Introduced since last December, officers from the Crime Wing attend the monthly sessions voluntarily in their spare time.

"These sessions are designed to promote life-long learning, further develop officers' potential and enhance internal communications within Crime Wing," Crime Headquarters Superintendent Peter Barnes told OffBeat.

Crime Wing Senior Inspector Teresa Chiang Shui-ching, the co-ordinator of these meetings, said: "Various topics are covered, including the laws and legal system in the Mainland. We also invite specialists such as Department of Justice officials to share their expertise with our officers."

One of the sessions arranged recently was on the development of Commercial Crime Bureau's Technology Crime Division (TCD) and OffBeat spoke to three attendees and asked them for their views.

Crime Intelligence Bureau (CIB) Chief Inspector Chi Pun-chung said that the session was very informative and would definitely benefit officers' career development. "This type of meeting not only enriches our knowledge but also shows the management's strong support for its officers."

"Let's take this session as an example. I think we have become more familiar with the work of TCD and the latest trend in technology crime, a subject which is rather new to us. We know how to obtain their professional advice and what assistance they can offer.

"In the past, the sharing of knowledge amongst officers was done in an ad hoc manner, but with the introduction of a centralised forum organised specifically for officers to meet and discuss issues important to their work, I believe the management is moving in the right direction," Mr Chi added.

Narcotics Bureau Senior Inspector Gilbert Wong Kwong-hing, a staunch supporter of the scheme and who has not missed a single session said: "Just like other Crime Wing colleagues, I need knowledge or experience of other areas of Police work. These sessions provide me with an opportunity to learn about different aspects of law enforcement."

Agreeing with Mr Wong, CIB Senior Inspector Kit Tse Tsui-yan added: "The talks given by the speakers are so useful and valuable that I don't think we can obtain the knowledge elsewhere."

To further enhance the dissemination of knowledge, reference materials about the sessions are circulated within the Crime Wing through PEN. It will enable officers who are unable to attend the sessions to access the information.

Crime Wing officers who wish to attend or speak at any of these sessions or have any suggestions are welcome to contact Ms Chiang on 2860-8178.