(iv) "Guangdong Public Security Department" for Inspectors and Junior Police Officers

The Professional Development Learning Centre of the Police College is coordinating the development programmes for officers to broaden their horizons and to understand better the various facets of the Mainland, including social, political and economic environments. Encouraging officers to exchange professional knowledge and experience with their Mainland counterparts is another objective of the programmes. The use of Putonghua has become a practical need in police duties.

Sharing programme experiences

Acting Chief Inspector Chau Kwok-kuen from Complaints Against Police Office is delighted that he was a participant of the first Hong Kong Disciplined Services Training Course held at the China Executive Leadership Academy in Pudong. The academy is a national training base for officers of the upper echelon and managers of business enterprises, where the training courses have a high standard that is hard to find among similar courses in the past.

"Through learning, trainees can come to understand the developments of the country from different perspectives," he noted.

"Though the course lasted only for eight days, the contents were useful and fitted the theme of training, enabling us to understand better the developments on the Mainland. Conclusion of the course was the beginning, rather than the ending. As a pioneer of the first course of its nature at the China Executive Leadership Academy in Pudong, I'll share with my fellow officers the success of the open policy on the Mainland and use the academy as a platform to serve the motherland and Hong Kong," he added.

With the co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong becoming closer, and exchanges between the two places becoming more frequent, Sergeant Lam Hon-ming from Emergency Unit, Kowloon East takes a greater interest in the practical police work, judicial system, culture and economy on the Mainland.

He pointed out that when the Guangdong Police Officers' Academy started running a weeklong study course for Force members in 2005, he made an application but was not recommended for the course. Undeterred by this failure, he spent about six months studying a Putonghua course measuring up a national standard at a private language training school. Last year, his efforts paid off when he was selected to attend the study course.

"Besides cementing friendship between Hong Kong and Guangdong, the course also broadened officers' horizons about the developments on the Mainland. In particular, the visit to a 'Police Neighborhood Centre' in Guangzhou gave trainees an insight into the day-to-day policing work. During visits to a command centre for joint operations in Guangzhou and the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau Command Centre, the trainees were impressed by the modern facilities there and the centres' abilities to respond to emergencies effectively," said Sergeant Lam.

Woman Police Constable Yu Chui-pik from Sha Tin Division said that since the Handover in 1997 she has been more and more interested in the culture, history and judicial system on the Mainland. As soon as she had learned of an exchange course to be held at the Chinese People's Public Security University, she immediately sent in an application in order to see at first hand the daily law enforcement work on the Mainland.

She hopes that the course would help her attain two goals. For her job, she wants to gain a better understanding of the law enforcement situation on the Mainland. For her police career, she wants to brush up her ability to communicate with her Mainland counterparts in Putonghua.

Before being accepted for the exchange courses in Beijing and Guilin, WPC Yu attended a Putonghua course in a local university.

"It's a privilege for me to represent the Force on the courses, which gave me very great experience. I'll certainly apply in my job what I have learned and seen from the courses," she noted.

More officers selected for 2009-10 courses

"The Mainland development programmes are an important part of the Force's efforts to develop officers' careers. In the long term, the programmes will enhance the Force's competence and effectiveness, and officers' need for their career development. As civil servants, we have to get a good grip of national developments and to elevate our horizons," SP Kwan said.

SP Kwan pointed out that a lot of officers believed that only those whose native language is Putonghua and those who had attended the intermediate or advanced Putonghua training provided by the Civil Service Training Development Institute (CSTDI) would stand a better chance of being selected. "As a matter of fact, many officers learn Putonghua through multi-media or private tuition," she noted.

SP Kwan said CSTDI also provides "e-learning" Putonghua package through the "Cyber Learning Centre Plus", and various units in the Force continue providing "basic" and "job-related" Putonghua training for frontline officers, which suit their shift work. For self-learning through multi-media, she suggested officers access the Police College's "Language Resource Bank" via the Learning Portal at POINT.

Finally, she stressed: "The chance is always there. It's a matter of how you would prepare yourself to upgrade your proficiency to communicate effectively in Putonghua and to get the maximum benefit from the Mainland Development Progammes."

Acting Chief Inspector Chau Kwok-kuen (right), Sergeant Lam Hon-ming and Woman Police Constable Yu Chui-pik are thankful to the Force for their Mainland training

Sgt Lam Hon-ming and other officers have attended a weeklong study course at the Guangdong Police Officers' Academy

Woman Police Constable Yu Chui-pik and other officers are given a warm welcome to their eight-day development programme

Director of Personnel and Training Tang Hau-sing visits officers attending the first Hong Kong Disciplined Services Training Course in Pudong, Shanghai

WPC Yu meets many of her Mainland counterparts during her programme training