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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. E. ELLIOTT TU, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):--The first part of the question concerns measures taken by the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department to protect members of the General Duties Team who are often attacked, assaulted or threatened by hawkers while carrying out their duties.
It is true the GDT officers are often assaulted or threatened by hawkers. During the year 1984 there were 90 cases of assault against them. Nearly one quarter of these assaults are committed in Eastern District, a disproportionate number in comparison with its 10 per cent share of the hawker population (licensed and unlicensed). GDT officers say that in some areas the hawkers are militant and well organized, and the involvement of criminal gangs and triads is suspected.
Only 63 per cent of the assault cases were successfully prosecuted. The remainder failed for insufficient evidence, or because the hawkers were able to produce witnesses to support their defence.
The Urban Council is examining this problem. The Markets and Street Traders Select Committee has appointed a Working Party to review Hawker and Related Policies. Mr. TONG is a member of the Working Party and will be aware that it will shortly issue a consultative document containing recommendations for policy changes which will generally improve hawker management and therefore result in less confrontation between illegal hawkers and GDT officers.
The Urban Services Department has set up a Hawker Control Operations Review Committee to look into the practical aspects of hawker management on the ground. It will review, inter alia, GDT organization and operations, with a view to improving the efficiency and safety of GDT officers. A new radio communications system has recently been commissioned and is now being tried out. This should enable GDT officers to be more efficiently deployed and to summon assistance quickly when they need it.
The Police are well aware of the problems associated with hawker control and have always expressed a willingness to give assistance within the limitations imposed on them by their other commitments and scarce resources. In the context of the regular six-monthly meetings between the DUS and the Commissioner of Police, USD representatives have recently asked for various improvements in the system of providing Police escorts for GDT squads in difficult areas or when there is reason to anticipate trouble. We have asked for talks with the Police on the details of this and other aspects of hawker control, and a reply is awaited. We have also asked for Police participation in the work of the Hawker Control Operations Review Committee, which is expected to begin soon.
The second part of the question concerns an experiment being conducted in Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei Districts concerning the operations of the General Duties Teams.
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Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei Districts have been trying out an experimental GDT structure which doubled the number of Foreman posts (from 6 to 12) but eliminated the Workman posts. This provided more posts of enforcement personnel of a higher calibre who have power of arrest and seizure.
The experiment has been extended to the end of the year to allow this structure to be tested with the new radio communication equipment. The experiment has, therefore, not yet ended and no formal assessment of it has yet been made. However, subject to the one proviso that it can be as successful generally as it appears to be in two out of eleven districts, the experimental structure seems to be a definite improvement over the present structure.
MR. TONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Elliott Tu mentioned that there is a Hawker Control Operations Review Committee, but has the committee noticed that recently there is a spirit of fear among GDT members? They are afraid that apart from exercising their duties they might be attacked when they are off duty. Even if they appear in court due to prosecutions they might become the defendants. When they go out to arrest the hawkers, there might be squabbles and there might be fights and be finally ended up being prosecuted. Right now, they are not a disciplinary force and the general public and the Council expected a lot from them. There are always a lot of criticisms about them, saying that they gather around the vehicles reading newspapers instead of doing their job. They do not get a very high salary and they wish that at least they could be provided with a method of self-defence, for instance, they could be given some batons or shields when they carry out their duties and that would cut down the risk of being attacked. I know that they have put forward such requests to the department, but could I ask whether the Hawker Control Operations Review Committee has paid attention to this matter and whether it has come up with any measures to help the GDTs and boost their morale? This is more useful to the Urban Council in providing better services.
MRS. ELLIOTT TU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, what Mr. TONG said is perfectly true. We have recently had a paper from the GDT leaders and the trade union of the Urban Services Department complaining about the danger of their duties. Mr. TONG has a copy and all the Working Party members were given copies just a few days ago. I have also written to the Commissioner of Police giving him a copy and drawing his attention to the danger. I do not think I can give an answer at this moment because this Review Committee has not yet gone very far and we are only in a preparatory stage. But we are going to push on it. I can promise that when we get the new policy, if the recommendations are accepted at any rate, we hope that we will have management rather than control and the control will be a little easier and this confrontation may stop. But in any case if the confrontation continues, we will have to take very strong action and we must have the Police's involvement. I think Mr. Tong's question must be referred back to the department because they are the ones, not the Working Party, who will deal with the operational aspects.
Page 48 of 195
Page 48 of 195
66
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. E. ELLIOTT TU, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):--The first part of the question concerns measures taken by the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department to protect members of the General Duties Team who are often attacked, assaulted or threatened by hawkers while carrying out their duties.
It is true the GDT officers are often assaulted or threatened by hawkers. During the year 1984 there were 90 cases of assault against them. Nearly one quarter of these assaults are committed in Eastern District, a disproportionate number in comparison with its 10 per cent share of the hawker population (licensed and unlicensed). GDT officers say that in some areas the hawkers are militant and well organized, and the involvement of criminal gangs and triads is suspected.
Only 63 per cent of the assault cases were successfully prosecuted. The remainder failed for insufficient evidence, or because the hawkers were able to produce witnesses to support their defence.
The Urban Council is examining this problem. The Markets and Street Traders Select Committee has appointed a Working Party to review Hawker and Related Policies. Mr. TONG is a member of the Working Party and will be aware that it will shortly issue a consultative document containing rec- ommendations for policy changes which will generally improve hawker management and therefore result in less confrontation between illegal hawkers and GDT officers.
The Urban Services Department has set up a Hawker Control Operations Review Committee to look into the practical aspects of hawker management on the ground. It will review, inter alia, GDT organization and operations, with a view to improving the efficiency and safety of GDT officers. A new radio communications system has recently been commissioned and is now being tried out. This should enable GDT officers to be more efficiently deployed and to summon assistance quickly when they need it.
The Police are well aware of the problems associated with hawker control and have always expressed a willingness to give assistance within the limitations imposed on them by their other commitments and scarce resources. In the context of the regular six-monthly meetings between the DUS and the Commissioner of Police, USD representatives have recently asked for various improvements in the system of providing Police escorts for GDT squads in difficult areas or when there is reason to anticipate trouble. We have asked for talks with the Police on the details of this and other aspects of hawker control, and a reply is awaited. We have also asked for Police participation in the work of the Hawker Control Operations Review Committee, which is expected to begin soon.
The second part of the question concerns an experiment being conducted in Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei Districts concerning the operations of the General Duties Teams.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 48 of 195
67
Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei Districts have been trying out an experimental GDT structure which doubled the number of Foreman posts (from 6 to 12) but eliminated the Workman posts. This provided more posts of enforcement personnel of a higher calibre who have power of arrest and seizure.
The experiment has been extended to the end of the year to allow this structure to be tested with the new radio communication equipment. The experiment has, therefore, not yet ended and no formal assessment of it has yet been made. However, subject to the one proviso that it can be as successful generally
as it appears to be in two out of eleven districts, the experimental structure seems to be a definite improvement over the present structure.
MR. TONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Elliott Tu mentioned that there is a Hawker Control Operations Review Committee, but has the committee noticed that recently there is a spirit of fear among GDT members? They are afraid that apart from exercising their duties they might be attacked when they are off duty. Even if they appear in court due to prosecutions they might become the defendants. When they go out to arrest the hawkers, there might be squabbles and there might be fights and be finally ended up being prosecuted. Right now, they are not a disciplinary force and the general public and the Council expected a lot from them. There are always a lot of criticisms about them, saying that they gather around the vehicles reading newspapers instead of doing their job. They do not get a very high salary and they wish that at least they could be provided with a method of self defence, for instance, they could be given some batons or shields when they carry out their duties and that would cut down the risk of being attacked. I know that they have put forward such requests to the department, but could I ask whether the Hawker Control Operations Review Committee has paid attention to this matter and whether it has come up with any measures to help the GDTs and boost their morale? This is more useful to the Urban Council in providing better services.
MRS. ELLIOTT Tu (in English):-Mr. Chairman, what Mr. TONG said is perfectly true. We have recently had a paper from the GDT leaders and the trade union of the Urban Services Department complaining about the danger of their duties. Mr. TONG has a copy and all the Working Party members were given copies just a few days ago. I have also written to the Commissioner of Police giving him a copy and drawing his attention to the danger. I do not think I can give an answer at this moment because this Review Committee has not yet gone very far and we are only in a preparatory stage. But we are going to push on it. I can promise that when we get the new policy, if the recommendations are accepted at any rate, we hope that we will have management rather than control and the control will be a little easier and this confrontation may stop. But in any case if the confrontation continues, we will have to take very strong action and we must have the Police's involvement. I think Mr. Tong's question must be referred back to the department because they are the ones, not the Working
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