ENG-1995 — Page 327

PUBLIC ORDER

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Communications

An interactive voice response system is being installed at the PPRB, the Licensing Office, the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction Office and the Force Recruitment Group to help handle public enquiries. To enhance the quality of the 999 hotlines service, a bilingual recorded message has been installed, which, when all operators are busy, will assure users of the 999 hotlines that they have reached the correct number and will be answered as soon as an operator is available.

A program to replace all the police analogue cellular phones by digital phones was completed. A sophisticated service centre for the repair of thermal imagers will be set up in 1996. A new digital radio system for Traffic police is being designed to provide secure communications with better and wider radio coverage and less interference. It is scheduled for completion in mid-1996.

The planning and development of communications needs for other major projects are proceeding. They include the mini-firing ranges at Kowloon East Operations Base, the alarm and intercom system for 427 detention cells in 50 police stations, a surveillance CCTV system for Phase II of the new Police Headquarters, the replacement of the Mass Transit Railway District radio control facilities, the police communications systems at Chek Lap Kok airport and, the new Marine police communications system.

Transport

The Force has about 2 300 vehicles, comprising nearly 800 motorcycles, 500 large vans, 240 lorries and 450 saloon cars, plus a range of specialist vehicles such as Saxon armoured personnel carriers and tow trucks. After a review of the role and equipment of the small motorcycle primarily used by District Traffic Teams and Divisions for patrol purposes, a new, larger model was introduced in 1995.

A replacement vehicle for the police lorry was tested in 1995. The lorries, which form the backbone of the Internal Security fleet and are used daily by the Police Tactical Unit, will be replaced in a six-year program starting in 1996. The new vehicle, an enclosed 19-seater, is equipped with air-conditioning, power-steering and enhanced protection.

Information Technology

Top priority has been given to system development since the review of the Force's Information Technology (IT) Strategy in 1994. Three systems Modus Operandi, Police Training School and Commercial Crime Fraud Investigation Management are already operating. The Communal Information and Personnel Information Communal systems, which assist in day-to-day operations and improve personnel administration, respectively, were in the design stage. Process re-engineering studies which examine existing procedures and determine the most efficient way to carry out tasks continued on systems including leave recording, reference materials and traffic operations.

Large-scale site preparation work for the Police Data Communication Network, which will interconnect all information systems within the Force, continued through- out the year and the Police Email Network (PEN) replaced DATANET as the new Force-wide message switching network in November.