"The public does not fully understand police work and this leads to misunderstandings - such problems can be resolved with education, and people may become more civic-minded as an added bonus"

How can you avoid complaints from a public more demanding then ever? An Eastern District officer has these suggestions

To enhance communication we must deal with it externally and internally. The public does not fully understand police work and this leads to misunderstandings. Such problems can be resolved with education, especially for the younger generation, and people may become more civic-minded as an added bonus. There should be extensive publicity to instil proper concepts into all walks of life. With effective use, the media can largely enhance the Police relationship and communication with the public.

Liaison centres can be established and manned with 'Police ambassadors' to explain Force-related issues and distribute publicity pamphlets. Visits, mobile symposiums and publicity events should be conducted more often in large private and public housing estates so police work can be explained through games and activities.

Recently, the Force has endeavoured to enhance service quality and strengthen internal communication. Unfortunately the 'ladder system' of communication tends to slow and twist messages. Views or directives can be obsolete by the time they are disseminated. We should have more communication with frontline officers and, by using various facilities, provide more briefings on the background, objective, procedure and subsequent implementation of relevant policies. Officers can accordingly exercise more flexibility in their execution of constabulary duties, reducing unnecessary complaints against them.

Another concern is officers' personal attitude and quality. There is a 'black sheep' in every group and one person's rudeness can compromise the Force image. Apart from having internal reforms, we should set stricter moral standards for personnel recruitment. Our new recruitment and training directions should attach equal significance to personal abilities and ethics.

Our Force should also have an internal mechanism by which rewards and punishments may be strictly and fairly meted out. Commendations should be awarded to officers for bravery and good manner while disciplinary action should be taken against those who behave badly. This way, officers will display full devotion to duty and public complaints will fall.

Lastly, I find the issue of personal attitude equally important. Though some officers are ill-mannered and foul-mouthed, I do not think this is typical.

These bad habits are generally created by pressures - both tangible and invisible - and are a reflection of an individual's self-cultivation. Beat officers face danger, pressure and sometimes unreasonable requests from the public. Even a good-tempered, patient person can become hot-tempered. Police are human. Despite professional training and years of hard-earned experience, an officer's restraint can fail.

There should be more training on emotional control, psychological counselling, regular interviews and view-sharing to help improve attitudes and soothe emotions. Officers should also remember that swearing in public seriously hurts their image and that of the entire Force.

'Haste makes waste' - cutting complaints takes time and rigorous strategy. Instead of relying on a few individuals or a couple of plans, we need concerted effort and co-ordination among all staff for success. No matter how formidable this task is, I believe we will prevail.

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