Everybody, including police officers, expects to be given a fair deal; at the same time, we, as members of the Force, have to treat others impartially, no matter they are members of the public or our colleagues.

As a matter of fact, fairness is one of the Force's core values, and some respondents to the 2004 Staff Opinion Survey have confirmed this vital issue. Therefore, "Fairness in all Our Dealings" has been introduced as the main theme of the Living-the-Values (LTV) Wave VI Workshops launched on August 31, so that every member of the Force, including auxiliary and civilian officers, will recognise and practise the principles of "Equity" , "Justice" and "Openness" while discharging all their duties.

The LTV Wave VI workshops for superintendents will discuss three video-filmed case scenarios and psychological tips will be provided on the perception of fairness, handling negative emotional states and exercising emotional intelligence. Similar workshops for inspectorate and Junior Police Officers (JPOs) will include role-play.

The LTV workshops aim at sharpening officers' awareness of and sensitivity to fairness, better equipping them with practical principles and approaches in achieving fairness in all their dealings; as well as enabling officers to put fairness into practice in their daily encounters.

The series of workshops began at the end of last month and will conclude in July 2008, using the "Top-down" format and starting with a briefing for Assistant Commissioners. The workshops for superintendents will be held in September and October, to be followed by those for inspectorate officers from November to February 2008. Lastly those for JPOs will take place from March to July next year.

Adopting the "Top-down" format is aimed at enabling senior supervisory officers to better appreciate the impact of equity on their decisions and to set an example for their staff in translating the workshop theme into action.

In an interview with OffBeat, Assistant Commissioner (Service Quality) Ma Wai-luk pointed out: "The principles of equity, justice and openness embrace officers' internal and external duties. For officers dealing with members of the public, it's a matter of not only enforcing the law but also winning their trust. They can only succeed in gaining trust with impartiality, unselected and consistent law enforcement, as well as compassion and reasonableness."

Mr Ma said that internally officers had to be sensitive to one another's feelings. "Justice doesn't mean advantages and helpfulness to colleagues!" he stressed, hoping that Force members would put themselves in others' shoes in dealing with matters fairly.

"As members of the community, officers should take up their social responsibilities and treat members of the public, their colleagues and even their family members with equity and justice. This will generate more public confidence in the Force and enhance its image," he noted.

The series of workshops has been organised by Service Quality Wing, Police College and the Psychological Services Group of Personnel Services and Staff Relations Branch, with the contents designed after discussions by focus groups comprising officers at different ranks.