The Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (HKAPF) organised the first-ever Auxiliary Undergraduate Scheme (AUS) Orientation Camp at JPC@Pat Heung on November 10 and 11 for undergraduates who have applied to join the HKAPF. More than 100 undergraduates from 14 tertiary institutions participated in the camp to gain a better understanding of auxiliary police work and prepare themselves for the recruitment selection process.

To encourage auxiliary officers who graduated from the scheme to introduce family members, friends and classmates to join the HKAPF, the camp's organising committee, led by Superintendent (Auxiliary) Anna Lau, conducted a series of briefing sessions from June to October. Ms Lau said, "The newly graduated AUS members best understand their classmates' concerns. Their fresh experience in the HKAPF helped attract their classmates to join the camp. They were invited to serve as team leaders in the camp so that they could contribute to and learn from the training, and reflect on their objectives in joining the HKAPF."

The camp featured a variety of activities, including physical fitness training, beat incident exercises, laser gun shooting, foot drill training and a sharing of interview skills. Campers also participated in adventure activities and attended a mini-concert staged by the HKAP Band Cadre.

On the evening of November 10, Deputy Commandant HKAPF Cheng Man-sum, Senior Superintendent of Auxiliary Support Bureau Mark Anstiss and many senior auxiliary officers joined a barbecue gathering with the campers. Mr Anstiss expressed his gratitude to the organising committee for their efforts. He said that the camp was a new and more proactive approach towards AUS recruitment, providing an opportunity for the undergraduates to better understand the selection process and training of Auxiliary Police. Peer influence is more effective than recruitment advertisements, he added.

A survey showed that over 90 per cent of the campers gave eight marks and above out of 10 for the camp, and that the most popular activities were crate climbing, shooting and fitness test. They proposed to extend the camp to three days, and enhance the physical challenges of the training activities. Most participants said that they would recommend their friends to join the camp next year. They also thanked the HKAPF for organising the camp, and were looking forward to be part of the HKAPF.

The effectiveness of this new approach to Auxiliary Police recruitment will be evaluated as the participants progress through the recruitment process. If it proves successful, similar events may be organised in future.