Our frontline officers enjoy two 15-minute tea breaks during each shift. The two tea breaks are significant and alleviate weariness and pressure. However, there have been complaints against our colleagues about their misconduct during tea breaks such as avoiding payment, enjoying special discounts, absence from duty, misconduct and so on. What are the reasons for these and how can such complaints be prevented?

To understand the reason behind these complaints we must look back at traditions of the Force and how they developed. In the 60's and 70's when corrupt practices were common, Police frontline personnel adopted the habit of eating at cooked food stalls for free. As time went by it was said that food stall owners would merely ask for nominal payment from the police officers for anything they ate. During the 80's and 90's policemen who went to tea still enjoyed special discounts or offers. There were incidents during which uniformed frontline officers were photographed by the media enjoying tea together. Other officers were reported to have been misbehaving at tea in public by talking loudly, using foul language or smoking in full view of the public.

In fact, the Force has always had strict regulations regarding tea breaks. In the old days the said misconduct would not have invited many complaints as the public knew very little about their rights and they also tended to think the Complaints Against Police Office shielded wrongdoers. Nowadays, even the smallest example of misconduct results in numerous complaints. Things have changed. The public is better educated today and have higher expectations of us. As a result there are more complaints. Our officers, particularly the less experienced ones, think that old habits of the past are still tolerated today. With such an attitude they could quite easily become complainees. Of course, some complaints are malicious or result from ignorance of Police procedures, but others are the complainees' fault.

To prevent complaints from members of the public our frontline officers must be aware of expectations in today's world regarding their behaviour and not think or act in the old ways of the past. Second, in light of complaints resulting from ignorance of Police procedures on the part of the public, Police Public Relations Branch or Police Community Relations Offices should promote transparency of police procedures. Last, but not least, to avoid complaints of misconduct we must be self-disciplined, maintaining our professional image at all times by being mindful of our behaviour.

Apart from maintaining law and order and protecting life and property, we must also provide high standards of quality service to the public nowadays. Each of us must therefore make a concerted effort to satisfy any reasonable requests by members of the public, gaining resulting public confidence as well as support. Most importantly, we shall notice that the number of complaints lodged against members of the Force will be minimal.

(Article by CPC member and Sergeant Eric So Kwan-yeung of Mong Kok District)

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