Balances in Law Enforcement Column
Series II - Special Duties
Hong Kong Police Force is a huge organisation carrying out a variety of duties. We have Uniform Branch and Traffic officers to serve citizens on the street; crime investigation detectives to fight and prevent various kinds of crime; Marine officers to maintain law and order in local waters; special cadres responsible for different specific duties; and officers working behind the scene (in areas like information technology, human resources management, training, support, researches and services quality, etc.).
Among these units, those responsible for special duties attract the fancy police officers who have specific interests and aspirations. Owing to the unique nature of their duties, colleagues in these units have experiences very different from their counterparts in the Uniform Branch stream. For instance, some units have stringent recruitment criteria, and officers usually have to undergo a series of screening exercises before they are finally selected. Confidentiality or the specialised nature of duties forbids officers to confide their work to family members and colleagues in other units. These barriers in communication may give rise to misunderstandings among the parties concerned.
In the coming series of "Balances in Law Enforcement", we are going to interview colleagues from special cadres, such as Narcotics Bureau. They will share with us observations of their special duties, as well as their unique and interesting experiences at work. We can also learn how they gain wisdom from their complicated and challenging duties, and how they achieve balance among work, personal life and family.
According to Immanuel Kant, a renounced philosopher in the 18th century, "wisdom is organised life". In the coming issues, let's look at how our officers organise their lives whilst carrying out specialised duties of law enforcement.
Seek advice and help from the Psychological Services Group: 2866-6206 (5th floor, 111 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay). PEN : psg@police.gov.hk
Seek advice and help from the PSG: 2866-6206 (5th floor, 111 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay). PEN:psg@police.gov.hk
(All cases will be kept in strict confidence.)