Railway District Series (3 in 3)
Outreaching to enhance awareness of Railway Policing

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This issue of OffBeat marks the final in the series of articles on Railway Policing. In this issue we explore the innovative ways employed by Railway District (RAILDIST) to reach out, both internally and externally, to enhance awareness of the uniqueness of the railway system and policing of it.

Raising awareness and response to railway incidents

As was reported in the last issue of OffBeat, to promote understanding and co-operation between RAILDIST and their surface counterparts on the response to railway incidents and other policing operations, the District has formed a Railway Policing Promotion Team whose charter is to give presentations on the various response protocols and procedures and the intricacy of railway policing. This initiative has been coupled with enhanced training and exposure to our Junior Police Officers (JPOs). In this regard, members of the team are volunteer JPOs. They are given coaching and advice to present informative briefings to members of District management teams and at the same time this provides them with on the job development opportunities to enhance their personal presentation skills and self-confidence. To date presentations have been given to Mong Kok District and Kwun Tong District, and both presentations were very well received not only for the content but also the performance of the presenters.

The Railway Policing Promotion Team also targets the next generation of managers by conducting briefings for Probationary Inspectors at the Police College. These presentations aim at better preparing the Inspectors for the challenges of railway policing and giving them an insight into the District. This will stand them in good stead after their passing out. Again the performance of the team has drawn very favourable feedback, with Course Instructor, Chief Inspector Dave Shephard, commending the presenters' very high standard of professionalism.

One of the presenters, Police Constable Siu King-yiu of Island Line, has praised the initiative: "This is the first time I have taken part in such an activity since joining the Force. It is a very valuable opportunity for me. The professional advice and guidance given to me are very beneficial and the opportunity has also provided me with a valuable tool to boost my self-confidence. This is definitely a great help for my personal and professional developments."

Said another presenter, Police Constable Law Lap-fu, also of Island Line: "The audience was so interested and a number of very pertinent questions were raised. It also made me more determined to contribute more to other members of the Force by enlightening them on the importance of, and the challenges associated with, railway policing."

The team will continue giving more presentations in the future and for doing so more JPOs of the District will be recruited into the team so that as many officers as possible can benefit from this arrangement.

Providing opportunities for JPOs

In addition to providing opportunities for JPOs to join the Railway Policing Promotion Team, RAILDIST also recognises that it is imperative that the best use is made of its most valuable resource for policing. In this regard, plans are in hand to form special teams, known as Railway Response Teams (RRTs), to boost the District's professionalism and ability for Emergency Management, Counter Terrorism and Crowd Management. These RRTs will provide officers with additional training and experience-learning opportunities, with dedicated training being provided by specialist units such as EOD and FSU. The RRTs will also enhance the District's professional ability to respond to incidents and to operate independently in its own unique operational environment. The benefits of establishing these RRTs will be seen in the run up to, and during the East Asian Games, when the District plays an important role in ensuring the smooth running of the Games.

Engaging the community

It is not just within the Force that RAILDIST is promoting awareness of railway policing, but we also aim to educate youngsters through the "RAILDIST Little Smart Cop" Project, which involves visits for school children to the District and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC). The idea of the project came from Police Constable Lam Wai-kei of West Rail Line to promote community engagement and awareness of safety and security. During the visits, the students will be given four missions: to comply with the MTRC By-laws; to remind their families to follow suit; to help those in need; and to report crimes to the Police when it is safe to do so. We hope that through such visits we can promote safety within the railway system, not only amongst the students but also their families and friends as well.

Recruitment

RAILDIST offers a distinctive and dynamic environment to experience a different form of policing with a unique circumstance and challenges. It also offers good opportunities for development and learning.

In the recent HQ Order No. 4 of 2009, the uniqueness and special place that railway policing occupies have been recognised through the Career Development Path for junior constables, as RAILDIST was identified as a special Police District. This shows the importance of the District in modern frontline policing.

Recently recruitment initiatives have been put in place to encourage officers to apply to join the District. These include recruitment seminars for members of Emergency Unit Kowloon East and Police Tactical Unit D Company. The seminars will be extended to other Regions as recruitment to the District is open to officers from all formations. To give potential recruits a realistic picture of life in the District, the seminars will be conducted by RAILDIST JPOs, and this arrangement will enable them to develop their confidence and presentation skills.

One of the presenters, Police Constable Choi Chun-yip, of Tsuen Wan Line, commented: "Counter Terrorism, Crowd Management and Major Incidents are the major challenges for RAILDIST officers and it is important that this is brought to the attention of potential recruits to the District." He added that taking part in the seminars was a "win-win" situation, because it not only attracts more officers to join RAILDIST but also develops the personal abilities, self-confidence and a sense of belonging of the officers conducting the seminars.

PC Choi continued: "We had to do a lot of rehearsals to make sure our presentations were spot on. The hard work involved not only making sure our presentation skills are of a high standard, but also researching the content of the presentation. All of this has given me a great deal of personal satisfaction and improved my ability and knowledge."

RAILDIST will also hold a "Recruitment Poster Design" competition for officers. Designs should be submitted, together with name, rank, unit and contact telephone number, to Inspector Cheung King-yin, Line Commander of Lantau and Airport Rail Line by e-mail "ip-sip-lar-raildist@police.gov.hk" before July 10. Special prizes will be awarded to winners.

This article marks the end of the series of articles on railway policing but RAILDIST officers will continue meeting the demands of the present and the challenges of the future in policing Hong Kong's principal transport infrastructure.

This series of articles has provided readers with an insight into the vibrant and rewarding opportunities that await officers wishing to join the District and the efforts being made by members of the District to ensure that it remains at the forefront of transportation policing. We hope that it encourages you to get on board and join our journey to ensure that the railway system in Hong Kong remains one of the most safe and secure systems in the world.

Police Constable Siu King-yiu introduces policing of the railway system to Probationary Inspectors at the Police College
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