'Project Village Watch' wins big support
To secure support by the local community for tackling rural crimes, Tai Po District (TPDIST) rolled out "Project Village Watch" in August. Under the project, Crime Prevention Ambassadors were recruited and briefed on the latest crime trend and crime prevention knowledge.
The project has not only forged a closer partnership between TPDIST and the rural community in combatting rural crimes, but also broadened the police criminal intelligence-gathering network in the remote areas of Tai Po. A three-month pilot scheme of the project started in Tai Po Division on August 23, covering seven villages, namely Ha Wong Yee Au, Lung Mei, Hang Ha Po, Yue Kok, Yuen Leng, Ting Kok and Tai Po Tau. It is expected that TPDIST would extend the project to all the villages in the district if the results of the pilot scheme are satisfactory.
On August 23, TPDIST held a seminar for the Crime Prevention Ambassadors, where officers from Police Community Relations Office, District Intelligence Unit and Regional Crime Prevention Office of New Territories North gave 42 ambassadors from the seven villages a wide-ranging briefing and exchanged views with the volunteers.
Immediately after the seminar, TPDIST Commander Paul Stripp and his deputy, Senior Superintendent Chan Yee-lai presented to the Crime Prevention Ambassadors certificates of appointment.
Among the large gathering of guests lending support for the event were District Officer of Tai Po, Mr Lee Kwok-bun; Chairman of Tai Po District Fight Crime Committee, Mr Kwok Wing-keung; Vice-chairman of Tai Po Rural Committee, Mr Li Yau-hing, and more than 20 prominent community leaders, including rural district council members and representatives from the rural districts.
Commenting on the project, Mr Kwok said: "Establishment of a village volunteer team to help police disseminate crime prevention messages and gather intelligence would enhance police-community communication. I am confident that the project would help reduce rural crimes and make the rural area a safer place to live."
"Project
Village
Watch" enjoys a big support by local community leaders-
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