Hong Kong's fight crime ambassadors gained an insight into how Australia tackles youth crime, and how the Australian education operates, during an eight-day trip to Melbourne and Sydney late last month.

Learning woodwork craft in a secondary school in Melbourne

The ambassadors, aged between 13 and 22, were winners of the "Hang Seng Bank - Help the Police Fight Youth Crime Competition 2004" launched in March to enhance youngsters' alertness against crimes and encourage them to help Police fight youth crime.

The trip offered a rare opportunity for the ambassadors to know more about the day-to-day work of different formations of the Australian police, including water and mounted sections. They also visited police stations, cells, and other related facilities.

In Melbourne, the ambassadors visited two secondary schools to learn about the campus life and education system in Australia. In one school, the Australian students gave their guests from Hong Kong a warm reception, and danced with the ambassadors to the music provided by the Victoria Police Show Band.

"It is an effective way for the Victoria Police to foster their communication with youngsters with musical shows," said Lai Hiu-yan, the youngest ambassador.

The ambassadors were enlightened on youth crime prevention measures through exchanges with the Australian police and youth organisations. They learned that the Sydney New South Wales Police had set up a youth organisation to help teenagers-at-risk through sporting, cultural and community activities. The organisation even made graffiti one of the clubhouse activities so that youngsters can indulge in such act in a legitimate setting.

Ambassador Chan Kwan-ki, who is also the Best Junior Police Call Leader of this year, said, "The clubhouse activities are creative and conducive to the healthy growth of young people and would be effective in preventing youth crimes."

In return, the ambassadors briefed their hosts on the current crime situation in Hong Kong, and on how the Force tackles the related problems.

Apart from fight crime knowledge, the ambassadors also knew more about the customs, traditions, history and culture of Australia.

They learned how Chinese workers contributed to the flourishing mining town of Ballarat near Melbourne more than a century ago. Before going into a former gold mine, they tried their luck in panning for gold!

Personal developments

As far as personal developments were concerned, the trip had the added value of providing the fight crime ambassadors with an opportunity to show their skills of tackling an untoward incident when Tsang Shuk-kuen, a third-year student of the Hong Kong Education Institute, fell sick on the day to fly to Sydney. Her roommate, Mak Ho-ling, and other ambassadors had taken good care of Tsang before she recovered, displaying a high team spirit and cares for others.

"They were very concerned about me, and had helped me recover quickly. They not only accompanied me to the hospital, but also took care of my luggage," Tsang said gratefully after her recovery.

The delegation rounded up their trip with a meeting with media representatives at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Sydney before returning to Hong Kong.

The "Hang Seng Bank - Help the Police Fight Youth Crime Competition " is a biennial event organised by the Force with sponsorship from Hang Seng Bank and Qantas Airways Limited and co-organised by Television Broadcasts Limited.

Open to primary, secondary and tertiary students, the competition has attracted a record number of more than 120 000 entries this year, the highest in a single crime prevention competition organised by the Force.

The 15 winners have made it to the top by excelling in different challenges, including essay writing, leadership exercise as well as tests on presentation skills and English proficiency.

The competition culminated with a TV Fight Crime Variety Programme cum Prize Presentation Ceremony at TVB City on July 31, with Commissioner Lee Ming-kwai, the Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, Mr Vincent Cheng, and the Commercial Manager Sales of Qantas Airways, Mr Johnny Choi, attending as officiating guests.

The programme was broadcast on TVB-Jade Channel on August 6.

(More photos on Photo Features)

The Commissioner, Mr Vincent Cheng and Mr Johnny Choi officiate at the TV Fight Crime Variety Programme cum Prize Presentation Ceremony at TVB City