HONG KONG ISLAND DISTRICT
Hong Kong Island is the administrative, commercial and cultural centre of the territory. The central government offices, the main commercial and financial headquarters, and a blend of traditional cultures with the modern create an environment that poses a challenge to the police and requires dynamic and progressive philosophies and strate- gies in meeting the many and varied problems.
With a total population of 1,026,870 or 13,165 per square kilometre (34,229 per square mile), the island's most highly densely populated area lies on the north shore although, with the development of the south side of the island, in particular Aberdeen, other areas are becoming more densely populated. The district is divided into four divisions: Central, Western, Wan Chai and Eastern.
The total authorised establishment of the district in 1976 was 2,898 police officers and 413 civilians. For the district, the year was one of organisational change and operational progress.
Of the four divisions, three underwent boundary re- alignments to meet present-day needs. Responsibility for Stanley and Shek O sub-divisions in the rural and low- density residential southeast passed from Eastern to Western Division, while the Upper-Levels sub-division returned to Central from Western Division. Within Western Division, a south area sub-command comprising Aberdeen and Stanley was established on an experimental basis during the
summer.
The first personal beat radio district command and control centre began operation in Hong Kong Island Head- quarters in December. Although still in the early stages, it is already abundantly clear that the beat radio is a valuable aid to police work, and it will be put to maximum use in the coming year.
Crime generally during the year was contained, though it remained at an unacceptably high level. To a large extent the increases in crime referred to in subsequent paragraphs for both this and other districts are a reflection of arrests aimed at preventing crime (eg; for the offence of triad membership). The first priority in the coming year will be to reduce the incidence of crime and to improve detection. In 1976 serious damage was inflicted by the police on the vice trade, especially in Wan Chai. Brothels, massage par- lours, dance halls and other vice establishments were the focus of police attention in a sustained, high-pressure campaign. Many establishments were closed down and their proprietors and operators prosecuted. It is certainly not envisaged that police action against vice will lose any of its 1976 momentum.
All in all, the year was a satisfactory one for the district and, with increased manpower and improved communica- tions, better results can be forecast for 1977.
Crime and Policing
Each division on the island has its own ground rules and the police, naturally, adjust their strategies and techniques accordingly. The fundamentals, however, are the same; the
island residents and workers are not immune to crime and the police energetically attempt to prevent and solve crimes of a varying nature.
The overall incidence of crime was 13,940 or 1,357.5 per 100,000 of population compared to 13,324 or 1,347.2 per 100,000 in 1975, an increase of some five per cent. This was balanced by a 10 per cent improvement in the detection rate from 45.8 per cent to 55.5 per cent. A total of 1,720 robberies were reported, a decrease of 378 compared with 1975. The overall detection rate improved from 17 per cent to 21 per cent. Burglaries also registered a downward trend with 1,508 reports, a decrease of 366 cases. The detection rate for burglaries improved slightly to 9.6 per cent, but this is totally unsatisfactory and one of the main anti-crime priorities for 1977 will be to achieve an improvement in this area.
Central Division
Central is the business heart of the territory, comprising banks, hotels, finance houses, stock exchanges and a host of company headquarters, shops and office blocks. On top of the thousands of people who travel to work in Central from all over the island and the Kowloon peninsula, thousands more live there.
In 1976 there was a recorded increase of nearly 36,000 in the population of the division, representing almost an extra 43 per cent. This factor has to be borne in mind in making comparisons with earlier years. In 1975 the total number of crimes recorded was 2,544, an incidence of 3,028.6 per 100,000 population. In 1976 the total number of crimes was slightly higher at 2,762, but the incidence rate was much lower at 2,302.8 per 100,000. It is pleasing to record also that the overall detection rate in 1975 of 41.7 per cent was stepped up significantly in 1976 to 55 per cent.
There are no known organised vice gangs operating in the Central area, though a small number of postitutes use old boarding houses along the waterfront and solicit business from seamen. Drug trafficking is conducted on a very minor scale, mainly near market areas. Organised gambling is not a major problem, but some small-scale street gambling exists, coolies being the main culprits.
Rain, sometimes called a good policeman because it seems to keep criminals off the streets, is not always so helpful. A heavy storm in September caused two major landslips, one at Estoril Court in Garden Road and the other at the junction of Caine Road and Ladder Street. Fortunately there were no fatalities in either case, but both incidents required protracted police attention.
The heavy concentration of population in the commercial area of Central during office hours also required the im- plementation of a special type of policing. Shift duties were staggered covering, in part, high-risk premises. The patrols were superimposed on and also reinforced normal beat duties.
Problems generated by work on the mass transit railway required special police attention. A sub-unit was set up in April under the command of an inspector to deal with these
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