a new system of recording serious crimes by means of the Hollerith Machine has been adopted. Great strides have also been made during the year in the Communications Branch, and there is now a complete radio telephony communication network covering the whole of Hong Kong and Kowloon, the harbour, the harbour approaches and the New Territories with electrical stand-by equipment for the whole system. The Branch has its own workshop and does its own maintenance and installation.
Material Difficulties
Apart from the difficulty of creating afresh a Police Force of reliable and trustworthy personnel, one of the main difficul- ties which has been experienced by the Commissioner and his officers in discharging their functions of maintaining law andi order has been the procurement of suitable buildings for use as Police Stations. Of the 41 stations in existence before the war, 22 were completely razed during hostilities and the To-day, other 19 were damaged, many of them seriously. some of those which were completely destroyed have been rebuilt and many of the damaged stations have been, to a greater or lesser extent, rehabilitated. Other stations which were sited in requisitioned premises, or, in some of the more remote localities, in temporary hutments, were not unnaturally quite unsuitable as Police Stations and this has not made any easier the task which the Force faces in maintaining law and order. Strenuous efforts are being made to improve the situation and a'ready four of the demolished buildings have been replaced, viz. Bayview, Shaukiwan and Hunghom Police Stations, and the Divisional Headquarters at Kowloon City.
One must not forget that in the Police Force, men attached to each station not only work in and from it, but are expected to live there and be on call, in case of emergency, 24 hours a day; consequently the accommodation provided would have a decided effect on their morale. Bright. cheerful surroundings. with ample recreational areas to provide amusement during their off-duty periods, would ensure an optimistic cheerful frame of mind which would give them greater interest in their duties and better satisfaction in their work.
Unfortunately such ideal conditions are not present in any of the old stations. The Central Police Station is an example of what the men have to contend with. There the work of administrating and protecting the largest and most important area of the Colony is being carried out under con- ditions that are discouraging, to say the least. The office space allotted to the various departments is so cramped that desks are jammed one against the other with barely sufficient space between to allow for the normal movement of routine work.
The Chinese detectives of the C.I.D. use one room, which is not only their office but which also serves as their living quarters. One side of the room has two-tiered bunks sur- rounded by wooden boxes containing personal effects of the men, while on the other side range the desks from which they work.
The building being of old-fashioned design, the rooms are inadequately lighted and ventilated, since on one side run wide covered verandahs which exclude the sunlight from the rooms and on the other wooden frame windows with comparatively small areas of glass.
The canteens and rest rooms are located in what is really the basement and are much too small for their purpose. It is true that there is a gymnasium in which, in the good old days, basket-ball, badminton and other physical activities took place, but with the present shortage of working accommodation.
this area is more often than not in use either for storage or for handling the issuance of licences and permits to the public. The living quarters, on the opposite side of the compound, are a most depressing spectacle. Even at their best the dark rooms and dull coloured plastered walls held out no welcom- ing invitation to their occupants. Now, in their sadly neglected state and overcrowded condition, they are barely fit for human habitation.
What a different picture presents itself in the new stations which have just been erected. There it is evident that the planning of the buildings has been done with a view to eliminating the undesirable features described above.
Not only is the general planning more conducive to the efficient carrying out of police work, but the entire atmosphere is so much more cheery. There is an air of briskness and efficiency about the buildings. The living quarters for the men are now fully in keeping with modern ideas. The rooms are of adequate dimensions, well lighted and ventilated. There is plenty of room between bunks and each man has been provided with a lock-up teakwood cupboard which has been designed and constructed by the Furniture Workshops of the Public Works Department. There are separate dormitories for the sergeants, and the apartments for the inspectors and officers administrating the station are as modern and as attractive as could be desired. These apartments contain a large living room, with full length French Windows opening on to a large verandah, and built-in fireplaces; a dining room, an entrance hall with a large built-in cupboard, and three very fine bedrooms, each with built-in clothes closet and attached bathroom. Modern kitchen and servants quarters are included as part of each flat.
Another feature of each station is the large area that has been set aside for the men's combined canteen, lounge and refectory. It is a cheerful place where the men can spend may pleasant hours and obtain refreshments at very reason- able prices. Radio or Rediffusion is installed, and table tennis equipment is provided. The food for the men is prepared in a modern tiled kitchen, and their clothes are taken care of in a laundry, which has been provided in the amenities of each station.
All the new stations have been designed from a prototype so that the facilities and amenities are standardised, but variations such as the size of the compound and the position of the apartment block in relation to the main station block vary according to the exigency of each site.
The Kowloon City Police Station, being the divisional headquarters, is on a much larger and more sumptuous scale than the other buildings. The main police block is the same. two storeys in height, but the barrack wing is four storeys high and of much greater dimensions.
Instead of the one three-storey apartment block provided for the district stations, there are four blocks containing twelve apartments in all.
All new stations have been sited with a particular view to their convenience and usefulness to the district and to afford maximum protection for the buildings themselves, and, where the site of old buildings they have replaced were found to be unsuitable, an entirely new location was chosen.
The erection of these buildings is a step to the right direction, and they cannot fail to give the utmost satisfaction to the men who work from them. They deserve the approval and approbation of the citizens of Hong Kong and the only thing that remains to be done now is to press forward the replacement of old stations as rapidly as possible. No effort should be spared and no money withheld to accomplish this much-to-be-desired objective.
A study in contrasts-Men's barracks and canteen at one of the old police stations shown above, compared to equivalent amenities provided at the new Kowloon City Police Station photographed below.
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