XN000022-1994-07-15 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1994

GOVERNOR TALKS TO REPORTERS AFTER

J

HIS VISIT TO THE CENTRAL POLICE STATION

*

GOVERNOR, POLICE

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN. AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE CENTRAL STATION THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING:-

HOME BEST

A

BUROPE, SPEAKS FOR

ABLE TO VISIT GOVERNOR: GOOD MORNING. I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN CENTRAL POLICE STATION THIS MORNING WITH OUR NEW COMMISSIONER. THIS IS THE OLDEST POLICE STATION IN HONG KONG BUT, OF COURSE, IT IS THE FOR PART OF WHAT I THINK IS GENERALLY REGARDED AS CERTAINLY THE POLICE FORCE IN ASIA. INDEED, I THINK IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO FIND BETTER POLICE FORCE THAN WE HAVE IN HONG KONG EVERYWHERE. THE EVIDENCE: LET. FOR THAT IS ALL AROUND US. WE CAN'T BE COMPLACENT. WE MUST NEVER OUR GUARD DROP BUT HONG KONG IS ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN THE WORLD.

THOSE IN NORTH OUR CRIME FIGURES'RE, OF COURSE, A LOT BETTER THAN AMERICA, THE UNITED STATES, VANCOUVER, BETTER THAN LONDON AND BETTER THAN TOKYO, BETTER EVEN THAN SINGAPORE AND THAT

AN ITSELF. OUR CRIME LEVELS HAVE BEEN FALLING. FIGURES HAVE FALLEN BY

CRIMES AVERAGE OF 4.8 PERCENT IN EACH OF THE LAST TWO YEARS. VIOLENT

FALLEN BY HAVE

AN OF WHICH,

COURSE, ARE OF CONCERN TO US GREATLY,

WHILE CRIME AVERAGE OF 6.9 PERCENT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND ITSELF HAS BEEN FALLING, THE DETECTION RATE HAS BEEN RISING. THOSE ARE THE HALLMARKS OF SUCCESS AND I THINK THAT THE REASONS FOR THAT SUCCESS FORCE ARE, ABOVE ALL, THE PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY OF OUR POLICE AND THE SUPPORT WHICH OUR POLICE GET THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, I THINK COMMITTEES THAT'S SHOWN IN THE WORK, FOR EXAMPLE, OF THE FIGHT CRIME

THE PUBLIC AND IT'S SHOWN, I THINK, BY THE VERY GOOD RESPONSE WHICH GENERALLY SHOW TO OUR POLICE AND TO REQUESTS FOR HELP, SO, ALL OF US HAVE GOT TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND WITH HIS OFFICERS TO

OF OUR SURE THAT WE DO EVEN BETTER IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THE SAFETY STREETS, THE SAFETY OF OUR HOUSING ESTATES, THE SAFETY OF OUR SHOPPING OF OUR CENTRES ARE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT PARTS QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN HONG KONG AND I ASSURE THE COMMISSIONER THAT HE CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON ME, GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT AND ON THE THAT HE AND HIS MEN AND WOMEN NEED TO DO THE VERY IMPORTANT JOBS HAVE.

RISING

MAKE

RESOURCES

THEY

THE

ARE

WORRIED YOU

ABOUT THE QUESTION:

CORRUPTION? POLICE RECENTLY, THE ICAC COMMISSIONER SAID THAT POLICE CORRUPTION IS ON RISE AGAIN.

:

GOVERNOR: I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE ICAC HAS DETECTED A RISING

THE

KNOW COMMUNITY. I

THAT IN

THE CORRUPTION THROUGHOUT TREND

OF POLICE AND I KNOW THAT THE COMMISSIONER

COMMISSIONER AGAINST IT'S CORRUPTION ARE BOTH DETERMINED TO STAMP OUT CORRUPTION WHEREVER

HONG KONG.. FOUND. THERE WERE PROBLEMS A GENERATION AGO IN THE ROYAL

AND VIGOROUSLY

SINCE POLICE.

PROBLEMS WERE STAMPED OUT VERY THOSE THEN, I THINK WE CAN SAY THAT WHILE THERE ARE INEVITABLY PROBLEMS FROM POLICE FORCES TIME ΤΟ TIME,

WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST AND CLEANEST ANYWHERE AND THAT IS THE WAY THE COMMISSIONER AND I INTEND SHOULD REMAIN.

THAT IT :

/QUESTION: