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fear of thugs armed with knives and triangular files getting into his home and robbing, maiming or even killing him and his family.
There is a compelling demand for effective action by Government to reduce the increasing number of armed and violent robberies, gang fights and muggings that take place almost as a matter of daily occurrence in Hong Kong.
This demand for more effective action by Government is fully justified because violent crime in Hong Kong is much worse than in most of the larger cities in the Far East.
At Legislative Council recently, His Excellency the Governor announced two new measures to fight crime, the creation of a police residential school for the 16-18 age group and expanding the auxiliary police force into a permanent part-time constabulary to fight crime.
These measures are welcome by the public. However, they are not sufficient to cope with the immediate problem. I therefore put forward the following additional suggestions:
Firstly, after the "Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" is over, Government should embark upon a "Hong Kong Crime Prevention Campaign". The scope should be as massive as the "Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" and maximum public participation should be encouraged.
Secondly, Government should review the ordinance on the setting up of multi-storey building management committees. In the light of experience, this ordinance has been found to be cumbersome and requires to be simplified. While the C.D.O. system has given much help and advice in the formation of new multi-storey management committees, the progress achieved so far is still slow when compared to the number of new multi-storey buildings being erected every year. Multi-storey building management committees once formed should assist in establishing group responsibility and a greater sense of security.
Thirdly, the City District Offices should form "Crime Prevention Committees" in all districts, streets, multi-storey buildings, resettlement estates, etc. for the purpose of co-operating with the Police in fighting crime. Government should make practical suggestions as to what group action residents can take when they see a person being robbed or attacked with knives in the streets in broad daylight, and there are no regular or auxiliary policemen around. The Crime Prevention Committees will also become a good bridge between the neighbourhood residents and the Police, which include both regular and auxiliary police.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
229
Fourthly, the Police should improve the system of reporting crimes. Only too often a person reporting a simple crime at a police station has to wait for two hours before his turn comes to be interviewed. This may not be the fault of the police officer doing the interviewing; it could be the fault of the system or the shortage of police officers. Therefore, if the Police want more public co-operation in reporting crimes, they should make it easier for the public to do so.
Fifthly, robberies with violence involving knives, sharp files, etc. should carry heavier prison sentences of at least ten years of hard labour or more. Long prison terms is not the only way to fight violent crime, but it is one effective deterrent among others.
Sixthly, Government should ban individuals from carrying around without valid reason or purpose meat knives, choppers, sharp triangular files or other dangerous weapons of a similar nature.
Public Housing
Hong Kong residents wholeheartedly welcome the Government's 10-year plan to build 1.8 million individual units of public housing.
If Government lives up to its promise of producing about 180,000 individual housing units per annum, nearly 70% of Hong Kong's population will be living in Government housing estates by 1982.
Apart from this highly desirable and most commendable aim, Government must also improve the quality and standard of public housing.
In this regard, I have a number of suggestions.
Firstly, Government should plan to increase the minimum space per person from 35 sq. ft. to 50 sq. ft., starting off with New Housing Authority estates in the New Territories. It is interesting to note that in Singapore public housing is now allocated on the basis of number of rooms per family rather than on the number of square feet per person.
Secondly, since most new Government housing estates will from now on be built in the New Territories, it should be possible to plan each estate as if it were a self-contained township, with its own local industries, police stations, welfare and community centres, clinics, markets and shopping bazaars, entertainment and recreation facilities, primary, secondary and vocational schools, etc. The success of this comprehensive planning approach will depend upon the new Housing Authority being able to urgently recruit more planning staff.
Thirdly, the new Housing Authority should study how it will be possible to obtain up-to-date information on the incomes of tenants
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Page 125 of 206
228
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
fear of thugs armed with knives and triangular files getting into his home and robbing, maiming or even killing him and his family.
There is a compelling demand for effective action by Government to reduce the increasing number of armed and violent robberies, gang fights and muggings that take place almost as
a matter of daily occurrence in Hong Kong.
This demand for more effective action by Government is fully justified because violent crime in Hong Kong is much worse than in most of the larger cities in the Far East.
At Legislative Council recently, His Excellency the Governor announced two new measures to fight crime, the creation of a police residential school for the 16-18 age group and expanding the auxiliary police force into a permanent part-time constabulary to fight crime.
These measures are welcome by the public. However, they are not sufficient to cope with the immediate problem. I therefore put forward the following additional suggestions:
Firstly, after the "Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" is over, Government should embark upon a "Hong Kong Crime Prevention Campaign". The scope should be as massive as the "Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" and maximum public participation should be encouraged.
Secondly, Government should review the ordinance on the setting up of multi-storey building management committees. In the light of experience, this ordinance has been found to be cumbersome and requires to be simplified. While the C.D.O. system has given much help and advice in the formation of new multi-storey management committees, the progress achieved so far is still slow when compared to the number of new multi-storey buildings being erected every year. Multi-storey building management committees once formed should assist in establishing group responsibility and a greater sense of security.
Thirdly, the City District Offices should form "Crime Prevention Committees" in all districts, streets, multi-storey buildings, resettlement estates, etc. for the purpose of co-operating with the Police in fighting crime. Government should make practical suggestions as to what group action residents can take when they see a person being robbed or attacked with knives in the streets in broad daylight, and there are no regular or auxiliary policemen around. The Crime Prevention Committees will also become a good bridge between the neighbourhood residents and the Police, which include both regular and auxiliary police.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
229
Fourthly, the Police should improve the system of reporting crimes. Only too often a person reporting a simple crime at a police station has to wait for two hours before his turn comes to be inter- viewed. This may not be the fault of the police officer doing the interviewing; it could be the fault of the system or the shortage of police officers. Therefore, if the Police want more public co-operation in reporting crimes, they should make it easier for the public to do so.
Fifthly, robberies with violence involving knives, sharp files, etc. should carry heavier prison sentences of at least ten years of hard labour or more. Long prison terms is not the only way to fight violent crime, but it is one effective deterrent among others.
Sixthly, Government should ban individuals from carrying around without valid reason or purpose meat knives, choppers, sharp triangular files or other dangerous weapons of a similar nature.
Public Housing
Hong Kong residents wholeheartedly welcome the Government's 10-year plan to build 1.8 million individual units of public housing.
If Government lives up to its promise of producing about 180,000 individual housing units per annum, nearly 70% of Hong Kong's population will be living in Government housing estates by 1982.
Apart from this highly desirable and most commendable aim, Government must also improve the quality and standard of public housing.
In this regard, I have a number of suggestions.
Firstly, Government should plan to increase the minimum space per person from 35 sq. ft. to 50 sq. ft., starting off with New Housing Authority estates in the New Territories. It is interesting to note that in Singapore public housing is now allocated on the basis of number of rooms per family rather than on the number of square feet per person.
Secondly, since most new Government housing estates will from now on be built in the New Territories, it should be possible to plan each estate as if it were a self-contained township, with its own local industries, police stations, welfare and community centres, clinics, markets and shopping bazaars, entertainment and recreation facilities, primary, secondary and vocational schools, etc. The success of this comprehensive planning approach will depend upon the new Housing Authority being able to urgently recruit more planning staff.
Thirdly, the new Housing Authority should study how it will be possible to obtain up-to-date information on the incomes of tenants
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