Newsletter No. 10

CUHK Newsletter Guardians of The Servi Geographically the University has seemed to draw closer to the city ever since the train went electric and the freeway leading to Tai Po opened. The development of the new towns of Sha Tin, Ma On San and Tai Po has also brought nearer the hustle and bustle of downtown, and as a result the campus is no longer the rural haven it was some 20 years ago. Many fear that its tranquility is fading away, and that new developments pose a threat to its security. Origins of the Security Unit In the earliest days of the University, campus security was the responsibility of the Physical Development Office. The office hired watchmen, most of them senior indigenous residents of nearby villages. One can imagine the leisurely pace of these watchmen patrollin g the quiet footpaths of the primitive campus. In 1972 the University established the Fire Prevention and Security Unit. As the title suggests, fire prevention was of greater concern than security at that point in history, although bot h watchmen and firemen were employed in the unit. As the campus was so remote from the urban area and transportation networks were not totally reliable in those days, the University simply couldn't rely solely on the Government Fire Services to put out fires that broke out on the campus. Firemen working in the unit were fully trained according to the regulations of the government. An interesting anecdote from those early days concers the Unversity's unlicensed fire-engine. The story took place in 1969. Just a few days before Sir David Trench, then Governor of Hong Kong, was to officiate at the opening ceremony of the Ben j am i n F r an k l in Centre, a fire broke ou t at the construction site of the University Administration B u i l d i ng nearby. Serious damage resulted since firemen could not reach the scene early enough. Several days later, the Governor saw the damage on his way to the Benjamin Franklin Centre and upon learning the reasons, he granted the University a waiver from • getting a licence to own a fire-engine. Since then, due to the expertise of the University's fire-fighters, equipped with a fire-engine, the University has never had a fire which could not be controlled. I n 1974 fir e service and security service duties were combined because records showed that the demand for fire service did not justify a team of specially trained firemen. Staff members were retitled 'security guards'. In September 1982 ， Mr. Linus Y. T. Lau was appointed officer-in-charge t o head the unit, which was soon renamed ‘Security Unit'. Since that time it has gradually grown in strength to meet the challenges brought forth by the rapid development of the University. The Work of the Security Unit Today According to Mr Lau, there are over 80 security guards in his unit, about more than when he firs t assumed duty. Security guards wear manydifferenthat acting as campus police, firemen; the wardens, medics, and so on. The Security Unit handles a wide range of incidents and accidents. including burglary, theft lost property cases, traffic accidents, unlicensed d r i v i ng , f i r e alarms, and people being trapped i n lifts. Security 4