Being a frontline officer nowadays is not easy. The educational level of people in Hong Kong is generally higher and members of the public now expect prompt, efficient service and professional advice from Police. In carrying out daily routines, frontline officers are subject to many challenges. Unfamiliar with Police regulations and procedures, people do not understand our objectives and sometimes make unreasonable demands. Also, with the increasing awareness of human rights, members of the public are eager to utilise our well-established complaint mechanism, sometimes even abusing it, which puts Force members under great stress and undermines morale.

As society develops, people not only expect Police to fight crime, they also expect a high level of quality service and the raising of minor CAPO complaints is evidence of this. The Force today requires a high degree of tolerance and professionalism, and has to strike a balance between crime control and service quality. Change is inevitable and we must adjust our attitudes and core values accordingly. We must value what we have today and enjoy our work. In fact, we must all work together to achieve higher levels of professionalism in order to gain support and respect from our clients - the general public.

Consideration, tolerance and tact are important. Constant awareness and implementation of these fundamentals is necessary in order to be a successful frontline officer. You will find your job more interesting, meaningful and rewarding!