Homage to Hermitage
LAST month one of the world's foremost experts on police training with highly respected views, Peter Hermitage, the Director of National Police Training for England and Wales, visited the Hong Kong Police Force. Mr Hermitage, formerly the chief Constable of Kent, is responsible for the co-ordination of all levels of police training throughout the Police Service in England an Wales. He was appointed Director of National Police Training in December 1996, having spent the previous two years working in HM Inspectorate of Constabulary at the Home Office. His experience as a senior police officer is extensive covering operations, management, training and personnel.	Peter Hermitage, QPM, with DCP MAN Tsang Yam-pui at the most recent Passing Out at Police Training School.
National Police Training forms part of the UK's Home Office Police Policy Directorate and its services are approved by the Police Training council, a body comprising representatives from the UK's Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities, the Home Office and Police Staff Associations. National Police Training carries the responsibility of consolidating the service provided by the 43 police forces of England and Wales by identifying national training needs and providing task-related training programmes. OFFBEAT caught up with Mr Hermitage at the and of a jampacked week-long stay that saw him meeting with the Commissioner of Police, members of the Senior Directorate and officers of all ranks while visiting a variety of formations and units. "When I get back home I'll probably collapse," smiled Mr Hermitage. "My itinerary while in Hong Kong has been so full I haven't had time for jet lag. The hospitality extended to me by the Hong Kong Police has been brilliant-something I'll always cherish and never forget." Highlights of Mr Hermitage's tour de Force included a presentation on the organisation of Training Wing, its objectives and overseas, local and mainland developmental and vocational training, as well as an overview on recruit, continuation, promotion and leadership training by CSP Wong Doon-yee, Commandant PTS. He also visited the Inspector Training Division where course instructors participated in a presentation and group discussion, then chatted with Probationary Inspectors under training. Later that week he had the opportunity to see some of them graduate when he attended the most recent Passing Out Parade. At the North Point Police Station, he was briefed on the Force's strategy on service quality and the North Point Project, and also toured the Detective Training School and the Auxiliary Police Headquarters in Kowloon Bay. At the Police Tactical Unit base in Fanling, Mr Hermitage viewed a range of tactical and internal security training sessions, followed by demonstrations by the Special Duties Unit and a firing / decision making exercise, then participated in an open forum discussion with PTU staff on training methods. "I was also briefed on training and development in the Hong Kong Civil Service by the Director of the Civil Service Training and Development Institute, and enjoyed meeting Commissioner of ICAC, Lily Yam Kwan Pui-ying, then participating in a discussion session on training," he said. For his part, Mr Hermitage gave a talk on "Current thinking in police training" at the PTS auditorium attended by CP, senior ranking officers and senior training staff from the Force, CSTDI, ICAC, Customs & Excise, Immigration and Correction Services. "The theme of my talk was the changing nature of the world we police," said Mr Hermitage. "Policing now must go beyond simply meeting the requirements of the community. In today's world police forces must meet the challenges of modern realities which include road traffic congestion and local crime, but also terrorism, illegal immigration, public disorder, a growing underclass (the "haves and have nots"), and crimes brought on by high technology-everything from pornography on the internet to commercial computer-based crime. In a world where crime knows no boundaries there is also a need for international training, non-controversial police relations, and networking to share good practices and broaden police officers'perspectives." Emphasised Mr Hermitage: "Training is imparting the knowledge, skills and attitude to do the job." But as the nature of the "job" changes, so must training continuously evolve. "Police training over the past decade has (and must) become much more responsive to change," said Mr Heritage, who feels that one of the most important aspects of training is to motivate the individual while maintaining the whole. "People in an organisation like a police force have to get used to learning due to the pace of external change. Today, development is a personal as well as an organisational responsibility. And the success of people management practices now depends on the ability to stimulate and focus. The type of people police forces need are creative, motivated, willing contributors who can adapt and take responsibility. It is also necessary to recruit people with technological skills, and train not just immediate users but also the managers." The quality of policing can be improved by making available knowledge and expertise, identifying training standards. Something that Mr Hermitage says the Hong Kong Police understand and embrace. "In terms of continually striving to improve its training, the Hong Kong Police Force measures up to the best in the world," he said, then added: "Not surprising from a Force that did a truly excellent job during Hong Kong's transition of sovereignty."