XN000022-1986-07-09 — Page 25

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1986

+UNDER POLICE SUPERVISION FOR A LONG PERIOD, DISCHARGED OFFENDERS MAY FIND IT HARD TO FIND A JOB AND THIS MAY AFFECT THEIR EFFORTS IN REHABILITATION,+ HE SAID.

DISCHARGED OFFENDERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ENTER FREELY INTO BILLIARD HALLS, ENTERTAINMENT PLACES AND TO CARRY PAGING MACHINE JUST LIKE ORDINARY CITIZENS.

+1 BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE OF US IN THIS CONFERENCE HALL HAS DONE SOMETHING WRONG IN THE PAST. IF WE ADHERE TO THE PRINCIPLE OF 'DO NOT IMPOSE ON OTHERS WHAT WE DO NOT WANT TO BE IMPOSED ON OURSELVES', WE WILL NOT GIVE OUR CONSENT TO THE PROPOSED SUPERVISION ON DISCHARGED OFFENDERS SO READILY, HE SAID.

ON THE OPTION TO MAKE IT AN OFFENCE FOR PEOPLE TO PROCLAIM THEMSELVES TO BE TRIADS, DR LAM SAID IT COULD PERHAPS DEAL A BLOW TO THE SMALL POTATOES OF TRIAD GANGS BUT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UNCOVER THE IDENTITIES OF CORE MEMBERS.

HE ALSO OBSERVED THAT IT WAS A NATURAL AND LOGICAL RESULT THAT THE POWERS OF THE POLICE WOULD BE INCREASED FOLLOWING AN EXPANSION OF THEIR SCOPE OF WORK WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPTIONS PROPOSED BY THE DOCUMENT.

+IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT IN 1985, ON THE AVERAGE, 12 CASES OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE WERE LODGED BY THE PUBLIC EVERY DAY, WE MUST PROCEED VERY CAREFULLY AND TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO PREVENT POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS FROM DETERIORATING, HE SAID.

ON THE OTHER HAND, DR LAM WELCOMED THE OPTION ON PROTECTION OF WITNESSES AND SUGGESTED THAT A HOTLINE BE SET UP TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS AND INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT TRIAD ACTIVITIES.

A CENTRALISED TRIAD SOCIETIES BUREAU SHOULD ALSO BE ESTABLISHED TO CO-ORDINATE ALL EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY TO COMBAT TRIAD GANGS, HE ADDED.

CONFIDENCE IN POLICE CRUCIAL TO TACKLING PROBLEM

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THE TRIAD PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED UNLESS THE POLICE HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE, THE HON MARTIN LEE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON TRIAD PROBLEM, MR LEE NOTED THERE SEEMED TO BE A GENERAL RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC TO REPORT TRIAD-RELATED CRIMES TO THE POLICE.

/HE ATTRIBUTED