Police Negotiation Cadre (PNC) officers played a role in Operation SOLARPEAK by communicating with the public at various locations, negotiating with protesters for removing barriers and re-opening emergency access as well as preventing emotional citizens from attempting suicide.
OffBeat has interviewed PNC Commanding Officer, Senior Superintendent (SSP) Gilbert Wong and three negotiators, Mr Calvin Cheung, Ms Rachel Hui and Mr Chan Chi-wai, on their missions in the operation.
Comparing with his experience of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in 2005, SSP Wong said the operation posed a bigger challenge. "We faced attacks and insults from all directions."
Mr Chan commented, "Sometimes when I just uttered a single word, a lot of people came up and surrounded us."
Ms Hui, who persuaded the public to dismantle barricades to make an emergency access on East Point Road in Causeway Bay, said, "We would have been surrounded by protesters. Some people hurled insulting remarks at our job or us and also condemned each other. We needed to maintain a high emotional intelligence and remain concentrated while trying to get police messages across."
For Ms Hui, the biggest challenge was convincing people having different views. For example, while she succeeded in persuading the person in charge on East Point Road to re-open the road, the other party assembling on the road raised objection.
Mr Cheung faced similar problems when he persuaded a man standing on the roof of a footbridge not to commit suicide. "I was standing at height, talking with him. The man trembled because he was too emotional and I was worried he might hurt himself. Some people at the scene made provocative speeches, posing a huge challenge for our job." Fortunately, with the assistance of his family and friends, the man eventually changed his mind.
SSP Wong was impressed by the negotiators' efforts to support frontline officers, reduce their stress and communicate with the public on their behalf. Even though the negotiators had to cover different areas and some of them had worked continuously for 26 hours, they remained unflinching at their posts and were reluctant to call it a day.
For SSP Wong, encouragement from the public is precious. "No matter how many hours we had worked, and no matter how we had been abused, public recognition, or even a 'thank you', will be sufficient to boost our morale."
Ms Hui added, "Family support is also very important. I did not have dinner at home for a long time, but my family always prepared desserts and soup for me."
