XN000022-1989-10-22 — Page 6

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22. 1989

POLICE PRESENCE IN KOWLOON WALLED CITY

INSIDE

——

HAD NEVER

FOOT UNTIL SHE BECAME ASSISTANT TASK FORCE RESPONSIBLE

SET

PETITE WOMAN POLICE INSPECTOR TRACEY LEE

KOWLOON WALLED CITY OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF KOWLOON CITY DIVISIONAL FOR POLICING THE SQUALID SETTLEMENT.

THAT WAS IN JULY THIS YEAR.

WAY

WITH EASE ALONG THE LABYRINTHINE CLOSELY LINKED ROOFTOPS. SHE NO

NOW SHE CAN FIND HER ALLEYS AND STEP NIMBLY ACROSS THE LONGER SCREAMS WHEN SHE SEES A RAT.

"AND THE WHOLE "I'VE SEEN THEM AS BIG AS CATS," SAID TRACEY,

TO PATROL. IT'S LIKE A JIGSAW PLACE IS DARK. DIRTY AND HAZARDOUS PUZZLE.

"BUT I'VE NEVER REGARDED THE WALLED CITY AS A DANGEROUS PLACE.

FIVE CONSTABLES ARE

14

THREE TASK FORCE TEAMS OF A SERGEANT AND ON WALLED CITY DUTIES ON A THREE SHIFT 24-HOUR DAY FOR THREE MONTHS.

A THREE

THAN THEY THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY NO POLICE OFFICERS HAPPIER THE WALLED CITY IS BEING CLEARED OF ITS 30,000 POPULATION IN PHASED PROGRAMME TO CLEAR HONG KONG'S LEAST POPULAR BEATS.

HOMES 13 ΤΟ MAKE WAY FOR AN

OF FACTORIES, WORKSHOPS AND THE 2.7 HECTARE MAZE BEING VACATED ENTIRELY BEFORE IT IS DEMOLISHED OPEN SPACE OF PARKLAND.

THE FIRST PHASE IS ALMOST COMPLETE; THE TWO-PART SECOND SHOULD BE VACANT BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR AND THE ENTIRE AREA AND READY FOR DEMOLITION BY 1992.

PHASE

CLEAR

MAIN

CRIME

PROBLEMS INSIDE

BURGLARIES, SNATCHINGS AND ROBBERIES.

AND THE HAZARDS OF DARK AND DIRTY ALLEYS PRESENT MORE UNPLEASANTNESS.

CITY THE WALLED

ARE STILL THE DRIPPING WATER PIPES, THE SUDDENLY COLLAPSING WALLS

AND AS THE RESIDENTS HAVE MOVED OUT TO NEW HOMES

ELSEWHERE SO

THE CRIME FIGURES HAVE DROPPED.

CRIMES A

"WE WERE AVERAGING ABOUT 20 EVACUATIONS STARTED. SAID TRACEY. "NOW IT'S DOWN TO

FOUR.

THE BEFORE MONTH

ABOUT THREE OR

ACCEPT THE

COMPENSATION DEAL

THE PEOPLE SEEM QUITE HAPPY TO OFFERED TO THEM BY THE GOVERNMENT.

THE

"THE TIME FOR TROUBLE WAS AFTER INFORMING PEOPLE OF THE EVACUATION AND COMPENSATION WERE BANNERS AND POSTERS AND DEMONSTRATIONS BUT BEEN FULLY EXPLAINED THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS.**

NOW

FIRST LETTERS

OUT PROGRAMME. THERE THE TERMS HAVE

WENT

/TRACEY ACKNOWLEDGED ****