XN000022-1989-02-02 — Page 8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1989

GOVERNOR PAYS ANOTHER VISIT TO POLICE FORMATIONS

*

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY (THURSDAY) PAID HIS SECOND VISIT TO POLICE FORMATIONS WITHIN TEN WEEKS. ON THIS OCCASION HE WAS BRIEFED BY HEADQUARTERS UNITS ON BOTH MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL MATTERS.

HE FIRST VISITED THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BRANCH WHICH HAS DRAWN UP GOVERNMENT'S FIRST INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY AS THE BLUEPRINT FOR SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT FOR FORCE USE IN THE COMING DECADE. THE COST OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE SYSTEMS IS LIKELY TO EXCEED $400 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THE GOVERNOR WAS SHOWN A PROTOTYPE OF THE CUSTOM-DESIGNED TERMINAL AND A MOCK-UP OF A CONSOLE WHICH WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE NEW REGIONAL CONTROL ROOMS AS PART OF THE ENHANCED COMMAND AND CONTROL COMPUTER SYSTEM PROJECT.

HE WAS THEN GIVEN A DEMONSTRATION OF THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND SHOWN ITS ABILITY TO PERFORM HIGH SPEED SEARCHING AND TO POSE COMPLEX QUESTIONS, THUS ENSURING THAT ALL INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON A PARTICULAR SUBJECT IS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE USER.

TOLD

THE GOVERNOR THEN VISITED THE COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH. HE WAS THAT THE BRANCH IS CURRENTLY HANDLING SOME 150 PROJECTS TOTALLING $406 MILLION. THE LARGEST OF THESE IS MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WHICH IS INTRODUCED ON A PROGRESSIVE BASIS AND IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 1992.

THE BEING

THE GOVERNOR WAS ALSO BRIEFED ON RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS INCLUDING THE SOPHISTICATED COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS FOR TWO NEW COMMAND LAUNCHES WHICH ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 60 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL COST OF EACH VESSEL. ANOTHER ACQUISITION FOR THESE COMMAND LAUNCHES IS NIGHT VISION AND THERMAL IMAGERY WHICH LITERALLY ENABLES CREWS TO SEE IN THE DARK+.

THE GOVERNOR'S FINAL VISIT WAS TO THE NARCOTICS BUREAU. HERE THE HE WAS TOLD THAT 1988 HAD BEEN A PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR BUREAU WITH A NUMBER OF RECORDS BROKEN BOTH IN SEIZURES AND IN THE NEUTRALISING OF MANUFACTURING PLANTS.

THE BUREAU INTENDED ΤΟ CAPITALIZE ON THE POSITIVE RESULTS ALREADY ACHIEVED BY CONTINUING TO FOCUS ITS EFFORTS ON WELL ORGANISED GROUPS SPECIALISING IN THE IMPORTATION, MANUFACTURE, LOCAL DISTRIBUTION AND RE-EXPORT OF ILLICIT DRUGS ON A SIGNIFICANT SCALE.

/THEY WOULD