The email service is a major feature of the "Project Sounds of Silence" KE RCPO launched last month with the Hong Kong Playground Association Community Support Services, targeting PSDS supervisees.

Coming on the heels of KE RCPO's successful "A Card to Deliver Care" project for PSDS supervisees, "Project Sounds of Silence" represents another initiative to prevent the former young offenders from relapsing into crime by enhancing the communication between them and officers of the Kowloon East Police Juvenile Protection Section (KE JPS).

For Chief Inspector Ko Shek-cheong in charge of KE RCPO, "A Card to Deliver Care" has achieved its intended goal - to show PSDS supervisees that police, apart from exercising supervision, also have their well-being at heart. "'A Card to Deliver Care' is also well received by the supervisees and their parents," he noted.

Under "Project Sounds of Silence", CIP Ko continued, a series of activities would be held this year for PSDS supervisees and their parents, including visits to police facilities or correctional institutions, workshops for parents and programmes for the development of youths.

"We hope to fortify communication and bond with the supervisees so as to help them regain confidence and live a more meaningful life.

"By adopting a 'Multi-Agency Approach' in launching 'Project Sounds of Silence', we would expect a 'Synergy Effect', meaning there will be better results. Police and social workers used to work for young persons on separate levels in the past, but if both parties join hands and work closely, the benefits will be obvious," he said.

Referring to the email service, CIP Ko said KE JPS officers hoped "to reach out" to PSDS supervisees on the Internet by setting up an email address, Sound-of-Silence@police. gov.hk.

"The email service enables the officers to discuss with the supervisees things they don't want to say in the presence of their parents!" he noted.

According to the officer in charge of KE JPS, Sergeant Lai Ka-cheong, KE JPS has received over 200 emails since the service was launched two months ago, and every JPS officer sends a reply without delay.

SGT Lai said his officers start a day's work reading the emails. If a supervisee requires help, they would act immediately and, if necessary, would refer the case to a social worker.

Supervisees' favourable response to the email service had prompted the management to allocate KE JPS with two additional computer terminals to process emails, he added.

New interview room

In the past, KE JPS used to interview supervisees and their families at homes, but some families wished to keep police visits away from the eyes of neighbours and some supervisees wanted to keep their misconduct and problems from their families. Wherever possible, KE JPS tries to meet their requests to have interviews conducted in its office.

As there is no interview room at Kai Tak Operational Base, one of the programmes of "Project Sounds of Silence" is to renovate a statement-taking room into an interviewing room. The renovation has had the blessing of the Police Psychological Services Group, which has also suggested that the new interviewing room could be used as a crime investigation room because its setting could relieve victims' or witnesses' emotional stress.

Outstanding Supervisees Award

"Project Sounds of Silence" also features an award scheme to commend those supervisees who have regained confidence and are leading a fuller life. Under the "Outstanding Supervisees Award Scheme", 30 supervisees will be awarded letters of recognition, in addition to various prizes, including books, dictionaries and language or computer training programmes.

Besides favourable response from PSDS supervisees and their parents, "Project Sounds of Silence" has also gained public recognition to certain extent.

In closing, CIP Ko said: "Response to 'Project Sounds of Silence' has been overwhelming since its launch, with many parents even asking to take part in the related activities. We're only too glad to oblige so as to strengthen communication with them, and enable them to narrow the communication gap with their children. After the activities, they gave us positive feedback and spoke highly of the project."

The visit to Police Tactical Unit is one of the many activities organised for PSDS supervisees

KE JPS's new interviewing room at Kai Tak Operational Base