Tai Po DMT has JPOs' well-being at heart

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With over 75 per cent of the senior officers (CIPs & above) in Tai Po being Force entry officers, the District Management Team (DMT) has a special interest in helping Junior Police Officers (JPOs) to develop and realise their potentials, and has been running a Potential Officer Development Scheme since last May.

When asked about the Scheme by OffBeat, the Tai Po District Commander, Mr Suen Kwai-leung, said he was well aware that many JPOs in his District are academically qualified for the inspectorate, and are anxious to prove their potentials for advancement to higher ranks. When he suggested introducing the Scheme some time last year, the DMT and his senior officers immediately rendered their overwhelming support.

Young JPOs are the asset of the Force, and helping them to realise their full potential can only bring good to the Force, boost morale and promote a sense of esprit de corps among JPOs. I'm very pleased that my senior officers are so supportive of the Scheme and even conduct tutorial training to members of the Scheme after work," said Mr Suen.

One of the senior officers is Assistant District Commander (Administration), Mr Shing Pui-fun, who had co-ordinated with other unit commanders in thrashing out a training package for JPOs participating in the Scheme. He has been assisted by Sheung Shui Division Senior Inspector, Ms Winnie Wong, who is using a lot of her own time in taking this project forward.

Mr Shing had monitored the progress of the 18-month Scheme until his transfer to New Territories North to take up the post of Superintendent Administration & Support Crime, but his association with the Scheme has not ceased with his departure.

He is still concerned about the progress of the JPOs participating in the Scheme, and after work, finds time to return to Tai Po to help the officers solve their problems, monitor their progress and, if necessary give them some pushing. Together with other senior officers in Tai Po District, he continues conducting tutorial training in the forms of lectures or seminars and discussion sessions for the JPOs.

Operation of the Scheme

The Scheme was officially launched last May to identify suitable officers and provide them with on-the-job professional development opportunities and tutorial training through lectures/seminar and discussion session for their personal development.

It aims to motivate and guide qualified officers to develop their potentials; provide them with a variety of job exposures in accordance with a career development plan; and utilise the experience of commanding officers at CIP/SP levels in providing tutorial sessions for them.

The Scheme consists of two main parts, namely professional development and personal development for the participating officers.

For professional development, Divisional or Unit Commanders have worked out an accelerated career development plan for officers under their command to obtain greater job exposures and develop their leadership qualities and management skills. As regard personal development, officers of Superintendent and Chief Inspector ranks are providing tutorial training and assignment work for Scheme members after office hours.

A total of 19 JPOs are participating in the Scheme. Among them, nine are degree holders, four are Higher Diploma or Diploma holders, and six have obtained Forms 5 to 7 qualifications. Two of them, PC Chung Kwok-ling and WPC May Yam Lai-kuen, have chosen to stay with the Scheme after their transfer to PTU.

The other 17 participating officers are being posted to different units or sub-units to enable them to gain practical experience in various facets of police work.

The Scheme also aims at training the JPOs in planning and deploying resources, and providing them with exposure to the local community. Therefore, they have also been tasked with the job of conducting talks in schools in Tai Po to advise students against committing shop theft, abusing dangerous drugs and bullying classmates in schools. At the request of a school, they have also illustrated the Force's flag-raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square. Their good work and remarkable enthusiasm have been borne out by a number of appreciation letters from school headmasters.

After work, the officers have been receiving tutorial training given by senior officers once every month since the start of the Scheme. To broaden their horizons and beef up their research, problem-solving and writing skills, they have also been given special assignments to find out the youth problems in Tai Po, to study police and community relationship with local perspective and internal communication in the District, and examine the significance of green management.

The Scheme members have divided themselves into four teams, each being tasked with a special assignment. They are expected to present their findings in a few months' time.

All the participating officers have found the Scheme very useful, enabling them to gain valuable working experience in different fields of police work, brush up their management and leadership skills and display their potentials. In particular, they enjoy the school talks, which enable them to contribute to enhancing community and police relationship.

They are also grateful to the District's senior officers for providing tutorial training, sharing their knowledge and experience and encouraging them to work hard for their future.

Participants' feedback

WPC Kelly Li Ming-kwan sees the school talks as a good channel to communicate with the community. To WPC Virginia Ngan Man-wah, the talks had enabled her to provide a service to her alma mater.

PC Lawrence Chan Chak-ming treasures the experiences that senior officers had shared with him. "It's a good thing to know how they had struggled to gain promotion and handle problems," he noted.

The Scheme is expected to conclude by November.

"At the end of the Scheme, I hope that the officers will have acquired the attributes that will stand them in good stead in seeking advancement to the inspectorate," Mr Shing concluded.

One of the many tutorial sessions conducted by senior officers