Opportunities abound in
the Force - says SIP Cheung
The 36-year service of Detective Senior Inspector Cheung Pak-keung is the success story of a former young police constable who had worked hard for his career.
Without a full formal education, Mr Cheung had endeavoured to equip himself for his career developments, and the Force had rewarded his efforts with a worthwhile career.
Proceeding on pre-retirement leave recently, Mr Cheung had this parting advice for junior officers: "The Force provides many opportunities for its officers. Seize your opportunities, work hard and don't let them slip away!"
Mr Cheung was given the first opportunity of his career when he was nominated as a Potential Officer (PO) in 1974 - about six years after joining the Force as a constable at the age of 19 in 1968. Shortly after this came his second opportunity when he was promoted to Sergeant in the same year.
Initially it was not all plain sailing for Mr Cheung after his PO nomination. After attending a selection board interview, he was put on the list for him to acquire the necessary academic qualifications. However, he was determined not to let the opportunity slip away, and studied hard in his spare time. He also took full advantage of his job as an Assistant Course Instructor at Police Training School (PTS) between 1977 and 1979 in order to prove his potential.
"I had benefited a lot from teaching recruit constables at PTS because in preparing for lessons, I had learned a lot in terms of knowledge, laws and various aspects of police work. What I had learnt from my teaching job later proved very useful for my career and promotion," he recalled.
Efforts pay off
With the support and encouragement of the then PTS Commandant, Mr Cheung's efforts to pursue continuous studies eventually paid off when he passed all the papers of the Police General Education Examination for promotion to the Inspectorate in one go early in 1979. He then took only three years to advance to Senior Inspector in 1982.
Mr Cheung spent the first 18 years in Uniform Branch, and the remaining 18 years in crime units. His first crime unit posting was in Sham Shui Po in 1986. Since then he has worked in different Regions, including Kowloon East, Kowloon West and New Territories North, handling different cases ranging from murders and kidnaps to burglaries and other serious crimes.
Mr Cheung's last posting was Divisional Support Unit in Tuen Mun Division. Among the many cases that Mr Cheung has solved, two stand out in his mind - a murder/robbery and another murder. In the first case, two illegal immigrants from the Mainland brutally stabbed an electrician to death and made off with $500. In the second case, a young man took the law into his own hands by killing his friend who had raped his younger sister.
Mr Cheung was attached to the Regional Crime Unit in New Territories North when he was called to Tai Po Industrial Estate on a Sunday in the summer of 1998. There he found the electrician's body dumped in a flowerbed, with the hands and feet tied with a rope.
Mr Cheung said he was struck by the way the victim was tied up: both hands tied up behind the back with the rope going round the neck and ending up on the feet. "We suspected that the culprit could be an illegal immigrant. We immediately went to the Illegal Immigrants Repatriation Centre at the border, where we arrested a man and recovered the victim's coin purse from him. We later arrested another illegal immigrant in a hospital and recovered the victim's identity card," he said.
Mr Cheung said the two illegal immigrants waylaid the victim after he had drawn $500 from the ATM in the industrial estate, and stabbed and tied him up when he put up a struggle. "It was a cold-blooded murder just for the sake of $500!"
Mr Cheung said in the second case a young man, with the help of accomplices, lured another young man from his home, forced him into a car and drove to a remote hillside, where the victim was stabbed nearly 40 times.
"It was a case of revenge. People should not take the law into their hands. They should come to us if they have any problem, and should not do a foolish thing like this!" he noted.
Proud with his career
Looking back on his career, Mr Cheung said he enjoyed every minute of his work, and was proud of being a member of the Force. "I'm very pleased that the community has come to regard the Force as a fine institution of men and women who are dedicated to protecting their life and property.
"Time and again, many people, including overseas visitors and tourists, have praised Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world. This is the biggest job satisfaction that I've got, and I'm proud to have played a small part in the process!" he noted.
Mr Cheung has no plan for the immediate future, except visiting his son in the US, but he wishes to see all Force members heed the Force's advice of leading a healthy lifestyle. "Staying healthy both physically and mentally are very important to our jobs!" said SIP Cheung.
SIP Cheung and recruit constables at PTS
Cheung Pak-keung and his family
SIP Cheung says the Force provides many opportunities to its officers