XN000022-1989-01-24 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1989

REDUCTION IN OVERALL CRIME IN 1988

* * * *

THE YEAR 1988 SAW SOME EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENTS BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE WITH A REDUCTION IN OVERALL CRIME, A RECORD YEAR FOR DRUG SEIZURE AND NEUTRALISATION OF HEROIN MANUFACTURING POLICE, MR RAYMON ANNING, SAID TODAY

FLANTS, THE COMMISSIONER OF (TUESDAY).

REVIEWING THE WORK OF THE FORCE LAST YEAR AT A MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION THIS AFTERNOON, MR ANNING NOTED THAT SIGNIFICANT STEPS WERE BEING TAKEN IN THE BUILDING PROGRAMME AND HIGH TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS WHICH WOULD ASSIST THE FORCE IN MEETING ITS COMMITMENTS UP TO THE YEAR 2000 AND BEYOND.

ON TILE CRIME FRONT, MR ANNING SAID: "THE 2.5 PER CENT DROP IN REPORTED CRIME WAS A WELCOME REVERSAL, AND MEANS THAT OUR CRIME STATE RETURNED TO THE LEVEL AT WHICH IT STOOD AT THE END OF 1981, AND MEANS THAT NONG KONG CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN THE WORLD.

"

THE COMMISSIONER REMARKED THAT THERE HAD BEEN REDUCTIONS IN THE QUICK CASH CRIME, HOMICIDE, SNATCHING, PICKPOCKETING AND SHOP THEFT DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW.

SNATCHING RECORDED THE LOWEST FIGURE SINCE THE TURN OF THE DECADE, AND SHOP THEFT REDUCED TO 15.3 CASES A DAY.

"THE LATTER INDICATES THAT OUR TARGETTING OF THIS CRIME BOTH BY ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLICITY HAS PAID DIVIDENDS, HE ADDED.

ΓΕ

MR ANNING WAS ALSO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE OVERALL DETECTION RATE REMAINED HIGH AT 46.5 PER CENT.

HE NOTED THAT, HOWEVER, THERE WERE SOME WORRYING TRENDS.

"VIOLENT CRIME WAS UP A MARGINAL 1.6 PER CENT. ALL CATEGORIES OF ROBBERIES (OTHER THAN BANK ROBBERIES) SHOWED INCREASES. THE NUMBER OF GENUINE FIREARMS SEIZED ROSE FROM SEVEN IN 1987 TO 19 LAST YEAR. BURGLARIES ROSE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1985," HE SAID.

CONTINUED

INFLUX

OF

ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MATTERS, MR ANNING NOTED THAT MARINE POLICE HAD BEEN KEPT BUSY IN 1988 WITH THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

+

CENT IN

ANNOUNCED

THE NUMBER

HE SAID THERE HAD BEEN A DROP OF 21 4 PER OF IIS AND EVADERS ARRESTED AFTER THE GOVERNMENT

A CHANGE OF POLICE LAST YEAR AND SEVERAL MEASURES WERE INTRODUCED TO DETER ILLEGAL ENTRY.

OFF

AN

TURNING TO THE TRAFFIC FRONT, MR ANNING DISCLOSED THAT FIGURES

BE FOR ACCIDENTS CAUSING DEATH AND INJURY APPEARED TO

LEVELLING FOLLOWING THE SIGNIFICANT

PER CENT RISE IN 1987. HOWEVER, INCREASE IN FATALITIES WAS RECORDED.

8.8

/THE GROWING