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To foster a more harmonious and positive workplace, the Complaints and Internal Investigations Branch (C&IIB) has introduced since August 1 a range of initiatives to enhance comprehensively the mechanism for handling sexual harassment complaints.
C&IIB Helpline
The C&IIB Helpline has been launched to provide a confidential and direct channel for officers to seek advice and lodge complaints related to sexual harassment issues. To ensure confidentiality, all conversations on the Helpline will not be recorded, offering reassurance to officers seeking help. Meanwhile, to ensure impartiality in investigating and handling sexual harassment complaints and alleviate the workload of frontline personnel, C&IIB will be responsible for all sexual harassment cases to be handled by “Investigation”.
Revised PGO and FPM
Police General Orders (PGO) and Force Procedures Manual (FPM) 26-22 on Sexual Harassment Complaints and 26-23 on Internal Reports of Misconduct or Malpractice and the Staff Support System have been revised for officers to understand more clearly their role and responsibility, and intervene proactively inappropriate behaviours. All complaints about sexual harassment will now be collectively referred to as Sexual Harassment Complaints, instead of Formal Complaints or Informal Complaints, highlighting the Force’s serious attitude towards handling such matters.
Enhanced support to officers
To ensure that the complainants will get more appropriate support, C&IIB has lifted the rank requirement for appointment of Support Officer that the appointee should be at the rank of inspector or above. Instead, any officer one rank higher than the complainant can now be appointed as a Support Officer. C&IIB has prepared aide-mémoires that provide personal briefings to each Support Officer to help Support Officers and Handling Officers fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
C&IIB has been briefing major formations on the optimised mechanism in the second and third quarter this year. A short video has also been published on the P-TV platform to introduce the initiatives for officers to get relevant information. Officers can also visit the Sexual Harassment Prevention Corner under the IM Corner on POINT for information.
