Lost Colonial Flag ¡@SIP NEIL J BURNETT would like to appeal for the return of a Colonial Hong Kong flag which was misplaced during the PTU Charlie Company Farewell Happy Hour on 20 June 97 in the Tsim Sha Tsui Officers' Mess. This flag was a gift to SIP Burnett from a colleague who has since left the Force. Of high sentimental importance, the flag's return to SIP Burnett (c/o Reserve, Intermediate Cantonese Course), will be greatly appreciated.

"Kojak" alive and well DEAR SIR, ¡@¡@Derek (Taff to his mates) Bere is alive and well and living in Spain. Also known as "Kojak" during his Hong Kong days, Mr Bere, who just turned 78, sends out the following to all he served with in the Hong Kong Police Force: "I'm still surviving. More than surviving. I used to have a well-known pub called Yee Olde Buffalo Bar in Wan Chai in 1957. Many people have had many a drink there and admired the buffalo head (which I shot after it killed two people) on the pub's wall. If anyone is passing through my neck of the woods please give me a call and drop by." ¡@¡@Derek Bere's phone number in Spain is: 001-34-5240-2002. ¡@¡@His address: Edificio Jul 41 2B, C/Comercio, 29730 Rincon de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain.

Police parking problems DEAR SIR, ¡@¡@DEAR SIR, I am a resident of the Tin Kwong Road Police Quarter. The following suggestions are provided for your consideration to improve the quarter's severe parking problem: ¡@¡@¡@(1) Existing holders of parking labels/permits should be allowed to keep their labels on condition that the issue of the permits is restricted to the quarter's registered tenants. Other family members should not be eligible for parking permits. ¡@¡@¡@(2) Quartering Division should also stop issuing more parking labels than there are parking spaces as is now the case. This policy should be written in the notification of application to remind the applicants. ¡@¡@¡@(3) Re-designation of existing areas for use as parking space. The area between Blocks A and B should be designated as a car park, as should the area behind the junk collection room of Block B. The hillside pedestrian walkway on the right side of the quarter's carriageway should also be re-designated as a car park. In fact, many people already park their vehicles there. ¡@¡@In addition, I think the latest announcement of a point system for applying for parking labels at our quarter will only benefit those officers who have lived in there the longest. Apart from new comers, some existing parking permit holders will also be unqualified to get permits under the new arrangement - which I feel should only be applied to new applicants. Existing parking permit holders should not be affected . ¡@¡@There should be adequate consultation with residents of the quarter before any new scheme is adopted. Sincerely, Lai Ka-cheong Reply . . . DEAR SIR, ¡@¡@Force Management is aware of the severe parking problems in JPO Married Quarters as there are too many cars but not enough parking spaces. As an initiative to resolve these problems, a pilot scheme will be conducted at Tin Kwong Road PMQ in which the issue of parking permits will be controlled by a point system. ¡@¡@Details of the pilot scheme have been passed to the occupants concerned via the Residents' Association, as well as to the JPOA. Many constructive comments have been received during the consultation period which were considered by the JPO Quarters Allocation Committee at a meeting in September 1997 before detailed rules are finalised and the scheme is put into operation. Sincerely, Cheung Kam-chuen, SP Quarters

Colour of Lanyard Dictates Safety Policy DEAR SIR, ¡@¡@I refer to the recent policy announcement by PHQ to dispense with the wearing of the whistle and lanyard ((37) in LM AI/88 dated 25 June 1997 refers). ¡@¡@On the grounds of the "safety issues" involved, I cannot comprehend the logic whereby this new policy states that officers with the Governor's or CP's Commendation . . . may wear such at their discretion". ¡@¡@The lines in "Line to Take" (ref (36) in LM AI/88) concerning "safety" are difficult to digest when one considers . . . quite a large number of officers are given a choice with regards to the of wearing of a lanyard. Surely all officers on normal day-to-day duties (indoors and outdoors) should not wear the lanyard for safety reasons. Sincerely, I L Marriott Reply . . . DEAR SIR, ¡@¡@I would like to thank Mr Marriott for his comments concerning the policy to dispense with the wearing of the lanyard. ¡@¡@The decision to dispense with the lanyard and whistle was taken only after extensive consultation with the Force. The Governor's or Commissioner's commendation is an award, and the lanyard signifying such an award worn with pride by the recipient. The consensus of opinion from the Force was that recipients of such awards should be given discretion as to whether or not they wished to wear their lanyards. Yours faithfully, C W Mitchell for Commissioner of Police

World Bank-IMF security work praised ¡@¡@The following letter was sent to ACP (Special Duties) Dick Lee Ming-Kwai (cc: CSP Tang King-shing, and SP Mike Demaid-Groves) from the Consul General of Japan . . . DEAR Mr Lee, ¡@¡@Thanks to your co-operation, the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Hong Kong successfully adjourned last Saturday. On behalf of our entire delegation. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to you and to all of your staff who dedicated themselves to maintain the security of the meeting. ¡@¡@Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka has been also impressed by your smooth operation, because he, as a chairman, had never heard any complaint about security check from the participants. ¡@¡@Once again, I thank you very much and look forward to working together in the future. Yours sincerely, Shunsuke Shirakawa Consul General of Japan

THE LIGHTER SIDE Shaming litterbugs ¡@In Malaysia, those convicted of littering will soon have to sweep the streets sporting a T-shirt bearing the words: "I am a litterbug". Housing and local government minister Ting Chew Peh said it was hoped that the public shaming would deter others. Artful dog-ger ¡@Sussex Police reported that a man walking his dog in a park had a plastic bag snatched from his hand by a young thief on a bicycle. Although the owner reported the theft to police immediately, he posted no reward for the return of the bag – which contained the dog's deposits collected by its master as they walked. Veil of secrecy ¡@As if identity issues aren't difficult enough already, two Moslem women in France could be about to set a precedent which could leave the Gendarmerie pulling their hair out. The women claim that they should be photographed with full veils for the pictures to be used on their personal ID cards. Although local officials are hoping to challenge this, one can see the potential of a terrible trend developing. How long will it be before criminals catch on and don the full gowns and head-dresses when going on their next job? ID parades may never be the same again. "Recalling all cars . . ." ¡@Police in the Brazilian city of Recife were left without transportation after authorities seized about 100 stolen cars being used by officers. ¡@Pedro Francisco da Siva, spokesman for the security department of Pernambuco, said: "It was normal practice for detectives and inspectors to commandeer stolen cars and use them as if they were their own." ¡@In a raid on the main police station responsible for dealing with car theft, officials found that all 40 cars used by officers were stolen vehicles which they had failed to return to their owners, according to The Guardian newspaper. ¡@Journalist Candace Piette reported that the state's secretary of public security, Joao Arraes, believes this may be a problem all over Brazil owing to cash-strapped forces.

Speaking of lanyards . . . in the previous issue of OFFBEAT we inadvertently ran the photograph below reversed so that CSP Blud appeared to be wearing his lanyard incorrectly on the right-hand side. We would like to thank the vast numbers of Force members who pointed out this mistake and re-run the photograph correctly for their viewing pleasure . . .