10 Photos
Sharing three core values, "Passion - our belief in negotiation", "Noble - our personal qualities" and "Commitment - our solemn promise", members of the Police Negotiation Cadre (PNC) have been pursuing the mission of saving life and resolving crises through negotiation since 1975.
On November 18, Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Wong Chi-hung, Director of Operations Lau Yip-shing and Assistant Commissioner (Operations) Cheung Tak-keung officiated at the launch of a series of events to commemorate the PNC 40th anniversary, including PNC 40th Anniversary Commemoration Albums and video, exhibition boards, PNC theme song, and Crisis Negotiators' Declaration.
On December 11, the PNC held a 40th Anniversary Dinner with Commissioner Lo Wai-chung as the guest of honour. Attending the dinner were over 120 current and retired PNC members, including ex-Officers Commanding Bill McIntyre (2nd OC PNC) and Peter Morgan (4th OC PNC). The first and third Officers Commanding Tom Delbridge and Wong Doon-yee, offered their congratulations to the PNC via pre-recorded video clips.
At the dinner, the Commissioner told PNC members, "I appreciate the PNC's contributions to the Force and Hong Kong in the past 40 years, and I hope you all would continue to promote the positive image of the Force."
The PNC was set up in 1975 as a counter-terrorism unit comprising expatriate officers. The charter of the PNC was expanded to cover handling of domestic incidents involving hostages and attempted suicide in 1985 as well as large-scale public events in 2005. The PNC also renders support to frontline officers and key stakeholders in the community. In 2011, the PNC was awarded the Gold Award for "Crisis/Emergency Support Service" of the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme.
Though working on a voluntary basis, PNC members have dutifully accomplished their mission with devotion, reliability and professionalism. Officer Commanding PNC, Dr Wong Kwong-hing said, "The work of a negotiator, particularly in a crisis situation, is often neither glamorous nor easy. Nevertheless, as lives are at stake, the crisis negotiator's work can be extremely rewarding and satisfying. In this sense, the motto of the PNC - 'Who Cares Wins' - is synonymous with the Cadre's commitment to saving lives. It is a commitment shared by all the PNC members of every generation."
| Milestones of the Police Negotiation Cadre (PNC) | |
| Year | Incidents |
| 1975 | PNC was established in the wake of a series of hostage-taking incidents, in particular the Po Sang Bank Robbery. |
| 1979 | The first PNC call-out in 1979 handled a hostage-taking incident in Central, where a gunman surrendered after negotiation. |
| 1985 | PNC duties were extended to cover suicide attempts and domestic incidents involving hostages. |
| 2000 | In collaboration with organisations and schools, PNC conducted research into prevention of suicide and self-destructive behaviour. |
| 2001 | The first batch of Junior Police Officers joined the PNC. |
| 2003 | During the SARS outbreak, PNC advised the residents in the affected building to move into an isolation camp. |
| 2005 | During the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference, PNC communicated with protesters, confirming its role in large-scale public events. |
| 2011 | Presented with the Gold Award for the "Crisis/Emergency Support Service" in the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme. |
| 2012 | Formulated its Statement of Vision, Mission and Values to give a strategic direction to and unify members. |
| 2014 | Played a mediator's role between frontline officers and protesters during large-scale public events. |
