XN000022-1988-02-13 — Page 8

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1988

EFFECTIVE POLICING IN KWAI CHUNG

WITH POLICE OPERATIONS IN KWAI CHUNG FOCUSSED STRONGLY ON ITS DRAMATIC INDÚSTRIAL GROWTH, IT 19 COMFORTING FOR DISTRICT CRIME FIGHTERS THAT THE TOWN REMAINS A COMPARATIVELY LAW ABIDING PLACE.

"I'D LIKE то SAY IT'S DUE TO EFFECTIVE POLICING, SAID MR PETER MACLENNAN, ASSISTANT DISTRICT COMMANDER, CRIME. "IF WE HAVR A PROBLEM WE NIP IT IN THE BUD QUICKLY."

ALTHOUGH BURGLARY REMAINS THE MAJOR CRIME PROBLEM DISTRICT, FIGURES FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS SHOW A CONTINUING TREND IN CRIME GENERALLY.

FOR THE DOWNWARD

IN 1985 KWAI CHUNG CRIME WAS 25 PER CENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TOTAL. IN 1986 IT DROPPED TO 21 PER CENT AND AGAIN LAST YEAR TO 18 PER CENT OF THE CRIME.

WITH 77,833 JUVENILES BETWEEN THE AGES OF SEVEN AND 15.

THE DISTRICT HAS THE SECOND HIGHEST JUVENILE POPULATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES YET THE LOWEST JUVENILE CRIME RATE.

SCHOOLS,'

IT SHOWS THAT SOMETHING MUST BE WORKING IN OUR LIAISON WITH

SAID MR MACLENNAN. "IT IS A VERY ENCOURAGING PICTURE.

1.

ON THE TRAIN FRONT THE DISTRICT HAS ALSO HAD GOOD RESULTS IN THE SUCCESSFUL CONVICTION LAST YEAR OF TWO SOCIETY OFFICE BEARERS INVOLVED IN EXTORTION RACKETS.

IT WAS A PLEASING OUTCOME BECAUSE THEY WERE DIFFICULT ΤΟ GET TO AS THEY HAD OTHER PEOPLE DOING THEIR DIRTY WORK FOR THEM," SAID MR MACLENNAN,

IN THE BURGLARY FIELD TOO THERE HAS BERN GOOD CO-OPERATION WITH FACTORY OWNERS OVER THE INSTALLATION OF EFFECTIVE BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS.

"THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW CASES WHERE ALARM SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY BYPASSED BUT THERE IS GOOD CO-OPERATION ON THE NEED FOR HIGH QUALITY SYSTEMS, SAID MR MACLENNAN.

"WE RECENTLY HAD AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WHEN A GANG TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY THREE TIMES TO ENTER A FUR COMPANY PREMISES.

"THEY TRIED VARIOUS WAYS OF GETTING IN AND DRILLED THROUGH THE ROOF TWICE TO GET AT THE PURS, BUT EACH ATTEMPT WAS ABANDONED BECAUSE OF EFFECTIVE SECURITY MEASURES BEING TAKEN,

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