CPC Series:
Alert to public expectations vital

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(An Article by Sergeant Hui Tin-yau of North Point Division)

An officer who becomes a target of complaint may lose both self-confidence and the ability to carry out his duties efficiently. His mind may also be in a confused state, not knowing what to do next. He may probably blame himself for it, and at the same time feel that his superiors neither understand nor support him. When confidence among colleagues reaches this point, team spirit will certainly recede and our overall efficiency seriously undermined.

Most complaints are related to rudeness, vulgarism, misconduct or neglect of duty and they are of a minor nature. However, we must not take such complaints lightly because they could harm our service quality and tarnish the Force's image.

We know well that the Force operates around the clock and expect the public to lodge complaints and request for assistance at any given time. Victims of robbery, accidents, theft, loss of property, etc., may require prompt Police attention. In such incidents we have to face and handle distraught "customers" very carefully.

We come into contact with members of the public in our daily duties, including stop-and-search operation, arrest of crime suspects, issuing of fixed penalty tickets, traffic control, and illegal hawking. And any action taken, which the community considers unreasonable, a challenge will be mounted to question the authority of the Force.

We are always at the receiving end. Those who contact us for help must have had an unpleasant experience. We therefore must be well aware of what the public expects from officers.

We should adapt to change and broaden our thinking. Free ourselves from our established ways of doing things, enhance our ability to think positively, develop an analytical mind and be more open to outside comments. We should have a good grasp of what members of the public feel about us, so that we can perform our duties more efficiently.

In our rapidly developing community, public support for the Police is vital. People expect quality service and absolute competency. Bear in mind that our effectiveness depend on how much the public understands, trusts and supports us.

Below are three examples for colleagues to mull over.

1. An officer in a hospital emergency room phoned his superior to report a case of a dying old man whose life doctors failed to save. His death was subsequently reported to the officer and the old man's family. At that point, the officer phoned his superior in front of the deceased family members, saying: "Look, I said he would certainly die." Do you think the officer's superior will respond by appreciating the "smart prediction"? What would the old manÕs family think and say about the officer?

2. A Policeman handled a nuisance report in a residential flat and succeeded in stopping a mahjong session. He then knocked at a room door saying: "Mr Wong, they have stopped the mahjong game. Any more problems?" Do you think Mr Wong was impressed by the officer's notification? Will his action help to improve the relationship between the mahjong players and Mr Wong?

3. A retired secondary school teacher in his sixties reported that he had lost a fortune through fraud. The first questions investigating officers asked were: "How did it happen? Haven't you seen the Police Magazine TV programme?" They continued: "These types of cases have been broadcast frequently, and yet you were not careful. Be smarter from now on ..." Will the retired teacher appreciate Police professionalism in this incident?