TNAG-0559-FCO40-654-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 298

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1975.

VIOLENT CRIME SHOWS SIGNS OF LEVELLING OFF

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THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING EVERY POSITIVE ACTION TO FIGHT CRIME AND THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SERIOUS CRIME SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR ARE LEVELLING OFF, THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. MICHAEL CLINTON, SAID TODAY. SO FAR THIS YEAR, HE SAID, SERIOUS CRIME HAD GONE UP BY ONLY 1.1 PER CENT COMPARED WITH AN INCREASE OF 40 PER CENT IN 1974 OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S FIGURE.

HE BELIEVED THAT THE DECREASING TREND IN SERIOUS CRIME REFLECTED THE INTENSIVE EFFORTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE BY THE POLICE AS WELL A GREATER PUBLIC CO-OPERATION.

HE STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THE INCIDENCE OF CRIME, ESPECIALLY VIOLENT CRIME, WAS STILL FAR TOO HIGH AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS VERY CONCERNED TO BRING IT DOWN.

MR. CLINTON SAID THE POLICE WERE CONSTANTLY TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE THEIR TECHNIQUES, PROCEDURES AND ORGANISATION, TO REDUCE CRIME. THESE INCLUDED THE RE-ORGANISATION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT THE INTRODUCTION OF NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING UNITS AND THE TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROUTINE WORK TO TRAFFIC WARDENS AND CIVILIANS.

IN ADDITION, MR. CLINTON SAID, MORE REPORTING CENTRES WERE BEING SET UP ESPECIALLY IN HOUSING ESTATES AND THE REPORTING PROCEDURES HAD BEEN SIMPLIFIED TO ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO REPORT CRIME MORE EASILY.

ON THE STAFF SIDE, HE SAID THAT DESPITE THE PRESENT FINANCIAL , STRINGENCY, THE POLICE HAD BEEN GIVEN PRIORITY TO BRING THEIR

ESTABLISHMENT UP TO STRENGTH.

HE NOTED THAT THE FORCE'S ACTUAL STRENGTH HAD INCREASED FROM 15,887 IN AUGUST LAST YEAR TO 17,512 THIS MONTH AN INCREASE OF 10 PER CENT, OR ALOUT 91.2 PER CENT OF THE AUTHORISED ESTABLISHMENT.

+DUT THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENT CRIME IN HONG KONG OR ANYWHERE ELSE CAN NEVER SUCCEED WITHOUT THE FULL CO-OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC,+ HE STRESSED.

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MR. CLINTON NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MUTUAL AID AND AREA COMMITTEES FROM THE PRESENT 1,600 TO 2,200 WITHIN THE NEXT NINE TO 12 MONTHS.

THESE COMMITTEES SERVED A MOST USEFUL PURPOSE IN IMPROVING COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN NEIGHBOURS WITH THE AIM OF STRENGTHENING ANTI-CRIME MEASURES, HE SAID. ·

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