A 24-member study group recently attended a weeklong training course at the Guangdong Police College in Guangzhou under an agreement on training exchanges between the Force and the Guangdong Public Security Bureau (PSB). The course is the first of its kind offered to Force members by the Guangdong Police College.

Led by Superintendent Chan Wan-lung from Junior Police Officer Development Learning Division, Training Wing, the study group comprised one Chief Inspector, four Senior Inspectors, four Sergeants and 14 Police Constables from different formations. They hoped to learn more about Mainland's legal system and social developments so as to meet the challenges arising from increasing integration with the Mainland, in particular the Pearl River Delta.

The study group had attended lectures on various topics, including structure of the Guangdong Police, cultural and historical developments of Guangdong, comparison of the criminal proceedings and investigation systems of the Mainland and Hong Kong, cross-boundary crimes, fast response mechanism of the Guangdong Police and neighbourhood policing in Guangzhou, etc.

The study group had also visited the Huangpu Military Academy, the construction site of the "University City", the Command and Control Centre and a police station in Guangzhou.

During an interview with OffBeat, SP Chan said all the officers were very impressed by the advanced technology used by their Guangdong counterparts. "For example, in the Command and Control Centre, they can monitor all key protected locations on closed-circuit television by using the Global Positioning System. This enables the police to make a fast response to any incident," he added.

SP Chan was also amazed to learn that Mainland crime officers, besides investigation work, also take on other jobs, such as laboratory tests and forensic examinations, which fall within the purview of the Government Laboratory and Forensic Pathology Service in Hong Kong.

SP Chan appreciated the warm hospitality and arrangements by the PSB. "From board and lodging to classroom lectures, everything was carefully planned and executed.

"The lectures were very comprehensive and useful. We now have a better idea of the work of the PSB, and this definitely will be a big help to co-operation in combating cross-boundary crimes," he said.

One of the group members, Woman Police Constable Elaine Ngai of Police Public Relations Branch, told OffBeat that the study tour had absolutely widened her perspective of the fast developments on the Mainland. "Like the Hong Kong Police, our Mainland counterparts also place emphasis on improving service quality. For example, they have a flow chart showing the procedures and time required for applications for household registration. This gives applicants a better idea of the progress of their applications.

"However, it's a pity we didn't have a chance to stay with them and see how they work. I hope it could be arranged in future," said WPC Ngai.

Officers are updated on construction progress of the "University City" in Guangzhou