During
the year the six Regional Commanders continued to focus on deterring
crime through flexible deployment of a strong, uniformed Police presence
and enhanced coverage of high-risk premises. Full Police coverage
was also given to various large-scale public order events in order
to maintain a high level of public safety.
Partnership with the
community is an essential part of the overall fight against crime
and communal health problems. During the SARS outbreak the Regions
worked closely with the Department of Health and other Government
departments in enforcing the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease
Ordinance.
For the future, we will
continue to seek the highest level of operational deployment, we
will enlist public support in the fight against crime, suppression
of triads and reduction in the abuse of drugs, and we will maintain
close liaison with other law enforcement agencies and departments
in the exchange of operational intelligence.
Hong Kong Island Region
In line with the rising trend territory-wide,
Hong Kong Island (HKI) Region noted an increase in overall crime
as compared to the preceding year. To combat this trend, a Regional
Taskforce was formed to pursue various anti-crime operations during
the year. Currently, the Region works closely with the Crime Prevention
Bureau, Police Public Relations Branch and District Fight Crime
Committees to enlist the support of the community in the fight against
crime. The Junior Police Call and the Hong Kong Awards for Young
People continued to be significant programmes, allowing young people
to be trained as confident law-abiding citizens and crime-fighting
ambassadors. Action against the abuse of psychotropic drugs was
maintained, resulting in the arrest of 396 persons, the seizure
of 1.3 kilograms of Ketamine and over 7 650 tablets of MDMA.
During 2003, the Region continued to devote
substantial resources and time to policing public order and crowd
management events. A total of 638 public meetings, 359 public processions
and 1 171 crowd management events were successfully managed. Major
public order events were the July 1 public procession, State Premier
Wen Jiabao's visit to Hong Kong, the CEO Forum, the 2003 District
Council Election and the visit of the first Chinese astronaut Colonel
Yang Liwei. The Region also undertook crowd management duties for
a number of "Relaunch Hong Kong" activities, such as the
Hong Kong League Vs Real Madrid Exhibition Football Match held at
Hong Kong Stadium. Public safety is the highest priority during
such events and it is rewarding to note that there were minimal
incidents and no significant threats to public safety.
The Region also played a key role in executing
the quarantine order during the SARS outbreak. Officers from the
resident PTU Company took part in escort duties for residents of
Block E of Amoy Gardens who were moved to the isolation camps in
Lei Yue Mun, and Chai Wan Divisional officers undertook security
at the camp throughout the quarantine period. A high degree of commitment
was displayed by Regional police officers during this most tense
and difficult of times.
Kowloon East Region
Kowloon East (KE) Region recorded an increase
in overall crime of 27 per cent as compared to the preceding year.
The increase was mainly attributable to the upsurge in "quick
cash" crimes such as bullying type robberies and miscellaneous
thefts. Burglaries also rose by 22 per cent. However, due to stringent
enforcement action and the preventive effect of continuous anti-juvenile
crime publicity campaigns, significant decreases were recorded in
serious crimes, including robberies with pistol-like-objects and
serious narcotics cases as well as the number of young persons arrested
for crimes.
On the anti-triad front, KE maintained a firm
grip over related activities. Throughout 2003, three large-scale
operations against youth crimes and one prolonged undercover operation
against drug trafficking activities, particularly involving youngsters,
were mounted. In addition, joint efforts continued with the Customs
and Excise Department to combat the unlawful selling of duty-not-paid
cigarettes, illicit fuels and pirated optical discs.
Operationally KE also committed considerable
manpower to policing a number of festive events, such as those at
Wong Tai Sin Temple and Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery.
Crime KE led the Region to launch the CCTV and Knowledge Management
projects to best capitalise on advances in information technology
to enable speedy response times to be achieved within the Region.
In 2003, the continued expansion of rail networks
greatly increased our commitment to railway policing. The Mass Transit
Railway District was renamed as Railway District in June in anticipation
of increasing policing demands. The first phase involved full policing
of the KCR West Rail, which came into operation on December 20,
2003.
During the SARS outbreak in April 2003, the
professional pride, courage and dedication of KE officers helped
beat the disease by successfully tracing 115 affected households
in Amoy Gardens over a three-day period.
Kowloon West Region
In 2003, Kowloon West (KW) Region witnessed
an increase in the overall crime rate of 12 per cent. Given the
number of entertainment premises in the Region, enforcement action
against illegal drug activity was maintained. Drugs raids carried
out within the Region achieved a 91 per cent success rate last year
with heroin remaining the predominant drug seized. Arrests for heroin-related
offences accounted for 34 per cent of the total arrests. In 2003,
644 persons under the age of 21 were arrested in relation to drug-related
offences.
In response, Regional resources remained committed
to targeting those responsible for the distribution and supply of
illicit drugs as well as maintaining enforcement action including
"controlled buy" operations at black spots that were identified
as being breeding grounds for such activity.
In response to concerns from the local community,
joint enforcement actions of Yau Tsim District and KW Regional Units
as well as with the Immigration Department were taken throughout
the year, targeting street soliciting, illegal Mainland sex workers
and organised gangs controlling and profiting from the sex trade.
During the year, there were 608 triad-related
offences in the Region, representing a decrease of 11 per cent as
compared to the previous year. KW also mounted numerous operations
with other Government departments to curb street-level triad sources
of income. A large number of arrests were made with considerable
seizures of illegal items such as obscene and pirated discs.
Juveniles and juvenile involvement in crime
remained one of the Region's policing priorities, with the Region
working closely with other Government departments and non-government
organisations. In order to overcome the financial constraints on
Government resources, for the last three years KW has invited a
group of community philanthropists to form a Kowloon West Youth-Care
Committee whose objective is to help foster a proper, healthy environment
for youngsters in the Region and to run programmes. Five major projects
were undertaken during the year, including publications, workshops,
summer camps and visits to correctional facilities.
New Territories North Region
In line with the territory trend, New Territories
North (NTN) Region recorded a mild increase in overall crime figures.
Miscellaneous theft was the most significant offence. Sophisticated
policing plans and a wide range of anti-crime initiatives effectively
brought down key crimes like robbery and wounding. Burglary reports
also declined.
In an effort to reduce juvenile crime, the
Juvenile Protection Section worked closely with social workers from
non-government organisations to arrange a variety of activities
for young people. Together with the Social Welfare Department, the
Region also offered advice to parents who might have problems taking
care of their children. Elections for Village Representatives and
those for Rural Committees were concluded smoothly. The success
in policing these events owed much to the active participation of
NTN units and support from the public.
The Joint Command Centre (JCC) was commissioned
at the Lo Wu Border Crossing Point in September to handle the increase
in pedestrian flow that was expected during the "Golden Week"
Holiday on the Mainland. The JCC brought together Police, Immigration
and Customs, together with representatives from the Transport Department
and KCRC under one roof. Use of monitoring cameras and increased
liaison with relevant Mainland authorities resulted in a much smoother
flow of boundary crossers. The year also saw the completion of a
project that allows our Mainland counterparts to share CCTV signals
from along the Border Fence. This capability will provide the authorities
on the Mainland a much greater surveillance capability with a view
to further curbing illegal immigration.
New Territories South Region
The crimes reported in New Territories South
(NTS) Region in 2003 were slightly higher than the number reported
in 2002. The largest rises were seen in non-violent and opportunistic
crime such as miscellaneous thefts and criminal damage. No genuine
firearm-related crime was reported in the year and robberies saw
a significant drop.
The level of juvenile crime, as measured by
the 1119 juveniles arrested and the 866 cases in which they were
involved, dropped to the lowest level since the Region was formed
in 1993. The drop is indicative of the efforts the Region has made
by way of anti-juvenile crime publicity campaigns and the deterrent
effect of successful undercover operations.
The Region was heavily involved in the operations
to contain the SARS epidemic in the early part of the year. Tin
Sum Division, where the Prince of Wales Hospital is situated, was
awarded a Formation Commendation by the Commissioner of Police for
the Division's handling of the initial outbreak and for the formulation
of plans and procedures that were eventually adopted Force-wide.
A number of covert anti-triad, anti-dangerous
drug and anti-crime operations were mounted during the year. In
March 2003, a Vietnamese shop-theft syndicate active throughout
Hong Kong was neutralised as a result of an intelligence-based operation
mounted by Sha Tin District.
There was a downward trend in traffic accidents
in 2003. NTS officers conducted visible enforcement action as a
deterrent at known accident and speeding black spots, which was
supported by the use of speeding and red light cameras. In addition,
there was an increase in the number of prosecutions against drink
driving offenders. In July, a tragic incident took place when a
double-decker bus plunged from Tuen Mun Highway onto a slope below
resulting in the death of 21 people and 20 serious injuries. The
Police, in conjunction with other departments, mounted a well co-ordinated
rescue operation.
During the year, the Region conducted a number
of security operations for internationally protected persons who
visited Hong Kong, via the Hong Kong International Airport. The
most notable of these was the visit of Premier Wen Jiabao for the
6th Anniversary Celebration of the Establishment of the HKSAR.
Anti-terrorist capabilities were strengthened
with the addition of a tactical firing range, which enabled training
to be performed in a more realistic environment. This was augmented
by the purchase of a computer system, which will greatly aid planning
capabilities in the event of a major operation. A high level of
readiness continues to be maintained to ensure that Hong Kong International
Airport remains one of the safest airports in the world.
Marine Region
During the year, Marine Region continued to
commit resources to combating highly organised smuggling activities.
The strategic deployment of high speed offshore interceptors supported
by divisional resources in both departmental and inter-departmental
operations led to record seizures of contraband at sea. In conjunction
with Customs and Excise, a considerable amount of contraband concealed
in Mainland bound container shipments was also seized on land.
Victoria Harbour was again the scene of several
spectacular fireworks displays during 2003, which attracted large
crowds and numerous vessels. A considerable number of Marine Police
launches were deployed to police these events and to ensure local
residents and tourists alike safely enjoyed themselves. The historic
"Around the Island Race", which dates back to 1864, was
re-launched in 2003, returning to its original course as part of
a series of events designed to promote Hong Kong in the aftermath
of SARS. The participation of several international and Olympic
yachtsmen greatly enhanced the prestige of this event. |