1992-07-27 15:26 SECURITY BRANCH
852 868 5074 P.02
19
布政司署
香港下亞厘道
***Our Ref.: (5) in SBCR 1/2801/92
來函檔號 Your Ref:
HKA 177/1
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG
Mr M V Stone
Hong Kong Department
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
Dear Mr Stone
me.
Your
Pa
27 July 1992
R+RS Rt?
M.
Mr Bunttextes
Not much of
a
but not wath following
Monitoring of
Police Communications by Journalists
letter of 12
177/1/12 al 18
· reply
up.
2717
February 1997 has been referred to
I regret the delay in reply but we have been extremely busy over the past few months.
have sought
the views of the Police on the question
you raised.
The press do at
monitor
police radios.
AVL G
sapecially with
This causes
י
difficulties
confidential operations or operations following major crimes, when sometimes press (TV/radio) reports reveal details of matters that have not yet been put into action, or in the case of "on the scene live reporting".
As well as journalists, criminals frequently monitor police communications.
It is usually not possible to counter press monitoring of police radios by the use of coded language. No-one can foresee all the ramifications of any incident. The allocation of code-names to various locations normally very quickly proves futile, and causes both confusion and unnecessary complications in briefings, which sometimes have to be carried out at speed.
The only way to counter press monitoring of police radios is to use speech protection devices (scramblers). Whilst suitable units are now generally available commercially, problem exists with funding such purchases.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.