XN000022-1994-05-10 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1994

1

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

*

FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE

PATTEN, SPEAKING TO TODAY (TUESDAY):

GOVERNOR, THE ᎡᎢ AFTER THE REPORTERS

EXECUTIVE

HON CHRISTOPHER COUNCIL MEETING

ON TODAY

GOVERNOR: GOOD MORNING. WE ARE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT LATER

AS COMMISSIONER OF POLICE WITH ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF EDDIE HUI

RETIREMENT, EFFECT FROM JULY 3 WHEN COMMISSIONER LI KWAN-HA GOES INTO HAVING REACHED THE STATUTORY AGE FOR RETIREMENT OF 57. THAT'S WHAT PRESCRIBED, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IN THE ORDINANCES.

IS

HAS OUTGOING

WILL BE OTHER I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AT THIS POINT THOUGH THERE OCCASIONS FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE RECORD THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY

ΤΟ BEING ENORMOUSLY GRATEFUL FOR

THE VERY GOOD REASONS

HE COMMISSIONER. HE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE FORCE FOR OVER 36 YEARS.

AND HAS HAD DURING HAS BEEN COMMISSIONER FOR FOUR-AND-A-HALF YEARS THAT TIME TO DEAL WITH A NUMBER OF VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS. THERE THE SURGE, A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, IN THE INCREASE IN WHICH THE FORCE COPED WITH VERY SUCCESSFULLY. THERE WERE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF YOUNGER OFFICERS, WHICH AGAIN HE AND

THERE HAVE LEADERSHIP OF THE FORCE, OVERCAME SUCCESSFULLY. AND THE ADDITIONAL POLITICAL SENSITIVITY SURROUNDING SOME ASPECTS POLICING,

FOR

EXAMPLE,

WAS VIOLENT CRIME,

PROBLEMS OF

THE

BEEN OF THE THE OVER OF

DEMONSTRATIONS ALL CHALLENGES TO WHICH THE LAST-FOUR-AND-A-HALF YEARS. THOSE ARE

HR HAS GIVEN COMMISSIONER HAS RISEN WITH VERY GREAT SKILL. ! THE FORCE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF US HAVE BE ENORMOUSLY GRATEFUL TO HIM.

THINK

EVERY

REASON ΤΟ

EDDIE AT THE SAME TIME AS WE ARE ANNOUNCING THE APPOINTMENT OF

THE APPOINTMENT OF TWO HUI AS COMMISSIONER, WE ARE ALSO ANNOUNCING

MR SO.

WILL I THINK THEY FORCE NEEDS. 1 THINK THEY

COMMISSIONERS,

MR WONG

AND

DEPUTY PROVIDE THE CORE OF LEADERSHIP WHICH THE WILL DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB.

AN WE HAVE OUR POLICE IN HONG KONG WHICH HAS HELPED TO GIVE US

WE HAVE A FALLING ALMOST UNIQUE DOUBLE IN THE WORLD. FIRST OF ALL,

A FALLING LEVEL LEVEL OF CRIME. SECONDLY AND IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE

CAN SAY OF VIOLENT CRIME. THERE ARE VERY FEW OTHER COMMUNITIES WHICH

FOR BEING THAT. IT'S NOT A REASON FOR COMPLACENCY. IT'S NOT A REASON

OUR ABLE TO REST ON OUR LAURELS BUT IT IS A REASON FOR. CONGRATULATING

WHICH IS UNDOUBTEDLY CONSTABULARY, CONGRATULATING OUR POLICE FORCE,

SO WE SHOULD ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND ADMIRED FORCES ANYWHERE.

OUR POLICE ALL THE COMMIT OURSELVES, I THINK ONCE AGAIN, TO GIVING

SUPPORT WHICH FROM TIME TO SUPPORT WHICH THEY DESERVE AND ALL THE TIME THEY NEED. THAT'S CERTAINLY OUR FIRM INTENTION AS THE GOVERNMENT.

HAS TO

AND BE ONE OF THE LAW AND ORDER

PRIME RESPONSIBILITIES

VERY GRATEFUL CONCERNS OF ANY GOVERNMENT. IT IS CERTAINLY OURS. I AM

US DISCHARGE TO HAVE SUCH OUTSTANDING SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS TO HELP THOSE OBLIGATIONS.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, DO YOU THINK

LOCALISATION OF THE POLICE FORCE

SO FAR AT THE SENIOR POSTS IS SATISFACTORY?

/GOVERNOR: