(Translation) Minutes of the 13th Meeting of the 5th Wan Chai District Council Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Date: 14 November 2017 (Tuesday) Time: 2:30 p.m. Venue: District Council Conference Room, Wan Chai District Office, 21/F Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Present Chairperson Mr NG Kam-chun, Stephen, BBS, MH, JP Vice-chairperson Dr CHOW Kit-bing, Jennifer, BBS, MH Members Ms NG Yuen-ting, Yolanda, MH Mr LEE Man-lung, Joey Ms LEE Kwun-yee, Kenny, MH Ms LEE Pik-yee, Peggy Mr LAM Wai-man, Wind, Anson Mr WONG Wang-tai, Ivan, MH Miss YEUNG Suet-ying, Clarisse Mr CHENG Ki-kin Dr TANG King-yung, Anna, BBS, MH The Hon TSE Wai-chun, Paul, JP Ms CHUNG Ka-man, Jacqueline Representatives of Core Government Departments Mr CHAN Tin-chu, Rick, JP District Officer (Wan Chai), Home Affairs Department Miss WONG Wing-yee, Amy Assistant District Officer (Wan Chai), Home Affairs Department 1 5th term_wcdc_min_13_e Ms CHAN Siu-ping, Daphne Senior Liaison Officer (Community Affairs), Home Affairs Department Mr KAN Kai-yan District Commander (Wan Chai), Hong Kong Police Force Mr CHAN Kit-fung Police Community Relations Officer (Wan Chai District), Hong Kong Police Force Ms CHAN Sin-nga Assistant Commander (Operations) (North Point Division), Eastern District, Hong Kong Police Force Miss YIP Hau-yu, Hannah District Social Welfare Officer (Eastern/Wan Chai), Social Welfare Department Mr LAM Chi-keung Chief Engineer/ Hong Kong (2), Civil Engineering and Development Department Ms WONG Wai-ching, Daisy District Lands Officer/ Hong Kong East, Lands Department Ms LEE Pui-ling, Becky District Leisure Manager (Wan Chai), Leisure and Cultural Services Department Mr KAR Wing-fuk Chief Health Inspector 2 (Wan Chai), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Mr HO Kwan-hang, Albert Chief Transport Officer/Hong Kong, Transport Department Representatives of Other Government Departments and Organisations for agenda Mr Stephen LO, PDSM, PMSM Commissioner for Police item 1 Mr WONG Kin-wai, Anthony Business Director, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Mr WONG Wo-ping, Peace Chief Officer, Policy Research & Advocacy (Social for agenda Security and Employment), The Hong Kong Council item 13(d) of Social Service Ms WONG Wai-yin, Dorothy Officer, Policy Research & Advocacy (Social Security and Employment), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Absent with Apologies Mr LUK Chi-kwong Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong East), Leisure 2 5th term_wcdc_min_13_e and Cultural Services Department Secretary Ms WU Lai-shan, Alexandra Senior Executive Officer (District Council)/ Wan Chai, Home Affairs Department Action Opening Remarks 1. The Chairperson welcomed Mr Stephen LO, Commissioner for Police to the 13th meeting of the Wan Chai District Council (WCDC) to exchange views with WCDC Members. The Chairperson also extended welcome to Ms CHAN Sin-nga, Assistant Commander (Operations) (North Point Division) who attended the meeting on behalf of Eastern District of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), Ms Daisy WONG, the new District Lands Officer/Hong Kong East of the Lands Department (LandsD) who attended the meeting for the first time, and Mr KAR Wing-fuk, Chief Health Inspector 2 (Wan Chai) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) who stood in for Mr LAU Chi-keung. 2. The Chairperson told the meeting that Mr LUK Chi-kwong, Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong East) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) was unable to attend the meeting today due to other engagements. 3. The Chairperson asked Members to note the papers and the agenda with suggested discussion time on the conference table. He reminded them that a maximum of three minutes were allowed for each Member to speak in respect of each agenda item. Meeting with Head of Department Item 1: Visit by Commissioner for Police 4. The Chairperson asked Mr Stephen LO to briefly introduce the work of HKPF. 3 5th term_wcdc_min_13_e Action 5. Mr Stephen LO briefed Members on the crime prevention and anti-crime activities organised by HKPF in Wan Chai District, the overall crime situation of the territory in the first nine months of 2017, the statistics and detection rates of different crimes, the overall crime and law and order situation of Wan Chai District, measures taken by the Police against various crimes, as well as the work for raising youngsters’ awareness of crime prevention and crime fighting and enhancing their sense of social responsibility. 6. Mr Joey LEE stated that Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies had been included in Wan Chai District since 1 January 2016. At present, most of the government departments provided services to Wan Chai District via their Wan Chai offices. However, the distribution of business among police districts remained unchanged, with the work in Wan Chai District being shared by Eastern and Wan Chai Police Districts. Since Wan Chai and Eastern Police Districts each took charge of half of his constituency, it was inconvenient in terms of administration and operation, and members of the public wondered why the distribution of business between police districts remained unchanged despite the inclusion of additional constituencies in Wan Chai District. Moreover, both Wan Chai and Eastern Police Districts needed to send representatives to attend WCDC meetings, leading to a waste of manpower. To reduce administrative work and streamline operations, he strongly demanded that both Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies be included in Wan Chai Police District. He hoped that the Commissioner could handle this matter as early as possible, so as to enhance consistency in policy implementation, streamline operations, as well as avoiding a waste of manpower. 7. Dr Anna TANG congratulated the Commissioner on the declined crime rates of various types of crimes, especially cases related to domestic violence and drugs etc. Besides, she asked the Commissioner about the recent media report on a kind of drug called khat leaves, which was also known as East African poppy. She knew that the Police had made a great 4 5th term_wcdc_min_13_e Action deal of effort to address the issue and had seized a large number of items containing this kind of drug. Noting that drug trafficking syndicates would deliver khat leaves to foreign countries via the logistics companies in Hong Kong, she asked if some of the khat leaves would be sneaked into Hong Kong. She also asked what preventive measures had been taken, and whether the Police would take actions or had any plan to collaborate with international organisations to combat khat leaves trafficking. 8. Miss Clarisse YEUNG raised the following comments and enquiries: (i) She opined that it was necessary to increase the establishment of Traffic Wardens for Hong Kong Island. At present, the establishment of Traffic Wardens in the whole territory stood at 289 (Note: corrected to 298 after the meeting), but only 81 Traffic Wardens were posted to Hong Kong Island. With a large number of vehicles parked on the roadside and a substantial number of private vehicles on Hong Kong Island, Traffic Wardens were much needed to handle matters like illegal parking and speeding, etc. For instance, Wun Sha Street and Leighton Road were illegal parking blackspots. She reckoned that Traffic Wardens should be stationed at these blackspots. Members and the Police had conducted on-site inspections for many times, but the only solution was law enforcement. She thus hoped that HKPF could expand the establishment of Traffic Wardens so that more of them could be available for frontline duties. She particularly hoped that the Police could step up law enforcement against speeding on Tai Hang Road. (ii) Regarding the rejected application by Civil Human Rights Front for using Percival Street and East Point Road for holding July 1st March, she pointed out that according to the principles of crowd management, it was not appropriate to 5 5th term_wcdc_min_13_e Action squeeze all participants into Victoria Park. Moreover, participants tended to join the march directly at the area near Causeway Bay MTR Station in recent years. She opined that for the purpose of crowd diversion, more inner roads such as East Point Road, Great George Street and Percival Street should be opened as gathering points. Since much inconvenience would be caused to the local residents whenever there was a procession, she hoped that the Police would consider other possible arrangements based on the principles of crowd management. (iii) She was much concerned about the 819 indecent assault cases in Wan Chai District as mentioned by the Commissioner just now. While the Commissioner might think that there was a downward trend in such cases since the number had dropped from 925 to 819, she hoped that the Police could strengthen the measures and support provided to the victims at the time when they made a report to the Police. She pointed out that victims of indecent assaults or sexual offences had to face tremendous psychological pressure when they made a report to the Police. Some countries would arrange for a social worker to accompany the victim when giving a statement. However, there was no such arrangement in Hong Kong, probably due to manpower constraints or other factors. She suggested that frontline police officers demonstrate more empathy or avoid obtaining a statement from the victims in the same manner as if an interrogation was being conducted. Although some questions were relatively sensitive, this approach could make the victims feel better. She believed that not only publicity targeting victims of such cases should be launched, instructions should also be provided to police officers. 9. Ms Peggy LEE raised the following comments and enquiries: 6 5th term_wcdc_min_13_e Action (i) WCDC had been concerned about the problems arising from the methadone clinic on the ground floor of Southorn Centre.