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People notice police pride
I agree with Steve Chandler's remarks in PIG PEN (OffBeat 676) that we should be proud of being a Hong Kong Police officer with pride, integrity and guts. The community's trust, respect and expectations are also reasons for our pride.
However, is this enough? While having pride in our integrity and deeds, do we feel shame or need to reflect on ourselves in the face of public censure? I think in having pride, we should at the same time know how to respect and behave ourselves. It is our behaviour, our way of handling things and attitude towards the public that really affect the Force image. Our deeds, what we say and how we behave represents the whole Force. I don't think mischief by one single officer is worth Force members being labelled negatively.
In uniform and waiting to give evidence in a magistracy recently, I saw a woman standing beside a no-smoking sign light a cigarette. Her little girl said: "Mum, smoking is not allowed here. "The woman pointed out to her that a nearby uniformed officer, whom I did not recognise, was also smoking. Seeing the confused look on the girl's face, I felt so ashamed and could not find a place to hide myself.
The public's impression of the Force is usually based on trivial matters. A remark, an action or an expression will change how people look at us, and I don't believe any sort of control is as potent as self-discipline. So for the sake of our own reputation and that of our Force colleagues, let's start behaving ourselves now.
Yim Ming
Police Constable
Patrol Sub-unit One, Cheung Sha Wan Division