2009 International Security Congress

Said CIP Tang about the Congress: "The Congress was extremely useful in broadening my horizons by allowing me to share best practices and learning experiences. With speakers from numerous countries and agencies, including the USA, Italy, India, Japan and the United Nations, it was interesting to share different and innovative approaches to ensure safety and security in railway systems." He added that the experience and knowledge he was able to gain from the Congress would definitely be a great help for RAILDIST's continuing efforts to ensure that the railway system in Hong Kong remains one of the safest and most secure in the world.

Deputy District Commander RAILDIST, Superintendent Ray Ng, commented: "The experiences gained by Adrian showed that the many challenges encountered in policing mass transportation systems are common throughout the world and one of the key tools to overcome these challenges is sharing experiences and learning from our international counterparts. Such visits also provide us with an opportunity to showcase the ability and experience of RAILDIST."

SP Ng emphasised that such visits would not be restricted to managerial staff, adding "in line with the established policy of the District to provide opportunities for Junior Police Officers (JPO) to advance their professionalism and personal developments, RAILDIST would be exploring avenues to send JPO on visits outside Hong Kong". He also stressed that the visits would provide excellent learning opportunities for officers to make significant contributions to RAILDIST on their return.

He concluded that jurisdictions with established and developed railway systems would be targets for such visits, and in this regard it was hoped that visits could be made to the United Kingdom, the Mainland, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and Japan in the coming year.

Visiting international delegations

In April this year a delegation made up of members of the Dubai Police and the Roads and Transport Authority visited RAILDIST. The delegation, led by Colonel Abdulla Ali Abdulla Al Ghithi, visited the MTRC's Operations Control Centre and heard a briefing on railway policing in the Hong Kong context, followed by an experience sharing session with RAILDIST officers led by SP Ng. Both the guests and hosts found the meeting most interesting and enlightening.

In the same month a delegation from the Public Transport Security Command of the Singapore Police Force, led by Superintendent Andy Tan, also visited RAILDIST. With the obvious close similarities between Hong Kong and Singapore, this visit was particularly useful for both sides in discussing common areas of interest and policing strategies. During the visit, the delegation had discussions with RAILDIST officers and visited operational lines and the Police Control Room. It was also agreed during the visit to explore the possibility of setting up an exchange visit programme for RAILDIST officers and their Singaporean counterparts.

More noteworthy about the visits by the Dubai and Singaporean delegations was that both are in the process of setting up dedicated railway policing units and have specifically identified RAILDIST as a formation, with 30 years of experience in this unique field, which they could study and learn from for establishment of their own units. In this regard, both delegations found their visits extremely useful.

The most recent visit to RAILDIST was made on July 6 by a delegation from the United Kingdom's National Policing Improvement Agency, comprising Mr Kurt Eyre, Head of the International Academy Bramshill, and Superintendent Phil Jacob, International Policing Advisor, China, Asia and Pacific. Meeting with RAILDIST officers and visiting facilities, both Mr Eyre and Mr Jacob were particularly impressed with the efficiency of the railway system and RAILDIST's efforts to ensure the system's safety and security.

International experience sharing and networking are important aspects of the ongoing efforts being made by RAILDIST, allowing RAILDIST to benchmark itself against international counterparts as well as to learn and share best practices. Policing of the railway system in Hong Kong poses unique challenges in a dynamic and vibrant environment. However the challenges facing RAILDIST are not unique in an international context, and being able to learn from, and share experiences with, international counterparts helps broaden officers' horizons and boost their knowledge. This will help RAILDIST to realise its ultimate goal of ensuring that the railway system in Hong Kong remains one of the safest and most secure in the world.

The UK visitors are impressed with Railway District's efforts to ensure the safety and security of Hong Kong's railway system