TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 14

Question :

Question No. 2

Reply by the Secretary for Security to a question by Dr. the Hon. Ho Kam-fai in the Legislative Council on Wednesday,

29 May, 1985

Will the Government make a statement on security conditions in country parks?

2

Reply :

Yes Sir,

There are 21 country parks. They cover about 40% of the total land area of Hong Kong. During the year ending March 1985, some 9.2 million people visited them.

The Police do not keep detailed statistics for crime specifically in country parks. But they undertook a special study from April 1982 to March 1983 to see what was happening there. Their findings were 101 cases of reported crime, including 68 cases involving burglary or theft, 15 cases of criminal damage, 9 robberies 2 assaults, 4 thefts of vehicles, 2 drug offences and 1 sexual offence. Compared to the total number of reported crimes in Hong Kong at more than 20,000 for the same 12 months, the incidence of crime in country parks was very low.

The responsibility for policing country parks rests with the Police Districts in which they are located. The Police continue to keep a close watch for any signs of an increase in crimes there. So far, the level of crime remains low. Police patrols are deployed in accordance with the needs on the ground and may take the form of motorcycle and mobile patrols, or patrols by dog-handlers and other policemen on foot.

In addition to the police presence, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department maintains 23 management centres and 19 Park Warden Posts which are strategically located within the country parks. From these centres and posts, 117 uniformed Park Rangers regularly patrol different parts of the country parks on motor cycles and on foot. They are equipped with radio transceivers linking them with the Management Centres. They will report crimes to the

Police.