Police-1966-1967 — Page 13

RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC

Press Office

16. During the year under review, this office issued more than 1,500 news stories to the press on various aspects of Police work and answered 4,200 press queries in collaboration with the Government Information Services Department. Approximately 50 newspaper and radio interviews with Police officers were arranged during the same period.

17. At the end of 1966 a two-way teleprinter between the Press Office and the Information Services Department was installed and this has assisted considerably in speeding up the flow of information to the press. Other measures to provide the press and the public with a fuller under- standing of Police aims and methods are also being considered.

P.O. Box 999

18. To provide additional facilities for members of the public to give the Police information concerning illegal activities, e.g. gambling, drug dealing, a system was instituted known as P.O. Box 999. By address- ing letters to this number information could be quickly passed to the branch concerned for action without the need for personal appearance by the informant at Police Stations. The initial results are sufficiently encouraging to justify the continuation of the scheme.

Open Days

19. At the beginning of 1967, it was decided to open a number of Police Stations to the public so that the man in the street could see for himself how a Police Station functions and how the Police deal with their day-to-day work. Three divisional stations were selected. Western on Hong Kong Island, Tsuen Wan in the New Territories and Mong Kok in Kowloon. Apart from showing the public examples of day-to-day Police work and station facilities, various displays were arranged including static exhibitions of the work of the C.I.D. and demonstrations by the Police Dog Unit. Music was provided by the Police Band.

20. Great interest was shown by the public in these open days and people from all walks of life attended. Mong Kok Station alone was visited by approximately 40,000 people. It is proposed to continue this feature of public relations.

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