Sergeant Chan Kit-lee responded in OffBeat (Issue 713), stating that he agreed that frontline officers on patrol who behaved in this manner would, to some extent, bring disgrace upon the Force by damaging its image.

Members of the Force, a law enforcement agency, must observe strict disciplinary practices in order to maintain a positive public image. This is crucial to enhancing the image of the Force, to meeting the expectations of the six million residents of Hong Kong and to maintaining law and order. That is to say, the Force must abide by its motto: "We serve with pride and care". Discipline and image are essential if we are to earn the praise and support of the public.

Force disciplinary expectations are described in detail in the "Force Procedures Manual". All officers promised to abide by these rules at their swearing-in ceremony, however, a few of them, lacking self-discipline and being too lenient with themselves, have knowingly, or unknowingly, breached these rules while on duty.

Chapter 6 of the "Force Procedures Manual" stipulates: "A police officer, whether in plainclothes or in uniform, shall not smoke while performing any duty in the public view. This includes attendance in an official capacity at a public function, appearing on television or at a press conference, or where he/she may be photographed by the media." Is it not an apparent contravention of the rules if a frontline officer smokes in a police car in the busy streets?

Cases of a few police officers not abiding by Force procedures have been heard from time to time. For example, an officer effortlessly obtained a share application form while thousands of people queued up for hours, and even completed application procedures at a bank while on patrol duty. Such abuse of Police authority shall not be tolerated.

We police officers enjoy no special privileges. Every member of the Force is a law enforcement officer and should set an example to the public by abiding by the rules regardless of where he is or what he is doing.

The duties of officers are eradicating crime and protecting the vulnerable, maintaining law and order, preserving peace in the city and safeguarding the lives of the general public. In a word, when we put on our uniforms we are required to serve the public wholeheartedly and set aside personal considerations. Only when this is observed will the public have confidence in the maintenance of law and order in Hong Kong and the Force as well.

Some individual officers may think jumping the queue to get an application form for shares is, at most, an act of convenience rather than corruption, and certainly no big deal. This is completely wrong. They have abandoned disciplinary procedures, projecting a negative image to the public and tarnishing the Force's image.

A country has its own laws, a family its own rules, and the Force its own reasonable, and necessary, procedures. Discipline is the foundation the Force relies on to function, maintain law and order and win the confidence of the public. To guarantee Hong Kong maintains its position as one of the safest cities in the world, it is necessary to ensure that the vast majority of Force members carry out their duties faithfully, enforce and abide by the law, and at the same time observe strict Force discipline to better serve the community. We sincerely urge this small, unruly, minority to observe disciplinary procedures and to contribute positively, not negatively, to the image of the Force.