Changed changing room: CP Tsang Yam-pui samples improvements to Wan Chai Police Station

Wan Chai officers get the latest Force information from an LED display

Regular and Auxiliary officers ranked Inspector to Superintendent, and their civilian equivalents, are set to participate in the second part of the Living-the-Values Workshops Wave III, May 14 to June 30.

Participants would discuss in detail opinions and suggestions concerning internal communication, integrity and honesty raised by Junior Police Officers and civilian equivalents during the first part, run from November to April. Initial management feedback and improvement suggestions would also be studied.

Topics discussed and views gathered during section two would be consolidated for the benefit of section three workshops in July for Regular and Auxiliary Senior and Chief Superintendents, and their civilian equivalents.

Launched in early November, Living-the-Values Wave III focused on internal communication, integrity and honesty.

With a bottom-up approach, junior officers were the first to express their views and opinions to their commanders so prompt improvement measures at local levels could be considered.

Commanders would then consolidate the views and initial feedback from management for discussion during the next level of workshops to help enhance Force internal communication.

Completing part one in February and March, Wan Chai Division adopted a number of effective new initiatives to enhance internal communication and was complimented by Commissioner Tsang Yam-pui during a visit on May 2. About 500 junior disciplined and civilian officers attended 10 workshops, with most conducted by Divisional Commander Yu Mun-sang. Responding to officers' requests for improvement, the Division embarked on a three-month Internal Communication Manager trial scheme. Sub-units elected their own representatives to collect views and opinions from Police Constables on a wide range of issues including policy, objectives, operations and welfare.

IC Managers then passed these on through existing internal communication channels such as Work Improvement Teams, welfare and JPO Association representatives as well as their own sub-unit commanders. They could also discuss the issues personally with formation commanders.

"I must stress the trial scheme does not take over the role of Sub-unit Commanders and other relevant parties as a communication channel, it is a supplementary tool. Messages from the management will continue to be disseminated through sub-unit commanders," Mr Yu said.

IC Manager PC Chung Hon-lim said: "Being the same rank and working closely every day, my colleagues trust me and are willing to talk to me on how they feel about topical issues in the hope I will duly reflect their views to the management."

Wan Chai officers could also approach the management direct through the DVC Hotline by calling the telephone number of the confidential registry during Sundays and public holidays. Their messages would be recorded and played by the DVC or other designated officers for follow-up action.

Mr Yu added: "We are now considering setting up a designated line to facilitate officers, as so far the Hotline has received a number of calls praising this new initiative. IC Managers are also using the Hotline to reflect their colleagues' views. Officers are encouraged to identify themselves when making phone calls."

Frontline officers, especially those on patrol, worked mostly outdoors and had difficulty accessing Force messages and information. So an LED display board at the compound of the Wan Chai Police Station and a public address system in changing rooms were brought in.

Messages broadcast covered issues of Force-wide concern, such as the Director of Operations' recent briefing on enhancing frontline safety and police coverage, the crime situation on different Wan Chai beats, commendation recipients, along with sports, recreation, welfare and other news.

Wan Chai officers were also making full use of existing channels to boost internal communication including open forums on training days, their Resource Centre, notice boards, suggestion boxes and Work Improvement Teams.

WIT member Sergeant Law Kin-man said: "I have been a WIT member for two years and seen for myself how far the Force has gone in terms of internal communication, by the establishment of more and more viable channels. Officers nowadays are more willing and confident to speak, and make their points knowing their opinions are taken seriously by the management."

Sgt Shum Hing-kiu, who participated in the JPO workshops, shared Mr Law's view, adding that the wide variety of communication channels available now were all working towards the same goal. Officers could choose the one they preferred most.

Concluding, Mr Yu said he had prepared a report incorporating JPO views and opinions expressed in earlier workshops, together with management feedback and improvement measures in place (and in the pipeline), and presented it to the District Commander.

"I will take our JPOs' concerns and views to the next higher level of workshops for discussion and experience sharing among members and our facilitator," he said.

"We will closely monitor the effectiveness of the initiatives in Wan Chai and make any necessary fine-tuning. However, there is never a fixed time frame as far as internal communication is concerned. Officers should make use of every opportunity available to put across their views."

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