Training lands PC on path of continuous studies
Can Force training help an officer cultivate a habit of reading and learning? Police Constable Chiu Ka-ho from the Intelligence Liaison Section of Marine West Division started forming such habit on the day he joined Marine Region.
With great zeal to serve society, Ka-ho joined the Force in 2004 after completing Form 5, and later received various types of training for a Marine Police Constable, including courses on Marine Police Efficiency Certificate, Marine Police Coxswain Certificate, survival at sea, first aids and fire-fighting, all taking about three years to complete.
He confided that training was hectic and hard, requiring him to cultivate a habit of reading, learning and seeking advice from his superiors. The habit later turned into an interest that eventually landed him on the path of continuous studies.
Embarking on continuous studies
From 2005 to 2006, Ka-ho completed an advanced diploma course on Professional Education for Police at the Chinese University. He said the course enables him to carry out his duties more objectively and rationally. He pointed out that the course also enables trainees to understand why the criminals commit crimes and law-breakers' mindsets.
He later took a distance-learning course in business management from the University of Management and Technology and obtained a Bachelor Degree in 2009. He took a great interest in subjects of personnel management and learned how to communicate with people from different sectors.
Ka-ho considers both courses suitable for him and his job. He pointed out that Marine Police Officers often caught people trying to sneak to Hong Kong by sea routes. If the officers questioned the illegal immigrants with an authoritative manner, the latter normally would not co-operate and eventually would resist and refuse to speak up.
"If you take a hard stand with them, they wouldn't co-operate with you. On the other hand, it is better to try to understand why they left their families and entered Hong Kong illegally. Then they would feel you are concerned about them and would start talking and co-operating with you," he noted.
Ka-ho finds that such approach also works for intelligence gathering because officers might obtain from the illegal immigrants more information about the "snake-heads" in the interest of operations against illegal immigration.
While pursuing continuous studies, Ka-ho had worked on shift in patrol sub-unit and in-shore patrol team. Therefore, he is grateful to his superiors for making adjustments in his duty roster for his studies. He noted: "Many of my colleagues have responded to the Force's advocacy of continuous studies and there is an ambience of learning among them."
Striking balance
Speaking of striking a balance among his job, studies and family, Ka-ho said his mother had criticised him of "taking your home as a hotel" and his girlfriend had complained that he spent too little time with her. "I made use of the communication skills I've learned, and my family and girlfriend eventually supported my studies."
Ka-ho and his girlfriend will tie knot in October. Through OffBeat, he wants to share with his colleagues an encouragement for him from his fiancée: "Everyone wants happiness, no one wants pain. But you can't make a rainbow without a little rain."
