Off Beat

Police Magazine is 25 and
getting better with age

SSP PPRB Eddie Lam (holding award) surrounded by Police Magazine team members POLICE MAGAZINE, jointly produced by the TV & Films Liaison Section of the Police Public Relations Branch and RTHK, is celebrating its 25th year on television and was recently singled out and awarded for being one of the ten (out of 33) most popular programmes produced by RTHK.
A communication link between the Force and the community, then as now, the objective of Police Magazine is to raise viewers' awareness of anti-crime measures, strengthen co-operation between the Force and the public, enhance transparency of duties of police officers and promote a positive image of the Hong Kong Police.

During the past 25 years, Police Magazine (once called Police 15, then renamed Police Call) has evolved over the decades with changes in production methods, a more professional and polished presentation style and a continuous expansion in the variety of police topics covered, including crime re-enactments.
While RTHK is responsible for the programme's production, financing and technical support, the TV & Films Liaison Section undertakes research, liaison, quality control, planning and provides police inspectors as presenters and experts who are frequently interviewed on location in the streets of their police districts.
Police inspectors are also delegated to monitor the whole screening process of the show in order to select content that is current, interesting and topical. WCIP Betty Lam of the TV & Films Liaison Section said that the Force puts much emphasis on the content and interpretation of cases covered by the programme, taking care to limit descriptions and depiction of the modus operandi of culprits to prevent copy cats, while at the same time providing enough detail to raise crime awareness, educate and engage viewers.
The thoroughly researched topics covered by the programme come as a result of continuous communication with police personnel from all police formations in all regions and districts, and from sources such as police circulars, newspapers and audience feedback.
Programme content is also co-ordinated with seasonal crime trends. For example, during school break in the summer Police Magazine episodes are produced to help young jobseekers from falling prey to unscrupulous employers and job scams; while towards Lunar New Year, Police Magazine segments emphasise anti-crime and anti-extortion measures.
The programme also carries messages about road safety and Junior Police Call activities. Police Magazine is broadcast from 7pm to 7:30pm every Saturday on ATV (Home) Ёа then repeated on Cable TV News Channel I at 10:30pm on Saturday, and at 3:30am Sundays. Police Report, a five-minute English version of Police Magazine, runs on TVB Pearl at 7:20pm on Saturdays, and Sundays on ATV (Word) from 6:55 to 7pm. Show topics are listed on PEN (the Force internal e-mail network) every Friday.
The TV & Films Liaison Section keeps a collection of Police Magazine on video tapes, and Force members can contact the Section on 2866-6189 for copies for training or publicity purposes. Any topic ideas or suggestions for the programme by Force members are most welcome.

Police Magazine's newest presenter

THE latest addition to the Police Magazine team is Woman Inspector Avina Lai Siu-wai, who joined PPRB'S TV & Films Liaison Section as a presenter in June. WIP Lai worked in the Uniform Branch as well as in the Detective Unit in Kwun Tong District before her posting to the Police Public Relations Branch.

"My present job mainly concerns public relations which is totally different from what I did in other units," said Avina, who was a school teacher before joining the Hong Kong Police Force. Her training in the field of communication, majoring in public relations and advertising, however, has helped her to meet the challenges of her duties behind and in front of the camera.

Well presented. Police Report's Woman Inspector Avina Lai Siu-Wai, RTHK's Fionna Leung Ngai-ling and Woman lnspector Maxim Kwok Mei-sum

"The TV & Films Liaison Section constantly co-ordinates with the RTHK production crew concerning the presentation of cases and the visual impact of shots for Police Magazine, "she said.

"Meetings are held to discuss the issues for each episode before production goes ahead. It usually takes a week to shoot each programme-although it can take a lot longer than that to get used to speaking in front of the camera," she admits. "It's a real skill."

One of the most interesting aspects of her work on Police Magazine said WIP Lai is the opportunity to experience the many facets of the Hong Kong Police Force as the programme's team prepares and presents the work and investigations of different formations and units in all five police regions.

Avina works with Woman Inspector Maxim Kwok Mei-sum, who joined the TV & Films Liaison Section last November, and who has become a very professional, engaging and attractive on air presenter.

WIP Kwok said that her communications skills have improved by appearing on camera and by interviewing police officers in charge of different cases-which has also given her an insight into police investigative technique.

"One of the most satisfying rewards of working on Police Magazine," said Maxim, "is when we receive calls from viewers who tell us they were prevented from falling prey to a criminal scam because they had seen one of our episodes on a particular case which had made them aware of the specific frauds and deceptions used by these culprits."