Throwing the book at corruption, SACP Dick Lee Ming-kwai, Director of Management Services and FACSSC chairman: "Any form of corruption is unacceptable. We do not want to see one single case"

TO promote Force values of integrity and honesty, a new anti-corruption poster created by a professional designer, along with an aide memoire to be printed on the inside front cover of police notebooks as a constant reminder to all officers to remain steadfast in upholding these high values, will be launched shortly by Personnel Wing.

These represent two more aspects in a much larger anti-corruption strategy created by a Force vigilant to maintaining a policy of zero tolerance against any form of corruption - and are part of the Force's ongoing resolve to prevent corruption through specific measures.

Much has been done, accomplished and continues.

At the direction of the Commissioner of Police, a policy paper on Force Anti-Corruption Strategy (designed to be an infinite campaign to strengthen Police/ICAC efforts to minimise opportunities for corruption and to introduce new initiatives aimed at countering or reducing adverse influences) was endorsed by Force Management in July 1995.

The Force Anti-Corruption Strategy Steering Committee (FACSSC) was established a month later to formulate strategy and oversee its implementation. The Steering Committee is chaired by the Director of Management Services and comprises senior management officers involved in operational, personnel, training, service quality and civil administration areas of the Force, together with senior members of the ICAC's operations, community relations and corruption prevention departments.

Said SACP Dick Lee Ming-kwai, Director of Management Services and chairman of the FACSSC: "The Steering Committee promotes a corruption-free working environment for members of the Hong Kong Police by identifying factors that present opportunities for corruption. It co-ordinates and monitors initiatives to combat and minimise opportunities for corrupt activities and it devises, implements and monitors the results of strategic counter-measures to adverse influences. It also develops a Force Code of Ethics/Conduct.

"We want to make our officers more aware by improving our procedures so that there's no opportunity for corruption. Because when we discover corruption in the Force - we take action. There's no mercy at all."

Police/ICAC co-operation also includes visits by ICAC staff to Major Formation Commander meetings for informal briefings and discussion on areas of mutual interest. In addition, lectures on pitfalls of corruption and supervisory accountability are delivered regularly by ICAC members at programmes of basic training, promotion training and command courses. ICAC also reports regularly at FACSSC meetings.

Meanwhile, the Force's Training, Personnel and Service Quality Wings continuously co-ordinate initiatives of the Force Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Key measures taken by Training Wing include the formation in 1995 of the Force Anti-Corruption Sub-Committee on Training; revising the anti-corruption training syllabus at all levels; and conducting staff attitude surveys on corruption. The effectiveness of anti-corruption training is reviewed and improved continuously.

For its part, Personnel Wing's development of a Force Strategy for Fitness and a Healthy Lifestyle continues to promote physical well-being, mental health and financial prudence. It also monitors officers with unmanageable debts, issues guidelines on management of indebtedness and provides counselling and stress management workshops. And in a bid to monitor staff opinion, apart from regular visits to Formations by Staff Relation Group officers, the first ever staff opinion survey was conducted in late 1997.

Major initiatives taken up by Service Quality Wing include the creation, in 1995, of the Anti-Corruption Sub-Committee on Ethics which formulated a code of ethics incorporated into the Force Vision, Statement of Common Purpose and Values which was launched in December 1996. Throughout 1997, Living-the-Values workshops were arranged for all officers of the rank between chief superintendent and constable as well as civilian and auxiliary officers to explore the Force Values and elicit feedback on how to live up to them.

To review the effectiveness of communicating Force Values especially on integrity and honesty, a Working Group on Internal Communication of Force Values was formed in May 97. The findings of the project's first phase, completed last March, provide basis to formulate a communication strategy for improvement in phase two.

In addition, a Working Group on Internal Reporting of Malpractice and Corruption was formed last August to establish a centralised system to receive and investigate reports of serious malpractice, and to provide support, protection and recognition to officers who report malpractice and corruption.

"We encourage our officers to report whatever corruption they observe or suspect to their senior officers, and if necessary to the ICAC," said SACP Lee. "A false belief of supporting their colleagues by keeping their mouths shut, or covering up is not acceptable. We'll do our best to make sure those who report corruption are well-protected. I encourage them to be courageous and speak out."

Looking at the figures, Mr Lee remains optimistic and sees the Force anti-corruption strategy succeeding: "In 1996 we had 576 allegations of corruption made against members of the Force. It dropped to 512 in 1997. That's a fall of over 11 per cent. So far this year it's continued on a downward trend. Hopefully that will continue.

"But I want everybody in the Force to know that fighting corruption is not the sole responsibility of Force management. It's everybody's responsibility - old, young, senior, junior officer from the top down and the bottom up - regular, auxy, civilian. It is the individual officer's responsibility to keep clean, to live a healthy lifestyle, to remain free of unmanageable debt and not be compromised."

Emphasised Mr Lee in conclusion: "The Hong Kong Police Force has entered a new era where any form of corruption is unacceptable. We do not want to see one single case."