XN000022-1985-12-09 — Page 9

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 10

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COMMUNITY CO-OPERATION CRUCIAL IN ANTI-TRIAD FIGHT

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ANTI-TRIAD OPERATIONS CANNOT BE COMPLETELY SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT GREATER CO-OPERATION FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR RAYMON ANNING, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

CALLING FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR POLICE EFFORTS AGAINST ORGANISED GANGS, MR ANNING SAID IT WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR POLICE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN VICTIMISED OR THREATENED.

+WITHOUT THE IR WILLINGNESS TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE INFORMATION AND, IN APPROPRIATE CASES, TO GIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST THOSE WHO HAVE THREATENED OR EXTORTED MONEY FROM THEM, POLICE ACTION ALONE CANNOT BE COMPLETELY SUCCESSFUL,+ MR ANNING ADMITTED.

+A GREAT DEAL DEPENDS ON THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE WORK ING TOGETHER.+

SPEAKING AT THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE AND DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE CONFERENCE, MR ANNING SAID THAT TRIADS REMAIN A MENACE. IN THE COMMUNITY AND SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED.

+WE IN THE POLICE ARE TAKING POSITIVE ACTION AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AT ALL LEVELS, HE SAID.

ALTHOUGH TRIADS HAD HISTORIC ORIGINS, THEY HAD LONG SINCE DEGENERATED INTO CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS OF THE MOST BASE AND VENAL KIND.+

TURNING TO OTHER ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK, MR ANNING DESCRIBED SOME OF THE OLD AND NEW METHODS USED BY THE FORCE TO KEEP FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN CRIME TRENDS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS.

POLICE IN HONG KONG HAD AT THEIR DISPOSAL SOME OF THE MOST MODERN EQUIPMENT AND EXPERTISE THAT WAS AVAILABLE TODAY. YET, THERE WAS NO MORE EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO CRIME THAN THE UNIFORMED OFFICER WALKING THE BEAT.

+THIS BLEND OF OLD AND NEW IS, I BELIEVE, A MAJOR FACTOR IN WHAT I DESCRIBE, AT THE RISK OF BEING IMMODEST, AS SOME VERY REAL SUCCESSES IN THE TASK OF POLICING HONG KONG.+

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITIES IN THE COMING DECADE WOULD BE TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST AND CO-OPERATION WITH THE PUBLIC.

+FROM THE OBSERVATIONS WHICH I HAVE MADE OVER THE YEARS, I CAN SAY WITH CONVICTION THAT THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE IS AHEAD OF MOST IN THE ASPECT OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, SAID MR ANNING.

/LAST YEAR,