A group of bank staff were commended by the Force not long ago for assisting the police proactively in arresting suspects or minimising losses in fraud cases. Choi Ka-pik, who is a bank manager as well as auxiliary (AUX) police constable (PC), is among the commended personnel. Ka-pik and her twin brother Ka-chun have decided to join the Force since their childhood under the inspiration of their father, a retired sergeant. In 2008, Ka-chun took the lead and succeeded. Ka-pik passed the recruitment test six months later. Majoring in Business Administration at university, Ka-pik gained a foothold in the business sector at that time and chose to develop her career in business eventually.

The sharing of her brother’s work details often reminded Ka-pik of her dream to become a member of the Force. Under the encouragement of her family members and friends, she joined AUX finally. When she was stationed in a Patrol Sub-unit of Central District after her training in 2021, she probably didn’t expect that becoming an AUX officer not only fulfilled her dream, but also opened another door for her career.

In 2022, the bank at which Ka-pik worked needed to recruit new blood to join the newly established Anti-fraud Unit (AFU). As she met the required conditions in terms of academic qualifications and experience in addition to her policing knowledge, she was recommended for internal transfer to become the manager of AFU.

Ka-Pik points out, “The extensive scope of the bank’s AFU covers analysing fraud cases, promoting anti-deception awareness and improving the staff’s ability to respond to fraud and emergencies, as well as handling bank security matters.” These duties are similar to policing work and require close collaboration with the Force.

Taking the case for which she was commended as an example, Ka-pik received a report from a branch employee that a man often deposited rubber checks. She suspected that fraud might be involved. After analysis, she speculated that the fraudster might commit another crime again. Hence, she coordinated with the Force in advance and notified the branch staff to stay alert. Soon, the man went to the branch to deposit another rubber check as predicted. Ka-pik immediately notified the Task Force Sub-unit of the District and successfully caught the fraudster red-handed.

On one hand, Ka-pik applies her experience as an AUX officer to her primary job. On the other hand, her business knowledge also facilitates her policing work. When the report room receives cases involving commercial crimes and fraud, she will provide professional advice to her colleagues. In addition, she is familiar with bank operations and can provide the most appropriate help to victims of fraud. She recalled that she once handled a case in which a female student from the Mainland was cheated in an online fraud. She assisted the frightened victim step by step in contacting the bank to freeze the account against further losses. She also retained evidence related to the case to assist in the Force’s future investigation.

Being able to utilise her professional knowledge and apply her talents in both positions, Ka-Pik says, “Both jobs shoulder the responsibility of preventing and fighting crimes, and the accumulated experience and knowledge also complement each other. Although juggling two jobs can be busy, I enjoy them.” She encourages those who want to serve the society to join AUX so that they can expand their social circles and horizons, and potentially create more possibilities for their own lives, as what she is doing now.