XN000022-1989-06-30 — Page 17

FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1989

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ACTION ON FALSE BURGLAR ALARMS

DRAFT LEGISLATION AIMED AT REDUCING NOISE POLLUTION MANPOWER WASTAGE CAUSED BY FALSE BURGLAR ALARMS WAS PUBLISHED GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY).

AND

IN THE

THE SUMMARY OFFENCES (AMENDMENT)(NO. 2) BILL 1989 SEEKS ΤΟ MAKE IT AN OFFENCE FOR A PERSON WHO HAS CONTROL OF AN AUDIBLE BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM NOT TO FIT IT WITH A DEVICE TO CUT OFF THE SOUND WITHIN

15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACTIVATION OF THE SIGNAL.

THE OFFENCE CARRIED A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF $5,000 AND THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.

"AS THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 50,000 AUDIBLE BURGLAR ALARMS IN HONG KONG, THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES A GRACE PERIOD OF ONE YEAR BEFORE THE BILL WOULD COME INTO EFFECT," A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

"THIS WOULD GIVE ALARMS OWNERS TIME INEXPENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS REQUIRED.

TO MAKE THE SIMPLE AND

FALSE BURGLAR ALARMS NOT ONLY CREATE NOISE POLLUTION, BUT ALSO WASTE POLICE MANPOWER.

"ON AVERAGE OVER 99 PER CENT OF BURGLAR ALARMS CALLS ARE FALSE, AND THESE WASTE AN ESTIMATED 180,000 POLICE MANHOURS ANNUALLY.'

N

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN ORDER TO REDUCE MANPOWER WASTAGE AND TO ENCOURAGE OWNERS TO IMPROVE FAULTY ALARMS SYSTEM, THE POLICE WOULD SOON ADOPT A NEW PRACTICE IN RESPECT OF RESPONSE TO BURGLAR ALARMS.

"THIS WILL INVOLVE A LOWER LEVEL OF RESPONSE TO PREMISES WHICH FREQUENTLY SOUND FALSE ALARMS, BUT IT MUST BE EMPHASISED THAT THE POLICE WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO ALL ALARM CALLS, HE SAID.

**

"THE POLICE WILL OFFER ADVICE TO OWNERS OF ALARM SYSTEMS WHICH ARE FAULTY, WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY OF SUCH SYSTEMS.

"

"THE POLICE EXPECT TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW PRACTICE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

WITHIN THE

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