ENG-1961 — Page 246

LAW, ORDER AND RECORDS

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craft, consisting of 10 cruising launches, 10 harbour launches and seven motor launches including three, fast, light, locally-built jet- boats which were acquired during the year to help in policing inshore waters. All Police cruising launches are fitted with radio communications and cruising launches also have radar equipment.

Each of the three Districts has an Emergency Unit on patrol and in radio contact with the District Control. These units are usually the first at the scenes of fires, accidents or other incidents. The Police Training Contingent at Fanling in the New Territories provides courses of intensive training in internal security work for all ranks. It is also an emergency formation of 350 men which can be called upon immediately to deal with disturbances. In an emergency, each District can form its own District Emergency Force, made up from a number of Police Riot Companies each roughly the equivalent in strength of an army infantry company. It can give administrative support to the Emergency Force and provide escorts to protect essential services and mobile and foot patrols to maintain law and order on the streets.

The Force is thus a Metropolitan Force in the urban areas, a rural_constabulary in the New Territories and a Marine Police Force in the surrounding territorial waters, but at very short notice it can change its organization to one specifically designed to deal with civil disorder.

Crime. Crime in the Colony remained at a comparatively low level although there was an increase in some minor offences. Apart from an increasing population, there are many factors contributing to this rise in petty crime. One is the increased price of drugs which is forcing a greater number of addicts to resort to miscel- laneous crime in an attempt to obtain money. Another is the difficulty of deporting convicted or undesirable aliens. A third is the continued prosperity of Hong Kong which provides the criminal with wealthy victims.

Juvenile crime also increased slightly, due possibly to the rise in the teenage population and the continued growth of densely populated areas.

There was a reduction in the number of crimes associated with Triad activities. Triad Societies no longer wield the same influence as they did in the past.