"No book ... but a million memories" says Leung
As Director of Personnel and Training Robin Leung Fung-shun enters the room he laughingly declares that the one thing he will not be doing during his impending retirement is writing a book on his years in the Force. Pity...it would be an excellent publication, a fact that becomes more evident with each recollection and anecdote. Hopefully he will change his mind. Meanwhile.................
"Well, where do I start," laughed Mr Leung. "Thirty-seven years and nine months is a long time for anyone to dedicate to anything, but I must admit I have had a wonderful time during my career."
"I have actually worked in three very distinct Forces during my career - the Hong Kong Police as it was known when I first joined, then the Royal Hong Kong Police as it became later and now, again, the Hong Kong Police Force."
Commencing his career in 1964, Mr Leung admitted that in those days the Force was more of a para-military-style organisation.
"When I first joined the Force it was an all-encompassing experience. Twelve of us lived and trained at the same location. It was a very intensive six months and one of my most vivid memories was the fact that those of more senior rank were not too close to junior police officers," said Mr Leung.
"Nowadays, of course, things are totally different and all members of the Force from recruits up are encouraged to think, to analyse and to use their discretion."
Mr Leung passed out at the Police Training School and received the Baton of Honour as the best all-rounder. He then moved to Shek Kip Mei, back in the days when virtually the whole village was one big drug den.
"This was excellent training though," stated Mr Leung. "Back in those days there were many opportunities to arrest criminals and consequently give evidence."
In 1969 Mr Leung enrolled in a five-month overseas inspector's course in the UK at Metropolitan Police Training School.
"I remember the trip to the UK. The plane journey took some 21 hours and flew the route Hong Kong, New Delhi, Karachi, Frankfurt, London...quite an expedition to get to the other side of the world. I had a wonderful time over there and upon completion of the course was awarded the Baton of Honour and presented with an opportunity to enrol in a one-month police dog training course in Nottingham," said Mr Leung.
"This was wonderful for me as my English name is Robin, and it presented me with the opportunity of visiting the fictional home of my namesake, Robin Hood, which of course was Sherwood Forest, where legend has it he lived with his band of merry men!"
In the early 70's, Mr Leung was transferred to Traffic Hong Kong Island, and what a different situation it was compared to today's modern, efficient Hong Kong.
"It's hard to imagine, but back then there was no Island Eastern Corridor and no Mass Transit Railway," laughed Mr Leung.
"Many people will remember what Hong Kong was like then, and if you're too young then there really is no way to truly convey the situation. Every morning there were traffic jams from Quarry Bay all the way to Central.
During his attachment to Traffic Hong Kong Island, Mr Leung was placed in charge of the traffic operations of the first-ever Royal visit to Hong Kong by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
"The organisation involved in such a visit was something Hong Kong had never seen the likes of before and I had time to think of little else in the run-up to the arrival of the Royal party," stated Mr Leung. He was awarded a Commissioner's Commendation as a result.
Numerous rankings and postings later, Mr Leung was appointed the second officer-in-charge of the Security Wing, responsible for the protection of VIPs visiting Hong Kong as well as monitoring any possible security threats to Hong Kong.
"In 1994 I was promoted to take command of the whole wing, a position I maintained until 1996 when I was posted to the Hong Kong Island as the Regional Commander whose main responsibilities included the planning and implementation of security and traffic operations on Hong Kong Island relating to the Handover Ceremony in 1997," said Mr Leung.
"I shall leave a Force I am extremely proud of, and shall, of course, continue to observe its on-going development with more than casual interest."
He does in fact have a million more stories to tell, many which he conveyed to OffBeat during the course of the interview.
While wishing him an enjoyable retirement, we do also feel that here there is also bestseller just waiting to be written.
Circa 1986: front row 4th left: Junior Command Course Director Robin Leung, Police Staff College, Bramshill, UK
