ENG-2005 — Page 374

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Chapter 16

Public Order

Hong Kong maintained its reputation as one of the safest cities in the world in

2005 with the overall crime rate decreasing by 5.5 per cent. It also played its part in combating global drug trafficking, money laundering and organised crime through close liaison with international and Mainland law enforcement agencies.

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The overall crime rate- the number of crimes per 100 000 population Hong Kong fell by 5.5 per cent in 2005 compared to the previous year and the violent crime rate dropped by 0.7 per cent, indicating the stability of law and order in the city. The crime detection rate was 44.3 per cent.

Fight Crime Committee

The Fight Crime Committee has been spearheading the fight against crime since 1973 under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary for Administration. Apart from providing advice and recommending measures to prevent and reduce crime, it also coordinates crime-fighting efforts and monitors their results.

In 2005, the committee deliberated on the recommendations of two international conferences hosted by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau and the Action Committee Against Narcotics, as well as the implications these suggestions and ideas had on the Government's strategies on the war against drugs and money laundering. The committee registered concern over the rising trend in the abuse of psychotropic substances, in particular among youths who have left school and who are unemployed. It pointed out that a concerted effort by all sectors of the community was necessary in the fight against the drug abuse epidemic. On the anti- money laundering front, the committee suggested that the Hong Kong financial regulators play a more active role in mutual evaluations conducted by the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering and other regional anti-money laundering bodies.

The committee also examined the measures and support services used to tackle the problem of domestic violence in response to the findings and recommendations of a household survey and a subsequent consultancy study on child abuse and spouse