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“To simply summarise what I have learnt in the past 15 months would be impossible, because it has been the most of what I have learnt in my entire career of 29 years. And I am sure most of you would feel the same,” these were the opening remarks of Acting Assistant Commissioner (Crime) (Acting ACP Crime) Yip Wan-lung delivered to an auditorium filled with detectives from Hong Kong Island Region on September 2, to mark the kick-off of a series of Operation TIDERIDER wash-up sessions tailored for Regional and District crime officers.
Organised by Crime Wing Headquarters (CWHQs), the sessions aimed to provide a recap on the handling of criminal investigations relating to public order events (POEs) and acute tips on “lessons learnt” from recent court hearings. Representative from CWHQs went through with the audiences on the “must-and-must-nots” of case handling, and made good use of the opportunity in reminding junior investigators of their obligations in maintaining and upholding the quality of prosecution work.
During the five regional sessions held in September, the attending detectives were also given glimpse, by Superintendent of the Identification Bureau Mak Sau-shan representing the Crime Support Group and Chief Inspector Cao Wai-ki of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau’s Forensics and Training Division, into the latest investigative tools and supporting services being catered or that were currently on pilot trials, which was envisaged to greatly reduce the overall processing time of exhibits or forensics examination.
A selected number of officers also shared their encounters in court during the discussion forum at their respective sessions, such as difficulties in disclosure of documents, issues on the burden of proof and insights on investigating POE offences.
Since the outbreak of the social unrest leading to Operation TIDERIDER, crime officers have weathered through a tremendous number of challenges and obstacles; but as it has all been witnessed, nothing prevented them from aiming for detection while in their lines of duty, and no piece of clue left unexamined nor any stones were left unturned. In closing at each regional session, Acting ACP Crime gave his sincere vote of appreciation to the participants for their unfailing leadership and guidance rendered to frontline detectives during the past year.
