In many pickpocketing cases, the Force's anti-pickpocketing team always engages in challenging battles of wits with the culprits. An anti-pickpocketing expert, Station Sergeant (SSGT) Man Tat-fai from Railway District, shared his work experience with our readers.

Serving for over 30 years in the Force, SSGT Man is a peer adviser on anti-pickpocketing work under the Force's Peer Adviser Scheme. When he took part in anti-pickpocketing operations in the early days of his service at Task Force Sub-unit, his identity was often revealed and so the operations ended in failure.

Despite repeated setbacks, SSGT Man sought ways of improvement and has eventually grasped the key of identifying pickpockets in a crowd. He will first get familiar with the crime scene, work out different contingency plans and then tell his teammates to go into a crowd to look for targets. After multiple attempts, SSGT Man led his teammates to arrest over 200 pickpockets, including a number of seasoned culprits, and brought them to justice.

Battle of Wits

One of the cases was about a pickpocket who had committed crimes for years but had never been arrested. Under close observation by SSGT Man and his teammates, the pickpocket was finally caught red-handed. After being arrested, the pickpocket spoke from the bottom of his heart, "Sir, you have won a convincing victory!"

Another case involved a gang of three pickpockets who tried to steal a tablet from a tourist. SSGT Man and one of his teammates spotted the act. When he was about to intercept two of the suspects, he found that his teammate was chasing the remaining suspect. When he assisted his colleague in subduing the remaining suspect, the other two suspects ran away. A week later, SSGT Man found that the two fled suspects attempted to commit crime again and he immediately arrested them. SSGT Man recalled that the judge and the defence counsel repeatedly questioned his memory at the trial. He asserted to the judge that he remembered clearly the suspects' appearance because he was upset for letting the suspects flee last time though the first case took place one week earlier. The judge accepted SSGT Man's statement and sentenced the two offenders to 36 months of imprisonment.

Winning this contest of wits or having been able to punish the wicked gave SSGT Man great satisfaction. He would be even happier and proud of himself if he could guide people to perform good deeds and rehabilitate. A few years ago, SSGT Man found an arrested youngster shivering due to nervousness. He tried to console him, telling him that it was never too late to rectify. Later, the youngster wrote to the Force to express his gratitude and thank SSGT Man for helping him to lead a new life.

Nurture the Juniors

Various formations often invited SSGT Man to share his valuable experience in anti-pickpocketing. He encourages fellow officers to devote to work and advises new colleagues not to be fear of hard work. Officers should perform their work wholeheartedly and their efforts will be recognised. Members of the public will be happy to tell others their good work, and this will bring them satisfaction.

In the remaining two years of his service with the Force, SSGT Man hopes to pass on his expertise to fellow officers and have a wonderful career to look back on. In future, he could tell his children and grandchildren his good deeds in the Force.

If you wish to share your story in Yung Shu Tau, please email the article to storytelling@police.gov.hk.