ENG-2007 — Page 360

304 Public Order

The Interpol China National Central Bureau will host the 20th Asia Regional Conference of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) in Hong Kong in March 2008. As a sub-bureau of the China National Central Bureau, the Police will co-host the biennial event.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau is responsible for all bomb disposal work in Hong Kong. It is also responsible for dealing with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents. The bureau provides a round-the-clock service throughout the year. The bureau is an essential part of the Police's counter-terrorism and internal security response capability.

Police Dogs

There were 120 police dogs serving in the Police Dog Unit in 2007. The dogs are deployed regularly to assist in police operations across the territory. Specialist search dogs, kept at two operational bases, are used for searching dangerous drugs, explosives and firearms, as well as for tracking objects or people.

Police dogs also play an important role in many police operations. In 2007, the unit deployed a large number of police dogs for major policing and security operations such as the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR and 'Good Luck Beijing HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup'. The unit will increase the number of explosive search dogs to cope with similar major operations such as the coming 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events.

Public Order

―

To maintain public order in Hong Kong, the Police Force continued to provide all officers with training in internal security, public order and crowd management, enabling them to perform a wide range of duties in an efficient and professional manner. In 2007, the Police handled a number of public order incidents, which required deploying specialist officers such as police negotiators and abseiling officers.

Police Licensing Office

The Police Licensing Office is responsible for issuing various types of licences and permits. In 2007, upon review, a number of its application forms and guidelines were revised to improve efficiency and to make the licensing system more user-friendly. During the year, it processed 3 629 applications for liquor licences and made recommendations to the Liquor Licensing Board accordingly. At year-end, there were 170 licensed massage establishments, 190 licensed pawnbrokers, 5 303 liquor licensed premises, 279 979 security personnel permit-holders and 763

licensed money-lenders in Hong Kong.

The Police Licensing Office is also responsible for processing notifications of public order events. During the year, 1 431 notifications of public order events were processed.

Page 360Page 361