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Commissioner Siu Chak-yee, accompanied by Assistant Commissioner (Support) Chan Yee-lai and Senior Superintendent of Auxiliary Support Bureau Kong Wing-cheung, had an in-depth exchange of views with 40 Recruit Police Constables (Auxiliary) joining under the Auxiliary Undergraduate Scheme at the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (HKAPF) Headquarters on August 3. The Commissioner discussed various issues with the trainees, including how the Force enhances youth engagement and raises the law-abiding awareness of young people, police recruitment as well as the present and future of Hong Kong in the aftermath of the social turmoil.
Apart from sharing with the trainees the Force’s youth engagement work and his views on the current police community relations, the Commissioner also mentioned how the Force has strived to improve police community relations and enhance communication with the youth. The trainees candidly expressed their views on various issues. Some of them admitted that students nowadays do not have sufficient knowledge of Chinese history, causing them to have some misunderstandings about the development of the country. They hoped to have more opportunities to visit the Mainland in future in order to deepen their understanding towards the country. Some trainees expressed that they did not fully understand police work previously and they opined that the younger generation should have a deeper understanding of the Police.
The trainees also mentioned that during the social turmoil, fake news and false information aiming to smear the Police were prevalent, which influenced many young people on a day-to-day basis. The trainees felt that many young people over-relied on social media to interpret police actions and the violence across the territory, thus they were caught up in the social media swirl and unable to detach themselves from the influence of their peers, resulting in the mistrust of the Police. In addition, some biased media were responsible for the tense police community relations in recent years. The trainees also opined that raising the law-abiding awareness of young people could not rely solely on law enforcement agencies, but the whole society, especially the media which has an imperative role to play. The trainees also seized the opportunity to consult the Commissioner on how to become an outstanding leader.
Finally, the Commissioner shared his anecdotes throughout his police career, and reminded the trainees not to forget their aspiration of joining the HKAPF. He also encouraged the trainees to perform their duties with professionalism after passing out, enjoy policing work, and take pride in upholding national security, maintaining law and order and serving the community. The trainees thanked the Commissioner for taking time out of his busy schedule to share and exchange views with them. This invaluable experience boosted their confidence to rise to challenges ahead upon completion of the basic training on August 21.
