In line with a recommendation made by the Force Study Team on the Recruitment and Retention of Crime Officers at District Level, Crime Wing has been organising overseas and Mainland visits since 2012 for District Investigation Team (DIT) officers to beef up their professionalism and broaden their horizons.

 

A delegation, led by Detective Chief Inspector Mohammed Swalikh of Yau Tsim District and comprising two detective inspectors and 12 detective officers from various districts, visited Guangdong Province Public Security Department (GD PSD) between December 9 and 12 last year.

 

The delegation first called at GD PSD Crime Headquarters, Foshan Dog Unit and Guangdong Police College and shared crime investigation experiences as well as the related challenges for frontline detective officers. 

 

The Guangdong Police College offers a three-year undergraduate programme on police-related subjects to prepare their trainees as professional police officers.  Whist in the college, the delegation members visited a new Tactical Training Centre and watched a tactical exercise demonstration. 

 

The second part of the itinerary was the visit to the crime investigation units in Zhuhai, during which the delegation members toured the Forensic Examination Laboratory at the Crime Headquarters and studied a new scanning system for taking photographs, scanning fingerprints and palm prints, and taking DNA samples all in one station.  The system aims at enhancing and simplifying the process of taking photographs, prints and DNA from arrested persons.

 

For the delegation members, the study visit offered them an eye-opening experience and a good opportunity to share and exchange experiences in criminal investigations with their Mainland counterparts and strengthen co-operation and mutual understanding.  

 

Commenting on the visit, Detective Police Constable Lau Ho-yin said: "The visit was packed with comprehensive programmes. We were able to observe the jobs of the Mainland officers and appreciated the job differences between us. These would benefit our professionalism and leadership skills." 

 

Detective Senior Inspector Ku Chun-nam and Detective Inspector Lee Lok-man shared the view that interaction with Mainland detectives gave them a better picture of the emerging crime trends and the modus operandi of the crime syndicates operating across the boundary. The establishment of a network would augur well for co-operation and closer ties with the Mainland.