No Kiss: Traffic NTN's anti-tailgating operation makes use of technical data calculated by using markings on a highway's central divider and a laser gun operator recording the speed of offending drivers. Suffice it to say - tailgaters will be stopped and prosecuted

TRAFFIC accidents caused by tailgating has risen recently. Up to October this year, the number of traffic accidents caused by tailgating was 416, indicating almost an increase of 42 per cent when compared with the 293 cases that occurred in the same period of 1996. So tailgaters beware! Because police officers of Traffic New Territories North (NTN) have devised an effective method to collect evidence against tailgating offenders, says Superintendent Enforcement and Control Division of the NTN Traffic Headquarters Rod Colson. "The method involves the use of existing resources such as road markings, speed detection equipment and visual references to secure sufficient evidence for submission to court," he explained. Demonstrating, SP Colson and his team selected a stretch of straight highway with its central divider marked at suitable intervals. The team leader then posted one sergeant and a laser gun operator on top of a flyover or on the roadside in a position not visible by motorists. A number of officers on motorcycles were deployed as stoppers further down the road.

Once the operation commenced, the sergeant, acting as observer, selected a target vehicle approaching his location. If the vehicle appeared to be travelling too close to the vehicle in front, the sergeant ordered the laser gun operator to record the speed of the vehicle and at the same time radioed his colleagues positioned further direct the road. "The officers at the other end noted the offending vehicle and then as it passed their location, they looked across to the markings on the central divider and estimated the distance between the front of the offending vehicle and the rear of the vehicle to its front," Mr Colson said. "If the time required to stop for the offending vehicle which is travelling within the speed limit is below one second, the vehicle will be intercepted and the driver will be summonsed for 'Careless Driving'. If the offending vehicle is driving above the speed limit and maintaining a stopping time of less than one second, he may then be arrested for 'Reckless Driving'," he added. "Evidence collected by way of the method has already been accepted by the courts," said SP Colson, reminding motorists that this new type of 'anti-tailgating' operation has already commenced as it involved no extra costs to police and is co-operatively easy to mount. "Offending motorists are likely to be stopped and prosecuted without warning."

NB financial investigation course a hit
TWENTY-EIGHT members from local, mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies and government departments completed the Financial Investigation Course run by the Financial Investigation Division of the Narcotics Bureau last month. The intensive one-week course provided participants with the knowledge necessary to identify appropriate avenues of inquiry for financial investigations as well as basic financial analysis skills. Other than officers from law enforcement agencies, this year there was a member from the legal department of the People's Bank of China, who was keen to learn from Hong Kong's experience and skills in tracking illegal proceeds of crime following the decade old enactment of the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance and the full implementation of the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance in late 1994.	NB Financial Investigation course participant relishing his new certificate
Speaking to members at the end of the course, ACP CRIME, Gordon Fung Siu-yuen, said: "The fight against drugs and organised crime is the collective responsibility of all countries and requires close international co-operation. I hope this course has gone some-way to build on the relationships already in place and given each of you greater insight into the problems encountered in this area of law enforcement and the investigative skills and legal powers that are available to us in this worldwide fight." Continued Mr Fung: "There are many difficulties to be faced investigating money laundering and confiscating the proceeds of crime, especially where international boundaries are crossed. Nevertheless, with the assistance of the Financial Action Task Force, governments are taking a more hard line approach against the problem. Financial institutions are also being advised to take pro-active measures themselves." Mr Fung noted that in Hong Kong, improved legislation had assisted with investigations and that hopefully, the situation in other countries would develop similarly: "For our part we look forward to working with our international partners to locate illegal profits wherever they might be and to identify those persons involved in money laundering." The course comprised two parts which began with an introduction to financial investigation, followed by a practical exercise during which course members were split into teams to undertake asset tracing exercises. During the course, members received lectures from bankers, lawyers, accountants and representatives from securities institutions which gave them an insight into how they operate, their perceptions regarding the problem and the compliance techniques used. There were 21 local participants joining the course - 19 inspectorate officers from the Hong Kong Police and two from the Customs and Excise Department. The remaining seven were made up of five officials from mainland China and two police officers from Japan and Sri Lanka. ACP, Crime, Gordon Fung Siu-yuen presented certificates to participants on November 28 and congratulated them for having successfully completed this extensive training course.