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PPRB's replies to the media
A letter was sent to a Chinese-language newspaper on September 6 in relation to a story stating that there had been an increase in the number of indecent assault cases on public transport and to point out the fact that statistics quoted in the paper were based only on figures relating to the first and second quarters of this year and did not reveal the actual situation.
It was stated that the total number of indecent assault cases from January to August this year was 701 while those in 2000 was 736, representing a 4.8 per cent decrease. Meanwhile, the detection rate for the same period in 2001 is 67.8 per cent (475 cases) similar to that in 2000. The total number of reported cases remains stable in the past ten years.
In its editorial on September 8 a Chinese-language newspaper used the arrest of a 52-year-old man in connection with an assault case involving an artiste and the case of an alleged assault and perverting the course of justice involving six police officers as examples to illustrate that the confidence in the rule of law had been damaged. A letter was sent to the paper to refute the allegation.
In the letter, it was stressed that it was unfair, unreasonable and unwise for the paper to use the two examples as the 52-year-old man had lodged a judicial review regarding his case and thus any comments on it would be inappropriate. Regarding the case involving the six officers, it was, in fact, a good example of efforts in upholding the rule of law as it was after CAPO's investigation that the officers were charged and even after the officers concerned were acquitted in court an internal disciplinary investigation was launched to determine whether there was any malpractice.
In response to recent press reports that "quick cash" crimes had increased in Hong Kong due to the economic downturn, a press release was issued by PPRB on September 10 to refute remarks made in such reports and clarified that there was no evidence to suggest the crime situation in Hong Kong is deteriorating.
The press release noted that the overall crime rate decreased from 778.4 per 100,000 population during January-August 2000 to 712.7 per 100,000 population during January-August 2001, down by 8.4 per cent. Crime of an opportunistic nature also dropped in the first eight months of this year.
A letter was sent to an English-language newspaper in relation to an article published on September 17 in relation to a story alleging that an officer had died after jumping off the roof of the police married quarters in Fanling following an argument with his wife.
The letter pointed out the fact that the officer in question was in fact still alive and recovering in North District Hospital.
Auxiliary Police officers would not be deployed for consular premises protection in case of any threat of terrorist attacks, the remark was made by a Police spokesman in a press release in response to a newspaper report on September 18 which quoted a senior Auxiliary Police officer as saying that Auxiliary Police would be deployed for consular premises protection during counter terrorist situation. "The report is totally unfounded and no Auxiliary Police have been deployed to guard consular premises," the spokesman said. He added that Auxiliary Police officers would only be deployed during an internal security situation such as widespread civil disturbances and that their current role was that of a trained manpower reserve to support the regular Force.
(For further details check PEN)
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