Crime Officer Mentorship Programme
grooms young officers to meet challenges
Crime Wing held an inauguration ceremony for its Crime Officer Mentorship Programme at Police Headquarters on August 5. The programme has a promising start in appointing a Head Mentor, a Deputy and two Assistant Head Mentors, 19 Mentors in-charge and 100 Mentors.
At the same time, the first batch of 25 Police constables, who have just passed out from Police College, and aspire to exploring the work of crime busters, has been selected as Mentees.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Ng Ka-sing pointed out that the mentorship programme was one of the recommendations made by the Force Study Team on Recruitment and Retention of Crime Officers at District Level after reviewing the work of frontline crime officers. The programme aims at attracting young officers with potential and high calibre to join the crime stream at the early stage of their police career, and helping them prepare for meeting the increasing challenges of criminal investigation work.
"With advanced technologies as well as new legislation and case handling procedures coming on stream, criminal investigation work has become more challenging. But the job satisfaction and sense of pride are indescribable and unforgettable. I believe the mentorship programme would perpetuate the fine legacy and traditions of detective work and the valuable experience of professional investigators," Mr Ng noted.
Eligible Detective Station Sergeants, Detective Sergeants and highly recommended Detective Police Constables have joined the mentorship programme as Mentors. They will make use of their leadership and communication skills to coach and share with Mentees their job satisfaction and team spirit experienced in detective work. Programme Manager, Chief Superintendent Yu Mun-sang noted: "We hope Mentees would appreciate the significance and challenges of criminal investigation work and choose to make an early start in developing a career in the crime stream."
Head Mentor, Woman Superintendent Yuen Suet-fan, has high expectations of the mentorship programme. She noted: "We will arrange both Mentors and Mentees to take part in activities at their own time. These activities will include visits to the units in Crime Wing Bureaux and frontline Formations, as well as experience sharing sessions, where seasoned crime officers will share their knowledge and skills such as statement taking, video recording of interviews and court attendance procedures, etc. All these will lay a good foundation for Mentees to take up the challenges of crime work, as well as other daily constabulary and minor investigation duties."
High hopes for Programme
In interviewing a group of Mentors in-Charge, Mentors and Mentees, OffBeat found out they had high hopes for the mentorship programme. A Mentor in-charge, Detective Inspector Hau Lai-man from Regional Special Duties Squad of Hong Kong Island, pointed out: "Planning started in May this year, and subsequently we received applications for Mentors from over 200 officers. We also had over 50 applications for Mentees. One hundred officers have been selected as Mentors with training in mentorship and coaching skills to enhance their effective communication with the Mentees and help them develop their potential."
A Mentor, Detective Sergeant Cheung Sing-nin from New Territories South Regional Intelligence Unit, pointed out that some new frontline officers in his Region were interested in crime work. Giving them guidance and training in investigations shortly after their departure from Police College would definitely be a big help for their jobs.
Another Mentor, Detective Sergeant Sit Sun-wa from Commercial Crime Bureau, said: "I hope the Mentees would join us after getting a good picture of our job through the mentorship programme."
In the views of the third Mentor, Woman Detective Senior Police Constable Wong Nga-ki from Wong Tai Sin District Anti-triad Squad, the mentorship programme would benefit young officers' career developments. "Officers who have just left Police College normally have little experience. Therefore, getting Mentors' guidance would bode well for their future career development," she noted.
Their three Mentees, Constables Chui Man-chung, Sin Ho-lun and Yip Sau-ling, just passed out from Police College on July 23.
"I was interested in the mentorship programme when my instructor told me about it. I hope I may have the guidance by my Mentor so that I can find the proper course for my career development," said PC Chui.
Sharing his colleague's views, PC Sin said: "Crime work - from gathering evidence to appearing in court - can be regarded as a 'one-stop service'. The mentorship programme would help me find my directions and benefit frontline jobs."
"I came to know about detective episodes mainly from television programmes, but the mentorship programme will enable me to know more about real police criminal investigation work and units from another angle. A crime officer who is involved in investigation of a case from start to finish would be able to get a big job satisfaction," said WPC Yip.
Deputy Head Mentor, Detective Chief Inspector Lo Ting-hei, is convinced that the mentorship programme would bring more new blood for crime duties. "It is a privilege to be a crime investigation officer. In handling crime cases, they are offering a service to members of the public and will get more opportunities to advance in their career. We attach importance to the mentorship programme so that Mentees would get their jobs done after becoming members of crime busters' big family. It is hoped about 200 Mentees would benefit from the programme in the coming two to three years," he said.
Mr
Ng presents appointment letters to the Head Mentor (fourth right in
front row) and Deputy Head Mentor (fifth left in front row) and
recruitment letters to the Mentees