DEAR SIR,
I wish to convey my appreciation to the
Agriculture and Fisheries Department for their prompt and efficient service, and my gratitude
for the responsible and speedy action taken by a Lamma police officer, Mr Wong.
Recently I reported to the Lamma Police Station a 30-foot tree standing opposite my
house whose trunk had been carelessly chopped by unknown vandals.
Mr Wong immediately accompanied me to inspect the site and saw the danger to public
and property that could occur if the tree collapsed. He told me that he would refer the case to
the relevant authority.
Hours later, Mr Cheng from the Agriculture and Fisheries Department arrived at the site,
and after taking my statement assured me appropriate action would be taken ASAP.
A day later, an Agriculture and Fisheries Department team, led by Mr Cheng, came and
chopped down the huge, damaged tree. That same evening police officer Wong returned for a
follow-up inspection of the site.
Their work was extremely efficient. Kindly pass on my compliments and appreciation to
them all.
K M Leung,
LAST issue's letter from Jerry Maycock requesting to hear
from old mates in the Force failed to include where he could be reached.
DEAR SIR,
I am a station sergeant who recently had the
opportunity to double-up as the assistant sub-divisional commander (SIP rank) of Peak Sub-Division.
My question is whether a station sergeant in my position (salary point 28), rather than
wearing the one-star badges of a probationary inspector, should be allowed to wear the two-star
badges of a confirmed inspector - which I feel is far more suitable.
To further support my suggestion, I draw your attention to the difference between the
salary of a station sergeant and a probationary inspector, whose starting salary point is 23,
whereas my salary during the acting-up period was point 29 - which is the salary point of a
confirmed inspector.
Although the chance to act-up as an inspector was a proud moment for me and I do not
mean to criticise management, the fact remains that I am 53 years old and frankly would prefer
not to be regarded by the public as the oldest probationary inspector in the Force.
Station Sergeant Cheng Kwok-keung,
DEAR SIR,
I thank Mr Cheng for sharing with us his story
and his opinion, not least as it affords me the opportunity of explaining Force management's
position on this issue.
Before I do this, however, I would like Mr Cheng and anyone else who holds similar
opinions to imagine the very real scenario where an incident has occurred and different units
respond. For example EU and the local PSU. The EU inspector has yet to be confirmed. He is
however PTU trained and platoon commander of his shift. The PSUC is a station sergeant acting
in the rank of inspector.
If we adopt Mr Cheng's idea of allowing the station sergeant to wear the badges of rank of
a confirmed inspector, when both arrive at the scene who should assume command? The "two
pip" inspector or the "one pip". The Force expects the substantive inspector to assume command.
The Force position is this: no substantive inspector will be placed in the position of having
to take orders from an acting inspector. Accordingly, station sergeants acting as inspectors will
wear one star on each shoulder.
Mr Cheng refers to salary points in his letter. The pay scales for inspectors and station
sergeants overlap by six salary points (PPS Pt 23 to 28). This overlap allows the Force to reward
station sergeants for experience and long service. However, rewards should not be confused with
rank. A probationary inspector, irrespective of his pay point, will always be considered senior in
rank to a station sergeant.
Mr Cheng asks us to consider the practice adopted by other disciplined services. Only two
other disciplined services have provision for their NCOs to act as inspectors. One service adopts
our current practice while the other adopts that suggested by Mr Cheng. Given the nature of police
work, however, it is essential that we adopt a policy that best suits the overall needs of the Force,
and this is what Force management believes has been done.
Yours faithfully,
DEAR SIR,
Your report about P C Poon's act of courage
(in which he carried an elderly lady on his back down many flights of stairs from a burning
building), brought back vivid memories of sixty years earlier when I was part of a Hong Kong
Police team who assisted at the scene of a serious fire, but under very different weather conditions.
The typhoon which occurred in 1937 was thought to be the worst the colony had suffered
up until then, and about 30 vessels, some the size of large passenger ships, were either wrecked
or severely damaged with 550 lives lost - about 170 of these when a tidal wave struck in the Tai
Po area.
Late during the night of that typhoon we were called out from No.7 station to assist at a fire
on Connaught Road.
The gusts of wind were in excess of 160 mph and we wore steel helmets and oilskins and
were all joined together by a life-line.
After wading through two feet of water in Des Voeux Road to reach the fire, we spent the
night assisting with evacuation work and dealing with panic in much the same way as P C Poon
and his colleagues.
Yours sincerely,
DEAR SIR,
According to Force policy, only JPOs who
serve the HKP for over 20 years are eligible for the Home Purchase Scheme (HPS). But I think
the amount of allowance is unrealistic as it does not take into account the rising costs of real
estate property.
The Home Financing Scheme (HFS) for the senior officers on the other hand is a different
story. Reflecting the rising expense of private estates, the starting amount available from the HFS
in 1994 alone rose from $13,000 to $18,000.
I have several questions which I hope can be answered by those officials in a position to
do so.
What is the criterion for determining the rates of HPS available?
When will the rates of available HPS be reviewed?
Would it be possible for the amount of HPS rates to rise as quickly and in ratio to that of
the HFS?
Thank you,
DEAR SIR,
Concerning the Home Purchase Allowance
rates, I would like to provide my response as follows:
The Home Purchase Scheme (HPS) is one of the civil service housing benefits available to
police officers. Other housing benefits include quarters and the civil service public housing quota.
Assistance under the HPS includes an allowance payable on a monthly basis and a down payment
loan repayable at a concessionary interest rate. This assistance is provided as a subsidy to assist
eligible officers to acquire their own accommodation. Whether the level of the assistance is
sufficient or not depends very much on the type of property which an officer wishes to purchase.
It is not unreasonable for an officer to contribute his part in acquiring his own accommodation.
The Home Purchase Allowance and the Home Financing Allowance were reviewed in
1990 and 1994 respectively. As a result, the former allowance was increased by 40 per cent in
1990 while the latter was increased by 35 per cent in 1994, as noted by your reader.
The Home Purchase Allowance rates are reviewed annually since 1994, and adjusted in
January each year having regards to the property price movements in the previous 12 months as
recorded by the Rating and Valuation Department and the corresponding change in the Consumer
Price Index (A).
Your reader may rest assured that the allowance will continue to be reviewed regularly and
adjusted as appropriate according to the established procedure.
Civil Service Bureau,
|
