PUBLIC ORDER
small portion that fell within the prosecution policy were prosecuted for landing or remaining in Hong Kong without permission. About 63.5 per cent of the arrested illegal immigrants had previously entered the territory.
Most of the illegal immigrants came to seek employment, mainly as construction site workers or casual labour. However, an increasing number came as mendicants, prostitutes or to give birth. While the involvement of illegal immigrants in crimes showed a decrease, those from the northern provinces of China appeared to be more prone to committing crimes; had a lesser chance in finding work due to language. differences; and lacked family support in the territory.
Vietnamese Migrants
During the year, the government objective to repatriate all Vietnamese Migrants (VM) as soon as possible required regular Police operations to assist Correctional Services Department (CSD) in camp movements and to escort VMs on repatriation flights. Although there have not been any prolonged demonstrations against the repatriation programme, several incidents caused some concern to the security forces. In April, a CSD officer was taken hostage by a group of Vietnamese at the High Island Detention Centre and, in May, rioting broke out at the Whitehead Detention Centre. Both incidents occurred before scheduled movements of VMs. Police escorted 6963 VMs on board 60 flights back to Vietnam in the Orderly Repatriation Programme.
Bomb Disposal
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Bureau rendered safe more than 9 462 explosive devices during the year. These items included home-made bombs, pyrotechnics and unexploded items of ordnance. The ordnance items were recovered mainly from excavations on building sites.
Bureau members gave presentations to the Canadian Explosives Technicians conference in Canada and the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators in the USA. The bureau has been re-equipped with specialised EOD vehicles and additional equipment to maintain its readiness for full operational deployment.
Police Dog Unit
The purpose-built facilities of the Police Dog Unit's training centre and headquarters provide a comprehensive training programme for different dog-handling disciplines and veterinary services for its some 100 dogs.
The unit's primary commitment to watch and ward duties is largely dependent on the German Shepherd and Rottweiler breeds, supplemented by the odd Doberman and one exceptional Bull Mastiff. Daily deployment of these general purpose patrol dogs has been rationalised during the year to provide each police district with a team of four and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources amongst urban commands. The anti-crime role of police dogs has been further enhanced by the introduction of mobile, emergency response capabilities in Kowloon West and New Territories North Regions.
Labrador Retrievers and Springer Spaniels are trained in different aspects of search work and are always available on demand from the unit's operational base at Kai
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