Balances in Law Enforcement Column
Work Pressure - 'a blessing in disguise'

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For Sergeant Lui Pak-cheung and Woman Police Constable Lee Kwan-yau of Central Division's Task Force Sub-Unit (TFSU), work pressure is a blessing in disguise, having spurred on them to work hard and emulate colleagues who have done a good job.

WPC Lee regards work pressure as a "driving force". She explained: "When the other teams in my sub-unit had done a good job, I felt a certain amount of pressure and the urge to do better. So work pressure is a kind of driving force, which motivates me to work hard and compete with my colleagues. But this is a healthy competition, not a vicious one!"

"Finding water in a desert"

SGT Lui said his work motto is "finding water in a desert". "I see a problem as a challenger. I face up to challenges instead of getting out of their ways. I also commit myself to, and take responsibility for my own actions!" he noted.

Speaking on TFSU jobs, SGT Lui said the challenges lie in the facts that he and his colleagues have to work in uniforms or plain clothes in different and fast-changing situations, and have to tackle different types of crimes, ranging from robbery and burglary to deception, theft and pickpocket, etc.

WPC Lee said: "We've to take the offensive! We've to study the crime trend to find out what the thugs are up to, and come up with different strategies. In particular, we've to keep an eye on syndicated crimes involving conspiracy between local and overseas criminals."

With regard to uniform duties, WPC Lee said maintaining law and order during petitions or rallies put a lot of pressure on police officers. "The challenges of the job are keeping the situation under control, preventing untoward incidents and looking after the safety of the crowds. These are by no means easy jobs!" she noted.

Pressure and setback

Both officers said they had also been subject to work pressure and setback in their previous postings. SGT Lui had gone through such situations on two other occasions - a traffic accident and working as Assistant Duty Officer (ADO) in Report Room, while WPC Lee had struggled to adjust after her transfer to Uniform Branch (UB) from Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB).

Recalling the traffic accident, SGT Lui said he and his teammates were returning to Happy Valley in a police car for refueling about 4 am in March 2000 after carrying out an anti-burglary surveillance on the Peak when the car crashed against a roadside fire hydrant in poor visibility. As a result, he and several teammates were injured.

Being the officer-in-change of the anti-burglary operation, he accepted responsibilities for the accident, but the prospect of facing disciplinary hearing and investigation of the accident had bothered him for nearly six months before he was cleared of any blame. Despite this, SGT Lui continued applying his work motto and, with the encouragement and support of colleagues, had pulled off many successful operations.

SGT Lui then went on to recount how he had managed to adapt to his previous job as ADO in Report Room. He said initially his main handicaps were unfamiliarity with administration support work, resistance to technology and ignorance of computer knowledge. "I was a computer illiterate, and didn't even know how to operate the FCIS, but I realised I couldn't do my jobs properly without overcoming these problems. Eventually I managed to master the computer and all work procedures within three months," said SGT Lui.

In the case of WPC Lee, work pressure came in the early stage of her career when she was posted to CIB as soon as she marched out from Police Training School about 14 years ago. She had worked in CIB for seven years, and pressure and stress had mainly stemmed from the fact that she had to remain tight-lipped about her job to outsiders. "I couldn't talk about my job to anybody, not even my parents, so I took fishing as a means of relieving pressure. Fishing gives me serenity and peace of mind to reflect on problems and find solutions," she noted.

She experienced another type of pressure upon being transferred to UB from CIB. Virtually not having any uniform duty experience, she was a bit apprehensive of her new jobs in station. At one time, she worked with SGT Lui in the same Report Room, where she eventually managed to adapt herself to new jobs and new work environment within six months, with the help of SGT Lui and other colleagues, plus her own efforts. Her keys to success were "never hesitate to ask for help from colleagues for problems, and for advice and support from friends outside the Force for relieving stress".

Job satisfaction

Despite pressure and setback, both SGT Lui and WPC Lee said police work had brought them job satisfaction, and they are proud of being members of the Force.

SGT Lui said he derived job satisfaction mainly from bringing criminals to justice, and from media reports on his successful operations, as well as the challenges of work, while WPC Lee said her list included public recognition of police work, services to the community, supervisors' appreciation of a job well done, and promotion prospects.

Both officers have their own methods of achieving balance between work and personal life.

Besides fishing, WPC Lee takes reading as another method. "Reading can stimulate your thinking, apart from bringing knowledge and wisdom," she noted.

SGT Lui, married with two sons, sees family support as a great help for coping with pressure. He therefore puts "family above everything" and maintains good relations and communication with his wife and children.

"I always talk with my wife about my work and problems. I'm very lucky that my wife trusts me and gives me full support for my work," he noted.

SGT Lui recalled that a couple of years ago, he felt an unknown pain on the chest. Fortunately, the pain went away after he had taken up jogging. Since then, he has been maintaining his health and fitness with regular exercises.

Both officers' wisdom lies in their readiness to face up to problems with a positive approach. SGT Lui's approach is: "Constantly strive for the best, and never give up!"

Comments by Psychological Services Group

The interview with SGT Lui and WPC Lee has given us a better appreciation of the changing nature and pressure of police work. It has also shown that a positive belief and maintaining a balanced life are indispensable for this kind of professional work.

SGT Lui seeks to overcome adversity with the belief of "finding water in a desert", which incidentally tallies with the findings of psychological researches on "locus of control". "Locus of control (LoC)" pertains to the extent one can control things happening in one's daily life. SGT Lui tends to exercise "internal LoC" with the belief that success or failure are under his control, and is willing to take responsibility for his own failure. On the contrary, those with "external LoC" believe that individuals can hardly influence destiny. To them, success is just a stroke of luck, and failure is the result of mistake on the parts of society, institutions and somebody else. Many research findings show that people with "internal LoC" face up to pressure more actively with better psychological adjustment and adaptability than those exercising "external LoC". SGT Lui's "internal LoC" tendency allows him to put up with hardship and ably face up to the setbacks arising from work and the challenges posed by new technology. No doubt, there are things in life, which are out of our control, rendering extreme "external" and "internal" LoC impracticable. We have to strike a balance between the two, believe that we have mastered our life to a great extent, to learn to accept the things that we can hardly change, and then actively improve those that we can change.

Moreover, SGT Lui, just like many others in the same age, had worried about suffering from a heart disease due to a chest pain. This calls for prompt medical attention. If the possibility of developing diseases has been eliminated after thorough check-up, one should then evaluate the level of stress. Feeling of pressure and pain on the chest could be the physical reaction of chronic stress and anxiety. SGT Lui's resort to exercise is a wise move to deal with the problem. Regular exercise of suitable amount is the best method of relieving pressure. Exercises not only enhance the functions of heart, lungs and blood circulation system, but also ease the negative impact of stress on physical and mental health.

The case of WPC Lee has also inspired another type of wisdom. She has made good use of her social support network, capable of finding suitable targets for support in different situations. Sometimes she looks to colleagues for instrumental support in work, and friends outside the Force for emotional support. Besides social network, WPC Lee, who has to remain tight-lipped about her confidential work, takes to fishing to enjoy momentary serenity and peace of mind. Many psychological researches have confirmed that those who have acquired social support of higher quality and quantity, and possess multifarious coping methods, are more capable of adapting to stress. WPC Lee has set a good example of adopting different methods to cope with her stress successfully.

Psychological Services Group

Seek advice and help from the PSG: 2866-6206 (5th floor, 111 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay). PEN: psg@police.gov.hk

(All cases will be kept in strict confidence.)