XN000022-1990-08-05 — Page 2

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 1990

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POLICE MAKE REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN 1989

ALTHOUGH 1989 WAS A PARTICULARLY EVENTFUL YEAR, THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH SOME EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENTS IN TERMS OF KEEPING CRIME RATE AT A LOW LEVEL, AND MAKING RECORD HEROIN SEIZURES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS.

SUCH REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE AMIDST THE MASSIVE PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS AND PROCESSIONS IN THE WAKE OF STUDENT PRO-DEMOCRACY EVENTS IN CHINA, AND

CONTINUING, AND ESCALATING,

PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ISSUE.

THIS WAS STATED BY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR LI KWAN-HA IN THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE REVIEW 1989, WHICH WAS RELEASED TODAY (SUNDAY).

ON THE CRIME FRONT, MR LI SAID THAT IT WAS PLEASING TO NOTE THAT THROUGHOUT THE DECADE, POLICE WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN THE AVERAGE ANNUAL FIGURE OF REPORTED CRIME AT A LITTLE OVER 81,000.

"ALTHOUGH SHOWING AN INCREASE OF 3.3 PER CENT OVERALL, THE 1989'S FIGURE OF A LITTLE UNDER 82,000 REPORTED CRIMES WAS MATCHED AGAINST ONE OF THE LOWEST TOTALS OF THE '80S REGISTERED IN 1988.

HOWEVER, MR LI EXPRESSED PARTICULAR CONCERN OVER THE RISE IN THE USE OF FIREARMS IN CRIME, AND THE INCREASING NUMBER OF FIREARMS SEIZED.

HE ADDED THAT THERE WERE ALSO ALARMING UPWARD TRENDS IN CRIME BRING COMMITTED BY YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 21, AND IN VIOLENT CRIMES INVOLVING JUVENILES.

POINTING OUT THAT 1989 WAS YET ANOTHER EXCEPTIONAL YEAR IN CRACKING DOWN ON DRUG TRAFFICKING, MR LI SAID THAT CONTINUED CLOSE COOPERATION WITH DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ABROAD AND DILIGENT WORK BY HONG KONG'S DRUG FIGHTERS HAD LED TO RECORD HEROIN SEIZURES EXCEEDING 1,000 KILOGRAMMES AND IN THE NEUTRALISATION OF 16 HIGHLY ORGANISED LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SYNDICATES.

SAID

ON THE PROBLEM OF WASTAGE AND RECRUITMENT, THE POLICE CHIEF THAT THERE WAS A SHORTFALL OF 470 IN STRENGTH AGAINST ESTABLISHMENT, A 1.7 PER CENT DEFICIENCY, AT THE END OF 1989. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE FALLING OFF IN APPLICATIONS FOR BOTH INSPECTORATE AND JUNIOR OFFICERS WHICH WAS DISTURBING,

INTENSIFIRD

"IN AN ATTEMPT TO ALLEVIATE THE SITUATION, WE HAVE OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS, AND ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS OF PAY CONDITIONS OF SERVICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT," LI SAID.

AND MR

LOOKING AHEAD, MR LI SAID THAT THE POLICE FORCE WAS EMBARKING ON AN EXCITING ERA WHICH SAW THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AGEING COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM, THE CONTINUATION OF THE BUILDING PROGRAMME TO COPE WITH THE GROWTH OF POLICE COMMITMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORY, AS WELL AS THE TAKING OVER OF BORDER DUTIES FROM THE ARMY.

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