ENG-2010 — Page 375

Public Order | 317

Kong Council for Accreditation for Academic and Vocational Qualification in March to operate the Diploma in Search and Venue Security programme at Level 3 of the Qualifications Framework.

Police Dogs

There were 103 dogs in the Police Dog Unit at year-end, assisting the Police in detecting and preventing crimes. During the year, Police Handlers, together with their canine partners, arrested a total of 354 criminals.

In supporting the fight against drug abuse, nine passive alert dogs were trained and deployed during the year. They have assisted in detection of 22 drug cases since deployment.

Police Licensing Office

In 2010, the Police Licensing Office supported various Government business facilitation and licensing improvement initiatives. Through improvements to the computer system, the processing time for security personnel permit application was reduced from nine to six days. During the year, the office processed 47 928 security personnel permit applications, 124 massage establishment licence applications, 203 pawnbroker licence applications and 4 102 liquor licence applications.

Marine Region

2010 saw the successful delivery of 17 new Medium Patrol Launches and 12 Divisional Fast Patrol Craft, bringing the Region closer to full implementation of the Versatile Maritime Policing Response strategy. Deployment of these craft, together with the 94 craft already in service, and supported by the digital radar and thermal image-equipped Central Command System, resulted in the arrest of 1238 illegal immigrants and the rescue of 70 persons in Hong Kong waters.

The Region continued to target syndicated smuggling of goods as a major priority. During the year, 33 high powered speedboats were confiscated and contraband worth $77 million was seized.

Traffic

During the year, there were 14 943 traffic accidents involving casualties including 117 deaths, an increase of 4 per cent and a decrease of 16 per cent respectively when compared to 2009. A total of 428 494 fixed-penalty tickets for moving offences was issued, a slight decrease of 0.1 per cent compared to 2009. In addition, 737 061 tickets were issued for parking offences representing an increase of 3 per cent and a total of 72 117 summonses was served to traffic offenders, an increase of 13 per cent compared to 2009.

Public Relations

The Police Public Relations Branch (PPRB) plays an important role in enlisting. public support in maintaining law and order by keeping them informed of Police work and fostering good relations with all sectors of the community. Information about police activities is distributed to local and overseas media round-the-clock. The

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