AND OPERATIONS WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY OF GDT OFFICERS.

+A NEW RADIO COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOW BEING TRIED OUT, SHOULD ALSO ENABLE GDT OFFICERS TO BE MORE EFFICIENTLY DEPLOYED AND TO SUMMON ASSISTANCE QUICKLY WHEN THEY NEED IT.

MRS. ELLIOTT TU SAID THE POLICE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HAWKER CONTROL AND HAVE ALWAYS EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO GIVE ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED ON THEM BY THEIR OTHER COMMITMENTS AND SCARCE RESOURCES.

AND AT THE REGULAR SIX-MONTHLY MEETINGS BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES AND THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, THE USD REPRESENTATIVES HAVE ASKED FOR VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OF PROVIDING POLICE ESCORTS FOR GDT SQUADS IN DIFFICULT AREAS OR WHEN THERE IS REASON TO ANTICIPATE TROUBLE. THEY HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR POLICE PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF THE HAWKER CONTROL OPERATIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SOON.

TURNING TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GDT STRUCTURE IN WAN CHAI AND YAU MA TEI DISTRICTS, MRS. ELLIOTT TU SAID IT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE END OF THE YEAR TO ALLOW THE NEW RADIO COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT TO BE TESTED.

THIS SCHEME PROVIDES MORE POSTS OF ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL OF A HIGHER CALIBRE WHO HAVE POWER OF ARREST AND SEIZURE.

+HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO THE ONE PROVISO THAT IT CAN BE AS SUCCESSFUL GENERALLY AS IT APPEARS TO BE IN TWO OUT OF ELEVEN DISTRICTS, THE EXPERIMENTAL STRUCTURE SEEMS TO BE A DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PRESENT STRUCTURE,+ ADDED MRS ELLIOTT TU.

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