AIMED at addressing juvenile delinquency, two schemes, the Youth Enhancement Scheme and Project Polar Star, have been mounted in Yuen Long.

Begun in January, 1997, the Youth Enhancement Scheme targeted students of four selected schools in Tin Shui Wai Division who were arrested for criminal offences and dealt with under the Superintendent Discretion Scheme.

The youth scheme was initiated under the leadership of then-DVC Tin Shui Wai, Bute Wing-kim, in response to the increasing number of students involved in juvenile crime in the Division.

The project, further developed by current Divisional Commander Kong Cheuk-fai, involved police co-ordination of an individual programme of counselling, supervision and self-discipline training provided by the respective schools' discipline master and social workers from the local branch of the Evangelical Church of Hong Kong Social Service Centre.

Under the project, whenever a student from one of the targeted schools is arrested for a criminal offence, a background report is obtained from the school with the consent of the student's parents or guardians. Where action by way of Superintendent Discretion is considered appropriate, an initial case conference is convened involving the student, his parents, school discipline master, social worker, and the school liaison officer from the District's Police Community Relations Office. Reasons for the student committing the offence are investigated and any immediate social, moral or safety aspects attended to. Then an individually tailored programme (comprising home visits, family conferences, peer counselling, monitoring and supervision) is created for the student.

The programme, administered by the social service centre and the respective school, lasts about six months, depending on the subject's response.

The programme is designed to assist students overcome the personal problems that have led to their offence and to develop their self-esteem, sense of identity and interpersonal skills in order to achieve a high standard of self discipline. Confidence among students is boosted through participation in adventure leadership and military-style training programmes. Simultaneous counselling to both student and parents is offered to strengthen a positive and communicative relationship between the young person and his family while at the same time reducing the negative peer pressure.

Of the 35 students taken on board during the initial six months' trial period, not a single instance of recidivism has occurred. The scheme has been well-received by students, their parents and community organisations. Initial reluctance on the part of some schools to join the scheme for fear of being labelled as problem schools has been dispelled by the great success of the trial period. The project is now extended to cover all secondary schools within Tin Shui Wai police boundary.

FOCUSING their activities in or around the school setting, School Liaison Officers under the Police Community Relations Office (PCRO) and the Juvenile Section under Yuen Long District's Anti-Triad Squad are two police units currently dealing with the steady increase in arrests involving juveniles and young people in the District.

While both units have been fulfilling their missions, Yuen Long Police think that it's time to divert some resources to other settings where juveniles and young people are constantly subject to bad influence and negative temptation often leading to bad behaviour and even crime. The targeted areas include public parks, convenience stores, fast food shops, amusement game centres, shopping arcades and other well-known haunts of youngsters.

This is the rationale for the establishment of Project Polar Star under the PCRO Yuen Long District.

The Polar Star team consists of a sergeant, and two police constables - one male, one female. The sergeant is an experienced Neighbourhood Police Co-ordinator with previous crime experience, while the constables were hand-picked and re-deployed from the Uniform Branch of Yuen Long District. All have received relevant basic training in social services and counselling and are highly motivated and innovative.

In order to achieve its objectives, the team works late-night shifts with a "soft" approach towards its "clients" - young people who are inexperienced, naive and may be susceptible to bad influences from older kids. The idea is to approach these young subjects with the offer of positive guidance to help them get back on the right track. Consent from the young person to become involved in the project is essential before the case is taken up by the team. The programme includes follow-up small-group discussions, home visits and referral services to other community organisations, outreach teams and related government departments.

Team members have been instructed that in the event of an offence being committed by anybody during the course of their encounters with subject clients, they should take immediate action as police officers in order to prevent, stop or detect a crime.

It is hoped that in the long run, the project will address the community's need to provide proper guidance to juveniles and young people who are subject to anti-social or criminal behaviour other than in a school setting. Additionally, it opens an extra channel for gathering intelligence on youth gangs leading to the prevention and detection of juvenile crimes.

Started in January 1998, the project has made a reasonably smooth start and has resulted in over 40 juveniles being approached with many consenting to be helped.

One such success was a 14-year-old girl from a broken home who just stopped going to school. She spent her days sleeping at the homes' of acquaintances and her nights hanging around fast food shops and entertainment arcades with a wild crowd. She often vented her frustration in a form of self-mutilation by cutting her arms.

Team members took a "soft" approach towards the girl and first began chatting with her at a Yuen Long fast food shop. Eventually they gained her trust and she began to speak openly to them. This led to a number of home visits. Her case is now being followed up by an outreach team of the Hong Kong Christian Service. The Project Team has also referred the girl to the Education Department for further schooling. She is now on resource teaching paving a way for the future. She will start attending a practical school where she could learn a subject of personal interest in the coming school term if a place is available.

Team members have noticed a change for the better in the girl's attitude towards her family, life and the future.

The scheme will be on trial for a year and be reviewed in August.