As a metropolitan financial centre and a transport and communications hub, Hong Kong should take precautions at all times under the threat of terrorism.
The remark was made by the Police Director of Operations, Mr Tang Ping-keung, today (July 25) at a press conference to review the crime situation in Hong Kong in the first half of 2018.
Mr Tang stated that there was no specific intelligence suggesting Hong Kong will be under attack. The Force has been keeping an eye on terrorist attacks around the globe, remaining alert all the time and making deployment in light of the assessment of the current threat.
Besides maintaining close liaison with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement and intelligence agencies in exchange of intelligence and assessment of threat, Police also conduct training and inter-departmental or multi-agency exercises regularly. The Force conducted 11 large-scale counter-terrorism exercises in the first six months of this year. Reinforced exercises will be conducted at the new major infrastructures in the second half of 2018.
The Inter-departmental Counter-terrorism Unit (ICTU), comprising officers from Police and five other disciplined services, was set up in April this year.
“The ICTU will further enhance Hong Kong’s counter-terrorism capability and ensure our capability and preparedness are adequate to combat terrorism through improving counter-terrorism strategies, action plans, inter-departmental coordination, intelligence gathering and efforts in training and public education,� said Mr Tang.
Reviewing road safety in Hong Kong, Mr Tang said there were 7,502 cases of traffic accident in the first half of this year, representing a decrease of 4 per cent as compared with the same period of last year. There were 62 cases of fatal traffic accident and 82 people were killed.
As driving inattentively is the prime contributory factor of traffic accidents, Police step up enforcement against relevant offences, including careless driving, speeding, disobeying traffic signals, drink driving or drug driving, and using a handheld telecommunications equipment while driving.
A number of major infrastructural projects including the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point will soon be completed.
“Police are well prepared, putting in place corresponding measures in collaboration with other government departments. Police will ensure the smooth functioning of the roads adjoining the infrastructures through enhancing inter-departmental collaboration, conducting well-planned exercises and effectively implementing traffic control measures,� said Mr Tang.
On engaging the community, the Force garners continuous support from all sectors of the community through social media, youth engagement and various types of activities.
Police Facebook page and Instagram page have become important channels for disseminating Police information and crime prevention messages to the public and the media.
In view of a rising demand for electronic case reporting service and an increase in types of cases reported, the Force launched a new e-Report Centre in June to improve service quality and enhance case investigation efficiency.
The Junior Police Call (JPC) Scheme continues to serve as the major platform of the Force to nurture young people as leaders and partners in the combat against crime. It also provides its 4,000 ethnic minorities members with vocational training, football drills and guided tours to different police formations and other disciplinary services with the aim of broadening their perspective and enhancing their sense of belonging. From the coming September, the eligibility age for the JPC Scheme will be lowered from nine to six, and more young kids will be able to participate in JPC activities.
The JPC@Pat Heung, which was opened last August, is an important facility of the Force for promoting youth development and community engagement. Over 25,000 visitors have undergone training so far.
Mr Tang concluded that with wide support from the community, the Force achieved positive results in the first half of 2018.
Follow this news feed: East Asia