XN000022-1992-04-08 — Page 25

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1992

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME TO GO ON IN PRESENT FORM

THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED TO CONTINUE

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME IN ITS PRESENT FORMAT.

IMPLEMENTING

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI- YIN, AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HOWEVER, MR ASPREY SAID, TO ENSURE THAT THE SCHEME WILL IN FUTURE BE IMPLEMENTED ONLY WHERE THERE WAS A DEMAND FOR IT, THE POLICE WOULD TARGET THE SCHEME IN BUILDINGS IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

"IT IS HOPED THAT MORE NEW BUILDINGS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHEME," THE SECRETARY SAID.

HE SAID SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE SCHEME IN NOVEMBER 1985, AN AVERAGE OF 76 BUIDLINGS HAD JOINED THE SCHEME EACH YEAR.

HE ADDED THAT NO RECORDS REGARDING WITHDRAWAL HAD BEEN KEPT BUT HE BELIEVED THE WITHDRAWAL RATE WOULD BE VERY LOW.

TO DATE, RESIDENTS OF 601 BUIDLINGS PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHEME.

MR ASPREY SAID THE POLICE WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE SCHEME IN

THESE BUILDINGS.

HE SAID RESIDENTS IN NONE OF THESE BUILDINGS HAD EXPRESSED THE INTENTION OF WITHDRAWING FROM THE SCHEME.

THE SCHEME WAS INTENDED AS A CRIME PREVENTION MEASURE THROUGH CO-OPERATION AMONG NEIGHBOURS AND TO STRENGTHEN LINKS WITH THE LOCAL POLICE.

ONLY.

HE SAID THESE OBJECTIVES HAD BEEN ACHIEVED TO A LIMITED EXTENT

IN SOME CASES, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP INTEREST AND MOMENTUM AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE SCHEME

IN

A HIGH-RISE ENVIRONMENT WHERE RESIDENTS VALUE THEIR PRIVACY.

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