XN000022-1986-11-26 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986

MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE REPORT OF THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE FOR 1986 WOULD BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY. IT WOULD SHOW THE EXTENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO TACKLE CRIME OVER A BROAD FRONT, AS WELL AS A WELCOME DECREASE IN OVERALL CRIME IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR COMPARED TO SAME PERIOD IN 1985.

*WITH THE DEDICATION OF THE POLICE FORCE AND THE SUPPORT OF MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, I AM SURE THAT THIS TREND WILL BE CONTINUED INTO 1987 AND WELL BEYOND, HE ADDED.

IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT ADOLESCENT INVOLVEMENT IN DRUG OFFENCES, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE THRUST OF THE RECENTLY IMPROVED PREVENTÍVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS WAS DIRECTED AT YOUNG PEOPLE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN FACT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PERSONS UNDER 21 PROSECUTED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1986 FOR DRUG OFFENCES WAS ABOUT 12 PER CENT LESS THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1985 WHILE THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE NEWLY REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE WAS DOWN 24 PER CENT IN THE SAME PERIOD.

THE SITUATION WAS ENCOURAGING, AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGN, WHICH HAD BEEN GIVEN HIGH PRIORITY FOR 1987-88 AS IN PAST YEARS.

ON IMPROVEMENT OF IMMIGRATION SERVICES, MR JE AFFRESON REPORTED THAT GOOD PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TRAVEL RECORD AND IMMIGRATION CONTROL ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM.

THE SYSTEM, WHICH INVOLVED THE USE OF COMPUTERS, WOULD SPEED UP IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES AT CONTROL POINTS AND QUEUES IN FRONT OF THE IMMIGRATION COUNTERS SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTENED.

BASED ON PRESENT PROGRESS, HE SAID IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE THE SYSTEM AT VARIOUS CONTROL POINTS, IN FOUR PHASES, BETWEEN MAY 1987 AND JULY 1988.

AS FOR SETTING UP A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, MR JE AFFRESON SAID THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING ERSKINE CAMP IN SAI KUNG INTO A RESIDENTIAL TRAINING SCHOOL WAS BEING CONSIDERED.

DEALING WITH THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE SITUATION, MR JE AFFRE SON SAID: +WE ARE ONLY TOO WELL AWARE OF THE CONTRADICTION BETWEEN OUR POLICY ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND OUR VERY NECESSARY POLICY (GIVEN OUR ACUTE POPULATION PRESSURES) TOWARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA.

A

/+THE PRINCIPLES