To find out more about the amalgamation, OffBeat interviewed Senior Inspector Wong Kwok-wah, who is in charge of the project.

SIP Wong said: "Under the Station Amalgamation Project, Siu Lek Yuen Division will be incorporated into the other three Divisions.

"Phase One of the project commenced in October with the Divisional Investigation Teams of Siu Lek Yuen Division merging with those in the other three Divisions. Phase Two, which saw the merging of the remaining units of Siu Lek Yuen Division with the other Divisions, began on December 2."

So what benefits to the community and the Force will be brought by these changes?

SIP Wong said: "The amalgamation will result in an increase in the number of patrol beats in the District from 74 to 76.

"Moreover, six additional Sergeant and five more Police Constable posts will be created to strengthen the frontline manpower. Besides, we now will four Divisional Investigation Teams instead of three in each division, making manpower deployment more effective and flexible."

The amalgamation would also bring a saving of $6 million per year, he added.

The Report Room of Siu Lek Yuen Police Station will continue to receive reports from the public. The New Territories South Company of Police Tactical Unit, Traffic New Territories South (Sha Tin Zone) and NTS Regional Crime Prevention Office will occupy the rest of the building, improving the working environment of these formations.

Recalling the hard work in preparing for the amalgamation, SIP Wong said that the most difficult task was to re-distribute manpower, workload and resources among the Divisions.

"Since the amalgamation involved four Divisions, you can imagine how complicated and tedious the coordination work was. I have lost count of how many meetings I have attended to discuss a wide range of issues including the sharing of the outstanding jobs of the Siu Lek Yuen Division and the arrangements for transport facilities, furniture and equipment.

"The new boundaries of the Ma On Shan, Sha Tin and Tin Sum Divisions had been revised five times before all parties reached a consensus. It is a great relief to see the amalgamation finally becomes a reality," SIP Wong said.