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the year the Management Services Department continued to focus on
enhanced Police service delivery through the development of cutting-edge
professional and technological initiatives. To further inculcate a
"culture of service" with pride and care for the community,
the fourth series of Living-the-Values Workshops, involving all members
of the Force, was conducted from March to October 2003. The outstanding
results of an independently conducted Customer Satisfaction Survey
testified to the success of this and all our service endeavours. We
also played our part in the fight against SARS with senior Force officers
being seconded to the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau as key members
of the Atypical Pneumonia Taskforce as well as the SARS Inter-Departmental
Action Co-ordinating Committee.
As for the future, we do not regard our achievements
as ends in themselves but as a means to continually reinforce our
culture of service and our partnership with the community. To this
end, we will continue to maintain the momentum of culture change
and to provide the Force with secure, effective and efficient information
and communication technology systems.
Information and Communication Technology
Information Systems Wing embarked on a phased reorganisation
of its structure as 2003 drew to a close. This restructuring was
aimed at enhancing the standard and efficiency of services provided
to the public and the Force through the amalgamation of common services
and functions of Information Technology Branch and Communications
Branch.
Third Generation Command and Control
Communications System (CCIII)
Collaboration between the two branches was epitomised
by the ongoing design and development of the Third Generation Command
and Control Communications System (CCIII), which will be rolled
out in three phases between late 2004 and early 2006. Embracing
advanced digital radio communication and mobile computing technologies,
CCIII is the mission-critical system that the Force relies upon
to support the 999 emergency services in the three Regional Command
and Control Centres. The system will replace the existing CCII system
that has been in service since 1990 and is facing the problem of
radio equipment obsolescence.
CCIII is a high performance and reliable system
that provides incident handling and dispatching functions to facilitate
efficient and effective Police responses to emergency service requests
from the public. Equipped with around 10 000 mobile end-user devices,
including portable radios and mobile data terminals, CCIII places
a heavy accent on a territory-wide wireless data communication network.
Reporting Online
Reporting Online is an information systems service
for the community that was first introduced in January 2001 and
that since then has seen a steady increase in usage. The facility
is accessed via the Hong Kong Police Home Page and is therefore
available worldwide. The most popular subject matter for reporting
is lost property, which is especially useful to overseas visitors
who only discover an item missing after they have returned home.
The system is currently being enhanced to interface directly with
the internal reporting system, which will allow a greater volume
of transactions to be processed with no increase required in human
resources.
Service Quality Wing
Service Quality Wing is the second "youngest"
Wing in the Force since its establishment in 1994. It has 229 staff,
of which 151 are disciplined and the remaining 78 civilian. During
2003, the Wing led Force participation in the Customer Service Award
Scheme organised by the Civil Service Bureau and won the Silver
Award for the Best Public Image, based upon votes from the general
public.
The Police Station Improvement Project, which
has proven to be a great success in enhancing Force services to
the general public, was completed in 2003. At the same time, the
Process Improvement Working Group comprising senior representatives
from different Police units was formed to conduct in-depth reviews
of working practices.
The Force formally launched the Knowledge Management
project in 2002, with the aim of capturing and re-using the wealth
of knowledge to be found inside the Force. Over the past year the
Force registered substantial progress in making the vast majority
of its knowledge available to frontline officers through the Police
Intranet.
Research and Inspections
Research and Inspections Branch assists Force
management at all levels to identify and realise practical opportunities
for improved quality and performance, including better resource
management. A new inspection process has been devised to enhance
the efficiency, economy and effectiveness of the Force as a whole.
The purpose of this inspection process is multi-faceted,
but the focus remains to address Force priorities and the setting
up of policy, implementation plans, communications and monitoring
mechanisms. Inspection teams will visit every formation over the
next three years to seek opportunities for continuous improvement
and innovations that add value.
Complaints and Internal Investigations
Complaints and Internal Investigations Branch
comprises the Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO) and Internal
Investigations Office. CAPO is responsible for the investigation
of complaints against members of the Force. All investigations conducted
by CAPO are reviewed by the Independent Police Complaints Council
(IPCC), an independent body comprising non-Police members appointed
by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR.
As a further measure to demonstrate the transparency
and impartiality of the Police complaints system, the number of
IPCC Lay Observers, who observe interviews with complainants and
Police complainees, was increased from 63 in 2002 to 68 in 2003.
In May 2003, the Complaints Index and Statistics
System (CISS), a computerised system for complaints trend monitoring
and analysis, was enhanced. Frontline commanders are now able to
access timely complaints data through the Police Intranet and conduct
research to meet Formation requirements. The enhanced CISS is an
effective management tool for early identification of complaint
trends and complainee profiles such that frontline commanders can
devise immediate and effective measures to address any problems
identified.
During the year, the public lodged 3 384 complaints
against the Police, a decrease of 11.5 per cent as compared to 2002.
The vast majority related to "neglect of duty", "misconduct"
and "improper manner". The IPCC endorsed 6 262 allegations,
of which almost 44 per cent were classified as "withdrawn",
"not pursuable" or "curtailed", and some 25
per cent were minor complaints settled by Informal Resolution. Of
the complaints that were fully investigated, 15 per cent were substantiated,
leading to 32 Police officers being disciplined.
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