XN000022-1995-03-29 — Page 58

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Turning to specific law and order issues, the problem of youth crime remains a matter of concern to the Government While the proportion of young offenders arrested dropped last year. the actual number of young offenders arrested has increased. We need to make more effort to encourage our young people to stay away from crime. To establish a strong, scientific basis for our future course of action, the Fight Crime Committee has commissioned a study into the social causes of juvenile crime. That study is now complete, and the Committee will examine its findings and recommendations next month. The study has proposed some new initiatives which can be taken to tackle the problem.

The Hon Selina Chow has suggested that greater use be made of the Junior Police Call. We agree. The Police are planning to give new momentum to the scheme, in order to foster a closer police-youth partnership in the fight against crime. Indeed expect that the number of Junior Police (all members will increase this year

The Government is dedicated to the fight against triads and organised crime, and to protect witnesses who assist in bringing these criminals to justice. The Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, which was enacted in October last year, will be fully implemented shortly. We will allocate 45 additional police posts to enhance the surveillance and investigative capabilities of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. We will also provide 32 additional police posts to reinforce the Police Central Witness Protection Unit.

I share the Honourable James 1o's concern about the recent increase in drug abuse by young persons, but we are taking steps to tackle it. The Draft Estimates, for example, provide for the creation of 38 additional Police posts to improve the enforcement work of the Narcotics Bureau. But, enforcement alone does not solve the drugs problem. Treatment and rehabilitation, as well as preventive education and publicity, are equally important. I shall return to this subject later in my speech.

Immigration

I now turn to immigration issues. Honourable Members expressed concern about the problem of illegal workers. As we have emphasised on other occasions, the problem of illegal workers is one to which we give a high priority Last year, we established an Immigration Task Force to take action against immigration offenders, including illegal workers. The Draft Estimates this year provide for the strengthening of the Task Force by an additional of 46 posts, so that more vigorous and timely action can be taken against immigration offenders. Last year, 5,404 illegal workers were arrested; 2.906 of them were prosecuted. They were either fined, or given a prison sentence, and returned to their home country Employers of illegal immigrants are, of course, also subject to prosecution. fines and imprisonment We will keep under review the effectiveness of these measures as a deterrent, taking account also of the effect on our prison population.

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