OffBeat's 30th Anniversary
The very first issue of OffBeat was published
on January 24, 1973 and it has been in continuous production ever since.
The anniversary issue, No 744, will be published on January 22 next year.
It started life as a black-and-white monthly publication.
What was news 30 years ago?
The front page featured the 20th Anniversary Dowman Road Race which, of
course means that OffBeat will be sharing its 30th Anniversary with
the Dowman's 50th Anniversary. Special Branch Inspector, Mr Martin Rigby,
won the event with the PTU Inspector, Mr Roy Bailey, coming in a very
close second. Also on the front page of that first issue
was news of a 'pre-computer age' efficiency breakthrough. A new 'Crime
Complaints' booklet, OffBeat announced, was soon to be introduced
to speed up the recording and circulation of copies of each complaint.
The first ever OffBeat front page
There cannot be many serving members of the Force who
remember the days before beat radio! And fewer still who can imagine
policing without it. A Page 5 article brought the exciting news that the
Force was planning to give beat radios to all frontline officers
patrolling the urban areas. Nowadays, of course, coverage is territory
wide and officers on the beat are in constant touch with supervisors and
can even access databases to confirm the identification of persons
questioned.
Do you remember when . . .
Do you have an interesting or simply amusing story you would like to share with OffBeat readers during our anniversary year? OffBeat invites serving and retired officers to send in articles (photographs if possible) which contrast conditions, equipment and practices of today with those of yesteryear. Send to: sio-off-beat-pprb@police.gov.hk