Starting from this issue, OffBeat begins a series of articles to look at why and how the Force has won recognition of being a total caring employer and a socially responsible organisation. In winning the Total Caring Award - Organisation 2006/07, the Force has demonstrated good corporate citizenship in meeting the caring organisation criteria of volunteering, serving the staff internally, employing the vulnerable groups, partnering, mentoring and giving.

Introducing the article series, Personnel Services and Staff Relations Chief Superintendent Pauline Ng Tsui Fung-ying saw the Total Caring Award as the result of the efforts made by everybody within the Force.

"It's a very rewarding achievement for the Force to have won the Total Caring Award. The credit goes to every member of the whole Force, from top to bottom, including staff associations, disciplined and civilian officers, as well as our Auxiliary members of the Force. They pitch in day in and day out, each being a piece of jigsaw contributing to the whole puzzle. They applied themselves wholeheartedly demonstrating the spirit of 'policing with a heart', sprinting an extra mile whether working whilst on duty or during their free time helping others," she said.

Referring to the caring culture within the Force, Mrs Ng pointed out that caring does not necessarily come from top to bottom and is not confined to co-workers. Very often the subordinates do care about their seniors. "Caring within the Force is a two-way street."

Mrs Ng noted that the Total Caring Award had given the Force an important identity and brand name. "It's an identity of who we are and what we stand for. If colleagues care about the people around them, at the end of the day they would realise that their lives have been well lived, and that it is giving that counts. With so many good things happening to them and around them, they would see the ups and downs in life as merely temporary setbacks, and would be more forthcoming in giving."

Lastly, Mrs Ng referred to an observation made by US renowned psychologist, Dr Ellen Kirschman, at the Psychological Services Group's recent seminar to promote mental health. "Dr Kirschman reminded us that 'you may not realise that the things you do everyday influence many people'. In other words, we, as police officers whether on or off duty, could have a lot of influence on people's lives. As we come across people from different walks of life, this reminder applies to our caring approach," Mrs Ng concluded.

Work of PVSC

The first total caring article covers the volunteer services provided by Force members. While many have been devoting their free time to helping the needy on an individual basis, the Police Volunteer Services Corps (PVSC), headed by New Territories North Regional Commander Cheung Siu-wah, has been for many years co-ordinating the volunteer services provided by the 47 volunteer services teams within the Force. In doing so, PVSC has come a long way in closing the gap between the public and the Force and in fostering mutual help and harmony in society.

Mr Cheung pointed out that more and more Force members are engaged in volunteer services, and this has been borne out by the increasing numbers of hours they devoted to this worthwhile cause over the past three years. In 2006, the number of hours jumped to 74,218 from 37,369 hours in 2004 and 61,736 hours in 2005. As a result, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has honoured more and more officers with awards as recognition of their contribution to society.

In the past three years, officers have individually garnered a total of 838 Gold Awards, 214 Silver Awards and 218 Bronze Awards, all presented by SWD.

SWD has also given the Force the same recognition in the form of Organisation Awards. In the past three years, the Force amassed the same numbers of Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards.

Force members have been providing a variety of voluntary services for various target groups, namely, senior citizens, youths, mentally handicapped persons and the community at large.

For the elderly, said Mr Cheung, Force members paid home visits, cleaned and tidied up their houses, carried out minor repair or renovation works, provided personal services and organised recreational activities. Officers also visited centres for the elderly to show their care and concern.

Services for youths are equally varied, including conducting talks on the harm of drugs abuse, prevention of juvenile crimes and bullying on campuses. Officers also assisted in planning and conducting discipline training for secondary and primary students, and in providing counselling services.

For mentally handicapped persons, officers provided escort on outdoor activities and organise sports meets and recreational activities.

Services for the community at large are even more varied, including collecting and donating winter clothing, second-hand books and old personal computers, assisting in maintaining order and discipline at major outdoor activities, visiting children in hospitals, and providing counselling services on hotlines to vulnerable persons, including those with suicide inclination. Officers also assisted in raising funds for charity, preventing crime and promoting outing safety.

Looking ahead, Mr Cheung expected that officers would provide more and more comprehensive volunteer services, extending love and care to the needy.

Newcomer to PVSC

Coming under the wing of the PVSC are no less than 47 voluntary services teams formed by officers from various Districts and Divisions. Tsing Yi Division's Voluntary Services Team is a newcomer, joining the PVSC last month.

Co-ordinating the work of the TYDIV Voluntary Services Team is the Social Services Committee, which was formed two months ago following the launching of a Personal Development Scheme by TYDIV. The committee is headed by Woman Inspector Eva Lau Siu-gee and comprises six Junior Police Officers as members.

WIP Lau pointed out that the Personal Development Scheme is the brainchild of her DVC Phillip Bouttle and ADVC (Ops) Jessie Mak Siu-fong, designed to help JPOs develop their careers.

"The Personal Development Scheme is mainly aimed at grooming JPOs by identifying opportunities for them to gain more exposures in society, experiences and skills. With voluntary service being a good training platform, six JPOs are sitting on the Social Services Committee," she explained.

Provision of voluntary services by TYDIV officers has become better organised and co-ordinated, following the formation of the Social Services Committee.

"Before the committee came into being, officers offered voluntary services on an individual basis. But after we've come under the PVSC, more officers from both our District and Division are coming forward in response to our appeals for volunteer helpers. This is a very encouraging development, and I'm trying to establish a pool of volunteers, which I can draw on whenever there is a need," said WIP Lau.

The TYDIV Voluntary Service Team takes part in territory-wide activities but gives priority to those held in Tsing Yi. The services it provided were as varied as those offered by other police teams. Members of the TYDIV team have found a service particularly rewarding - leading kids under Superintendent Discretion to serve the elderly living in solitude.

"These kids normally do not accept the police readily, but after working hand in hand with police volunteers, they appreciated the humane side of police officers and had a more informed and better impression of the police. And parents knew that their children were in safe hands when the kids took part in voluntary services under police mentorship," WIP Lau noted.

Navigators Scheme

While most volunteer services are of an ad hoc nature, some are of a longer duration, a good example being the Navigators Scheme rolled out by the Eastern District (EDIST) Voluntary Services Team last June. Being the brainchild of DDC EDIST Lee Kwan-hing, the scheme seeks to steer youths onto a straight path.

Under this yearlong scheme, team members are looking after 10 Form III and Form IV students from a secondary school on a ratio of one officer to one student.

"It's a yearlong commitment for the officers to look after the students through visits to their schools and homes, as well as telephone calls, with regard to their studies, conducts, after-school activities and even personal problems. A major feature of the scheme is giving close personal attention to the students," explained leader of the EDIST Volunteer Services Team, Sergeant Yeung Man-kin.

Since the start of the scheme, the students have been benefiting from a wide range of training and activities, all designed by SGT Yeung with the assistance of a Non-governmental Organisation for the students to boost their self-esteem and self-confidence, establish a proper perspective of social values, and to gain the skills of inter-personal communication and relationship.

The EDIST Volunteer Services Team has had a good track record since coming into being nearly 10 years ago. Currently, it has 98 core members at the ranks of PC to SSP.

SGT Yeung pointed out that he had witnessed the team growing in size and becoming increasingly committed to serving the community, after he joined the team three years ago.

A TYDIV Volunteer Services Team member visiting an elderly living in solitude