¡@Seventy-two percent said police service was quite good or very good, while 21 per cent considered it to be average. Only five per cent rated the service they received from police as quite poor or very poor.

¡@This, according to the first Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by police under the Force Strategy on Quality of Service.

¡@"Still, there is no room for complacency," said Michael Horner, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Service Quality), adding that the objective of the survey was to identify where there is potential for improvement to services.

¡@The survey identified the expectations and levels of satisfaction with police from those members of the public with whom it has had direct and recent contact. The survey interviewed respondents who had made reports to police last February with a total of 804 people being interviewed.

¡@Carried out by the same independent survey company which conducted the Force's 1995 Public Opinion Survey, the Customer Satisfaction Survey entailed telephone interviews with randomly selected individuals who had been victims, witnesses or complainants in recent cases of non-violent crime, nuisance, dispute, minor assault and traffic accidents involving damage only.

¡@Said ACP Horner: "These categories were chosen because of their frequent nature. A further objective of the survey is to establish the satisfaction level of the service we provided rather than concerns about individual crime.Ó The key areas measured were: Speed and timeliness in processing reports and enquiries; the performance of police officers in terms of their professionalism, knowledge and caring attitude; and the extent and relevance of follow-up contact."

¡@Only eight per cent of respondents felt that police needed to arrive more quickly at the scene; seven per cent wanted officers to be more polite; six per cent thought a more caring attitude should be displayed by police officers; while six per cent wanted more information on the progress of their cases.

¡@"The survey results and observations indicated that the overall level of customer satisfaction with Hong Kong Police service in taking reports and processing investigations is acceptable - and in some instances, high," Mr Horner said.

¡@"However, there is room for improvement in promptness, speed and efficiency in handling cases."

¡@On the reporting channels surveyed, the lowest ratings were given for telephone reports to police stations where eight respondents out of 99 ( 8 per cent) who used this channel felt the service was poor; and visits to police station report rooms where 20 respondent out of 255 ( 8 per cent) rated the service as poor.

¡@"Here it appears to be the reception process which is the problem, rather than any detailed procedural issue," the ACP explained.

¡@"There also appears to be some concern about how officers 'close' their contacts with the public - for example, not giving a clear indication of follow-up actions. It appears to be lack of interpersonal skills, perhaps, underlined by lack of procedure, which is the problem," he noted.

¡@Based on the survey results - which have been passed to different formations - Divisional and District Commanders will be looking at ways of improving the service they provide at the local level.

¡@"We will also be embarking on a year-long project to look closely at the services we provide with the aim of producing a station which can be the model for the Force in the future," said ACP Horner.