Fight Crime drive is
a step in the
right direction
1 5 MAY 1973 13KO
THEY had a "full house" yesterday at GIS for the "Fight Crime" campaign presentation and the "Meet the Media" conference which followed it. If all plans which have been laid for the $6 million campaign eventuate, we're in for an exciting time, because apart from the obvious aim of the campaign, which is catching crooks, a lot of the plans are based on the premise of community involvement. Mutual Aid Committees will be set up, and it is expected (by the Fight Crime Campaign organisers) that there will be about 5,000 of these, involving 100,000 people.
Nobody explained exactly how these committees will operate, but any move to get 'people to do something is a step in the right direction. And then there is the police image now, busily being changed. We were shown slides and films of policemen not only fighting crime, but being helpful in other ways: taking old ladies across the street, applying first aid, taiking to children. Plans also include improved lighting, mobile report centres, which are Landrovers equipped as small police stations. Plain clothes officers will approach the public and give them advice on how to prevent being robbed or becoming
1
victims of crime.
to
Police dogs will be used more on street patrols, some are already on duty. In addition, GIS film units will tour various districts and show peoople how they can help fight crime. There will also be 20 kiosks in the campaign colours red and black - scattered around Hongkong's more densely populated areas.
facilitate crime reporting by the public. No avenue of involving the public is being overlooked. The "Dial 999" slogan is something no one will get a chance to ignore or forget from now on. It'll be staring at you from newspaper advertisements, and will be constantly repeated on radio and television. And why not? As Mr Jack Cater, Secretary for Information, so aptly put it yesterday when discussing the "Fight Crime" campaign: "Like motherhood, it's worth supporting"
well
More join
row over
Ì 5 MAY
tough
Association appeared on almost the same day as the Government proposals were put "forward," Professor Harris
continued.
as
**I wonder if they have considered points raised fully as they claimed".
Father Patrick McGovern, of the Hongkong Christian Industrial Committee is all in favour of tough measures against crime "provided the individual's liberties are not infringed.
ant 98 He
laws
MORE members of
Hongkong's community
added however, "Sometimes individual liberties have to be sacrificed for the good of the community".
He thought the new laws if sensibly enforced would be a good thing.
JUSTICE
yesterday voiced their Urban Councillor Mrs Elsie views on the row between Elliot was in agreement with the Government and local the points raised by the Bar
Association. lawyers over the Colony's tough new crime laws.
They were commenting on a statement issued by the Bar Association which criticised the laws as unjust, arbitrary and cynical.
Professor Richard Harris, of the political science department at the Hongkong University described the association as a "liberal minority” which would not sway the Government.
"It will not affect the decision to put the bills into practice especially when the Government has the whole weight of public opinion behind it.
LIBERTIES
I note that the document published by the Bar
She commented, "I am all in favour of some action to stop the wave of violent crimes in Hongkong, but what many of those in favour of more stringent
measures fail to realise is that the Bar Association stands for. the justice of the individual and the protection of the innocent, "they are not condoning the actions of the violent criminal.”
The legal adviser to the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, although claiming little! knowledge of the details of the dispute had this to say:
"Of course, I'm in favour of the Government's fight against crime on the whole, but I have noticed that one the proposals was to introduce, mandatory sentences by the judiciary which could lead to difficulties in the meteing out of justice."
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