11.
3
Should firearms be used by criminal elements, the Police are
In the event of a Police
trained and equipped to counter this situation.
unit encountering sniper firs, they would normally require the support of the Special Duties Unit should this not be immediately available the Police may request Military assistance and support to counter sniper action,
12.
The Royal Hong Kong Police will shortly introduce heat radio_sou-
Each munications linked to a computerised command and control system. Policeman will carry a beat radio which is linked to his Divisional controller Created at Police District Headquarters. The controller will have a map of his area which indicates the site of any incident reported; and a visual
The potential dieplay unit which shows the resources available to be deployed.
of the sew beat radio scheme for the quick passage of information, &nd its storage and retrieval in an Internal Security situation has not yet been fully est- ablished but the system will clearly produce a significant improvement in command and control in an Internal Security situation.
THE ROLE OF THE POLICE
13.
The Royal Hong Kong Police are tasked with the maintenance of law and order, riot control, protection of life and property, imposition of cur- fews and cearch and arrest operations. Thus primary responsibility for con-
Their superior trolling an Internal Security situation lies with the Police. numbers, improved tactics, equipment and command and control techniques, enable then to carry cut this role with the minimum of support from the
The military, so long as the main threat is of large crowds in disorder. Police Internal Security structure however absorbs much of their manpower end reduces the watch and ward coverage which is important for the maintenance of order. The Police should, therefore, wherever possible, be relieved by the Army cf extraneous duties such as the guarding of Key Points.
THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY
14.
The Internal Security role of the Military in Hong Kong is to
At the onset of support the Police in the maintenance of law and order. an Internal Security situation the most effective use of the Military would be to release Police manpower for Internal Security duties; thereafter, support to Police units engaged in countering hostile elements and crowde would be provided by the Military, normally in the form of outer cordons
In the event and blocks aimed at preventing unlawful movement of perɛo28, of Police encountering sniper-type fire with which they cannot cops, they may request Military assistance to counter and neutralise it.
15.
The military therefore face a wide spectrum of possible tasks, ranging froz routine guard duties to the highly professional measures Leeded to combat armed dissidents. They must be prepared to deal with a deter- iorating situation at short notice despite the difficulties of regrouping companies and platoons which may be dispersed in the early stages in order
This can be achieved providei to release Police manpower for other duties. contingency plans and Standard Operating Proceduree are maintained in read- iness for such an event. The military should retain or acquire skills used in peace-keeping operations elsewhere including optimum use of helicopters, and they should not restrict their training to the more routine tasks.
16.
In a situation which the Royal Hong Kong Police can control ade- quately, the roles of the military are likely to be :
/ (a)
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