Police-1964-1965 — Page 51

217. Force vehicles ran 4,929,351 miles; they were involved in 218 accidents, giving an average figure of 22,611 miles per accident.

HONG KONG AUXILIARY POLICE

218. The Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force was formed in 1959 from two earlier organizations. These were the Police Reserve, a volunteer organi- zation which originated in 1914 and the Special Constabulary which was formed in 1949 in order to provide further strength for the regular Force in the event of an emergency.

219. At present the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force has an establish- ment of 2,277. Its strength is 1,740, divided as far as possible into Units which are the exact counterpart of the regular Force. There are thus 9 Auxili- ary Police Divisions acting as a pool of manpower and augmenting whenever necessary, beat duties, station guards, foot and mobile patrols. In normal conditions the Auxiliary Police officers carry out their training in the Division to which they are attached. In the event of an emergency they are immediately integrated in the Regular Police Divisions thereby raising the total manpower strength.

220. The 9 Auxiliary Police Divisions are made up of 4 in Hong Kong Island and 5 in Kowloon. These two groups form two Auxiliary Police Dis- tricts again the counterpart of the regular Force. The two commands are known as the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Auxiliary Police Districts and are commanded by their own senior officers assisted by an administrative unit. In an emergency the Auxiliary Police administrative unit and its Commanding Officer are used in support of the Regular Police Assistant Commissioner of the District as his staff officers for headquarters duties. These duties cover stores and equipment, transport, catering and personnel.

221. The Auxiliary Police Force also supplies communications personnel to Regular Police commands, crews for Marine launches and two riot com- panies, one on each side of the harbour. As in the case of the Divisions their duty is to augment and support the Regular Force.

222. The Auxiliary Police Force perform one task however which is peculiar to themselves and which does not have a counterpart in the regular Force. This is the supply of an Escort Company and there is one such unit on each side of the harbour in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Their duty in an emergency is to guard and protect public service vehicles, for example fire engines, which require protection from rioters.

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