ENG-2011 — Page 372

320 | Public Order

community concerns about law and order issues. They helped foster community. awareness of crime prevention and encouraged community participation in combating crime through publicity programmes carried out in the districts.

To foster closer co-operation, the FCC and DFCCs exchanged feedback regularly on various issues discussed at their respective meetings. FCC members also took turns to attend DFCC meetings and functions to exchange views on topical crime. issues and ways to combat crime.

Police Force

The Hong Kong Police Force's strong commitment to maintaining law and order ensured that Hong Kong continued to be one of the safest cities in the world for residents and visitors.

At year-end, the Police Force had an establishment of about 28 300 police officers and more than 4 700 civilian staff. The Police Force was also reinforced by some 4 000 volunteers serving in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force. 182 inspectors and 1 073 constables were appointed during the year.

Crime

Reported crimes in 2011 totalled 75 936, a decrease of 0.04 per cent compared with 75 965 in 2010. The crime rate stood at 1 068 cases per 100 000 population, a drop of 0.7 per cent compared with 1 075 in 2010. The decrease was mainly due to a decline in serious narcotics offences, wounding and serious assault, and burglary. The number of violent crimes decreased to 13 100, a drop of 3.3 per cent compared with 13 546 in 2010.

In 2011, there were 731 robberies, a drop of 6 per cent compared with 778 in 2010. It was the fifth consecutive year that no case of robbery with genuine firearms was reported. There were three bank robberies, an increase of one compared with two in 2010. All were committed by lone robbers.

Regarding non-violent crimes, burglaries decreased from 4 543 in 2010 to 4 382, a decline of 3.5 per cent, while thefts increased from 34 343 in 2010 to 35 026, a rise of 2 per cent.

Of reported crimes, 42.5 per cent (or 32 294 crimes) were detected, resulting in the arrest of 38 327 persons. Of this number, 3 343 were juveniles aged between 10 and 15 and 4 350 were young people aged between 16 and 20. Most young persons were arrested for wounding and serious assaults, serious narcotics offences, miscellaneous thefts and shop thefts. During the year, six firearms were seized compared with three in 2010.

The number of triad-related crimes increased to 2 207 compared with 2 037 in 2010. This type of crime accounted for 2.9 per cent of all reported crimes during the year. To tackle triad activities, a large-scale tripartite anti-triad operation involving the police forces of Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao was mounted in the second half of 2011 with a total of 1 081 persons arrested in Hong Kong for various crimes.