A good start for enhancing internal communication

Commissioner Lo Wai-chung, as part of a new initiative to enhance internal communication, has started hosting informal breakfasts for officers across the Force. At the "Breakfast with CP" session held in a waiting room next to his office on July 24, CP played host to nine officers comprising an Inspector (IP), a Station Sergeant (SSGT), three SGTs, two Senior Police Constables (SPC) and two PCs.

Speaking to OffBeat about his initiative, Mr Lo said, "The way we all communicate with the public, with the media and, most importantly, with one another is never far from my mind. These breakfasts will, hopefully, provide me with another opportunity to communicate with frontline Force members and are something that I have been thinking about for some time.
 

"First and foremost, I will be using these breakfasts to express my deep appreciation for the work of the many 'unsung heroes' who do so much for our organisation on a day-to-day basis. Of course, I will also have the opportunity to get some of my ideas across, but I am really hoping that, in what I intend to be a relaxing and informal setting, my guests will use this chance to tell me in detail what they do; the challenges and difficulties that they face; what they think the Force is doing well; and, of course, where we can do better. I am confident that these breakfasts will provide me with a useful channel of communication to keep me in touch with the frontline in the future."
 

Mr Lo will be hosting nine officers at each of the breakfasts, which, subject to his availability, will be held on a weekly basis. The breakfasts will be open to all members of the Force up to the rank of Chief Inspector and officers will be nominated by their major formations.
 

A pool of officers from the Regions has already been selected and the policy wings will be asked for their own nominations later this year. Some officers have been chosen for their good performances, either at a specific incident or over a long period of time, whilst others have also been selected for their contributions to staff and community relations; their involvement in large-scale projects; or performing voluntary work for the public.
 

Stories of the 'unsung heroes'
 

In the interview with OffBeat after the "Breakfast with CP", PC Lai Cho-yiu who donated bone marrow to a patient suffering from severe leukemia in June last year said, "We had breakfast with Mr Lo in a relaxing atmosphere and everybody had nice chats with one another."
 

PC Lai needed to undergo an operation with general anesthesia and took about two weeks to fully recover. He said that if patients suffering from leukemia could be saved from the brink of death, it would be worthwhile to undergo a surgery.
 

SGT Chan Kwong-hing said Mr Lo was concerned about colleagues, underscoring the Force's caring culture. He said donating blood would only bring a small discomfort, but benefit a lot of people, "This is very meaningful and I hope more fellow officers would donate blood."
 

SGT Chan has made 256 blood donations during the past 29 years and also two bone marrow donations in 2004 and 2007. He has been nominated for South China Morning Post's "Spirit of Hong Kong Award" and the result will be announced in September.
 

IP Cheung Hoi-yee is the first woman police officer who participated in a St. Baldrick's charity event to have her head shaved bald to raise fund for the Children Cancer Fund in April.
 

After the breakfast, she told Offbeat that hair would grow again, but sick children can hardly afford any delay in treatment.
 

SGT Yeung Ming-ki and PC Chung Hing-lung said that during the breakfast, Mr Lo encouraged them to continue to work hard at their posts. To them, serving members of the public conscientiously is one of their main duties.
 

"We shall remain unflinching, try our best and get the best results, " they said.
 

SGT Yeung responded to a fire in Tai Po on July 9. During the course of evacuation, he found an elderly man inside a flat on the 33/F and carried him on his back all the way down to the street.
 

On April 5, a hill fire broke out in Yuen Long and in the course of evacuation, PC Chung found an elderly woman and carried her down a hillside to safety. His act was captured by a member of the public, widely circulated in the social media platform and later picked up by the press.
 

SGT Lee Wai-shun said life was precious. "I am glad that I can talk people out of harming themselves. People, especially the younger generation, should not do so. They should face problems in a positive manner."
 

SGT Lee responded to a case of attempted suicide on March 27, in which a woman sat on the edge of the roof of a building after breaking up with her boyfriend. She comforted the woman by sharing her own experience and eventually talked her out of committing suicide.
 

SPC Yuen Wai-kit said it was a privilege to have breakfast with Mr Lo when he could also talk to him direct and express his views.
 

Being a member of the Hong Kong Police Volunteer Services Corp (HKPVSC) and a paragliding instructor, SPC Yuen, together with more than 20 HKPVSC members, helped a lady suffering from Cerebral Palsy and Muscular Dystrophy fulfill her dream – flying to the sky in April.
 

SSGT Wong Kin-tat and SPC Chan Yiu-kin said the breakfast was a relaxing get-together. "Mr Lo encouraged us to keep up our efforts and this is the biggest recognition for us. Moreover, helping people is the source of happiness. Helping those in need and offering them services after work is a meaningful thing to do."
 

SPC Chan noted that offering assistance by using one's skills or interest, besides developing potential, would benefit people. He has been a volunteer magic tutor since 2006 and his students are mainly ex-mentally ill persons. He also performs magic at elderly homes.
 

As a member of the police volunteer team "OCTANS", SSGT Wong actively participates in charity events to help autistic children enjoy social life.