APTDIST's community-policing initiatives get support
Since November last year, Airport District (APTDIST) has been running a community-policing project known as "PRE-EMPT". Feedback so far indicates that the airport community supports the project.
APTDIST's other community policing initiatives include communicating with its airport partners through the Airport Security Communication Network (ASCN) and operating a Task Force Hotline as an additional channel for airport staff to report suspicious persons, activities or objects. In addition, APTDIST has organised security workshops to promote the message of "Security is Everybody's Business" and to make the airport community more aware of crime prevention and terrorism.
To show appreciation of the airport community's support for Project "PRE-EMPT", Airport District Commander, Senior Superintendent (SSP) Siu Chak-yee, recently hosted a lunch for over 100 members of the community. He also presented letters of appreciation to five frontline airport staff for alerting the Police on the Task Force Hotline of suspicious incidents. These prompt reports resulted in the arrest of six persons for "Using a False Instrument", "Possessing a False Instrument" and "Obtaining Property by Deception".
"If the airport staff had not called the Police without any delay, we would not have been able to race to the scene and apprehend the culprits before they could get away." SSP Siu noted. He emphasized the importance of the close partnership between the Police and the airport community, and thanked them for their continued support in maintaining the Hong Kong International Airport as one of the safest airports in the world.
"The Task Force Hotline has received 33 calls since November last year, six of which have resulted in successful arrests. Most of the calls came from retail shop staff while the others included reporting of unattended baggage by 'airport ambassadors' and reporting of suspicious persons by toilet cleaners. Over 800 airport staff members from 13 companies have attended the security workshops. For ground staff, APTDIST has tailor-made security workshops for them," SSP Siu added.
Encouraged by the response from the airport community, APTDIST will continue to run Project "PRE-EMPT" to hammer home the message of "Security is Everybody's Business".
Mr
Siu
greatly
appreciates the support rendered by the airport community