"ONLY a few years ago Tung Chung on Lantau Island was a sleepy fishing village with a few hundred residents," said Police Force Director of Operations Ng Ching-kwok at the recent opening of Lantau District Headquarters and Lantau north Divisional Police Station.

Thanks to the mammoth development of the area in support of projects for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, all that has changed.

"Back then, Lantau was part of Marine Island District under the command of the RC Marine," continued Mr Ng. "In April 1994, an interim police station was opened in Tung Chung in order to police the buge projects in the area. Two years later, in April 1996, the command of Lantau Island was transferred from Marine Region to New Territories South Region and it was re-named Lantau District. This ended over 100years of Marine's responsibility for the island."

All the while, the Government has continued with its plans to develop 810 hectares of Tung Chung and Tai Ho on Lantau Island north into a new town in five phases which will sustain an estimated population of 320,000 by the year 1011. Over 20,000 residents moved into the first phase of housing projects at Tung Chung in 1997.

In connection with this north coast infrastructure development on Lantau and the new airport, the Lantau District Headquarters and Lantau North Divisional Police Station was opened on 21 February. Other new police facilities of North Lantau Island include Siu Ho Wan Vehicle Pound, Lantau Traffic Zone Operational Base, JPO Quarters, facility and equipment rooms, as well as Police Poste along the MTR Tung Chung Line and the Airport Express Line which are also coming on stream.

To cope with this rapid expansion, said Mr Ng, the strength of Lantau North Division increased from 26 officers in 1996 to 102 at present with the situation under regular review: "The new station at Tung Chung being fully operational and manned today is testament to the effectiveness of the Force's forward planning and an indication of the importance placed on maintaining law and order by the Hong Kong Government."

On departure of Lantau North Division, the vacated interim accommodation at Wong Nai Uk will be temporarily taken over by the Lantau Traffic Zone, while on departure of the Lantau District Headquarters, the vacated Cheung Sha accommodation has been taken over by the Lantau South Divisional Headquarters and Crime Lantau South.

"The Planning and Development Branch of the Force has been involved in the building of Lantau District Headquarters and the Lantau North Divisional Police Station since November 1991,"said WCIP Fondie Pang of P&D. "The construction of these two facilities started in October 1995 and took about two years to complete at a cost of $94.46 million."

Located on a 5,200 square metre site, the seven-storey facility includes the District and Divisional offices, report room, Transport office dog kennel, changing rooms, barracks, barber shop, property office, fitness centre, messes and laundry room.

"The report room, with wood finishing, features a reception counter designed to be warm, open and user friendly," said WCIP Pang. "The site is sufficient to expand the existing station if the need arises."

To cope with traffic using the North Lantau Highway and the road system within Tung Chung new town, a $15 million vehicle compound project located on the Siu Ho Wan reclamation area was completed. The pound features vehicle detention, examination and weighing facilities and will be run by Traffic NTS.

Following the expansion of the MTR Line to the new airport and Tung Chung, two new lines (namely Tung Chung Line and the Airport Express Line) will be added to the MTR system. The existing MTR Police Control Room at Kowloon Bay will be relocated to Tsing Yi MTR station by phases beginning from now to March 2000. An additional office and barracks for 70 police officers of the Tung Chung Line and Airport Express Line will be Provided in Tsing Yi Divisional Station.

At present, Police facility and equipment rooms are built in each MTR station with four police posts at the Central, Admiralty, Kowloon Tong and Tsim Sha Tsui Stations. In the future, all stations along the Tung Chung Line and Airport Express Line will have their own police facility and equipment rooms, with police posts located at all Hong Kong and Kowloon Stations which are to be equipped with in-town check-in facilities.

"Two adjoining sites comprising 5,500 square metres adjacent to the Lantau district headquarters will be developed into the lantau traffic Zone Operational Base and a JPOs working there, as well as officers in other districts, will be attracted by the new quarters and the short travel time which is expected to be about 30 minutes to or from Central."