Off Beat

PTU Passing Out

WACP Wong Leung Kam-shan, Regional Commander NTN, reviewed the Passing Out Parade of PTU X-Ray Company as Inspecting Officer on 5 June 98.
X-Ray Company consists of four platoons, drawn from NTN Region. Each platoon is commanded by two inspectorate officers, including four Women Inspectors.

The Company underwent twelve weeks of Internal Security and Field Patrol Detachment Training at the Police Tactical Unit in Fanling, and after passing-out commenced a four-week attachment to the border in Lok Ma Chau Sector based at Queen's Hill.
Following the border attachment, the Company will commence a 20-week attachment to NTN Region and will be based at Tai Po Police Station.

Enter the dragon

RECENTLY more than 1,000 people stood hand-in-hand to form a one-kilometre long human chain along the west bank of Shing Mun River in Sha Tin (together with participants in 20 locations around the world) to promote the "21st Century Chinese Dragon of Education", a school fund for children in the mountainous regions of China.

Human chain in Sha Tin

The charitable event was a trial run organised by Hong Kong Police Senior Inspector Ling Kim-kong, who hopes one day to extend the human chain 2,800 kilometres from Hong Kong to the Great Wall outside Beijing. All he needs are the people . . . 2.8 million, SIP Ling reckons.

Despite the vast numbers, Mr Ling, who has participated in five charity walks in China (including the recent Sowers' Action "Walk to Beijing" which raised close to $20 million for an educational trust for mainland children), feels confident that it can be done and has created the Dragon Education Foundation to help make his dream a reality.

"Because of the meaningful nature of the activity, people all along the 2,800 kilometre route would be willing to participate. It would only take about an hour of their time," said Mr Ling. "The most challenging part is to organise, contact and get all those people sponsored. I am confident that it could be as successful as the International Challenge Day, and the human chain could be eventually extended around the whole world."

Mr Ling is enlisting the help of fellow police officers, his friends here and overseas, as well as the many contacts he made along the "Walk to Beijing" route. He has also drawn a lot of interest and support for the charity project via his homepage on the Internet. For more information on how you can become involved phone/fax SIP Ling evenings on: 2513-0998. Or check out his website: http:/home.netvigator.com/~chdragon.

Abrogation of "Right to Silence" for Police Officers in Non-Criminal Investigations

A RECENT judgement from the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal confirms that a police officer's right to silence during an internal investigation of a non-criminal nature, of which he is the subject, has been abrogated by Section 30 of the Police Force Ordinance, Cap.232. This Section stipulates that every officer shall obey all lawful orders of his superior officers whether given verbally or in writing and shall obey and conform to police regulations and orders made under the Police Force Ordinance.

It therefore follows that where a police officer is subject to a legitimate internal investigation of a non-criminal nature, he is required to assist that investigation and cannot invoke the common law privilege of not being required to answer questions.

If an officer refuses to answer such questions, he renders himself liable to disciplinary action under regulations 3 (2) of the Police (Discipline) Regulations, Cap.232.