How would you prevent burglars from using scaffoldings as a means to gain access to premises? This was exactly what the officer in charge of the Hong Kong Island Regional Crime Prevention Office (RCPO), Woman Chief Inspector (WCIP) Teresa Chiang, recently asked three of her officers.

WCIP Chiang assigned the officers with the job of studying the ways and means to promote security of scaffoldings in order to curb a rising trend of burglars using scaffoldings to enter premises.

Forming a "Scaffolding Security Project Team", Police Constable (PC) Mak Kong-ming from the Central and Western District Crime Prevention Unit, PC Ip Wai-ki from the Eastern District Crime Prevention Unit, and Woman Police Constable (WPC) Lau Sin-man from Wan Chai District Crime Prevention Unit took just two months to thrash out a comprehensive plan.

Besides advance knowledge of scaffolding works, public education and publicity are major features of the plan.

In an interview with OffBeat, the three bright officers recounted how they hammered out their plan.

Advance information crucial

After reviewing the situation on Hong Kong Island, the officers recognised that crime can be better prevented if the police know in advance when and where scaffoldings will be erected.

WPC Lau pointed out that scaffoldings came to the attention of the police mainly through reports by beat officers. Hence, after scaffolding works had been completed the owners or construction contractors would be reluctant to heed police advice on security measures because putting the measures in place would incur extra costs and time.

In view of this situation, the project team studied the ways to obtain knowledge of scaffoldings before they are erected. One of the ways is liaising with the stakeholders in both the public and private sectors.

In the public sector, they have established communication channels with the Hong Kong Housing Society Property Management Advisory Centre, Buildings Department, and Home Affairs Department for obtaining prior notice of scaffoldings to be erected.

In the private sector, they have reached out to property management companies, incorporated owners of buildings and the Scaffolding Association representing the construction industry to appeal to them to notify the police of any scaffolding works in the pipeline.

Education and publicity

Alongside the communication network with stakeholders, the project team has also worked out an education and publicity plan on scaffolding security for the public at large. With the help of the Home Affairs Department, seminars on scaffolding security had been conducted for incorporated owners and property management companies.

The seminars stressed the importance of notifying the police of any scaffolding works in advance. Audiences were also told that with the security appraisals carried out by officers beforehand, owners or property management companies could better budget for their scaffolding works and hence prevent crime.

Important messages have been disseminated through other channels, such as roadshows, info TV on public housing estates, in-bus TV, leaflets and appeal letters. Educational messages will also appear in "Take me Home", a district-based weekly. In addition, part of the Police TV programme, "Police Magazine", will be devoted to scaffolding security.

With the assistance by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the project team has distributed leaflets and set up information kiosks in public indoor games centres and libraries on Hong Kong Island. The Food, Environment and Health Department has also assisted the team in displaying in public municipal complexes on the island side notices and posters calling on the public to notify the police of scaffolding works in advance.

Within the Force, the project team will issue a new proforma to beat officers for reporting to RCPO HKI the locations of scaffoldings to be erected. Police Community Relations Offices will also assist in distributing leaflets and displaying posters in report rooms on Hong Kong Island. LCD monitors in report rooms will also show relevant messages.

Lastly, project team members thanked WCIP Chiang for having confidence in them in getting their job done and for her encouragement and guidance.

The three police constables have come up with a comprehensive proposal