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4. FOLLOWING THE POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO THE 28TH OCTOBER INCIDENT AT THE OPERATIONS DIVISION OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC) ONE EX-POLICE OFFICER WAS PROOSECUTED AND AT THE END OF THE MONTH THE CASE WAS STILL BEING HEARD.. FOURTEEN SERVING POLICE OFFICERS ARE THE SUBJECT OF DEPARTMENTAL DISCIPLINARY CHARGES. THIS CASE REMAINS A MATTER OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AND CONCERN TO RANK AND FILE AMONG WHOM THERE IS A WIDESPREAD BELIEF THAT THOSE WHO ARE THE SUBJECT OF DISCIPLINARY CHARGES ARE SCAPEGOATS.
5. CONCERN OVER ICAC METHODS AND TACTICS AND MISTRUST OF THE NEWLY CREATED ICAC COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE APPEARED TO BE GENERAL THROUGHOUT THE POLICE FORCE. THE RANK AND FILE DOUBT THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT IS CHAIRED BY A PERSON BELIEVED BY THE RANK AND FILE TO BE A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE ICAC COMMISSIONER. COMMITTEE MET ONCE IN MID-DECEMBER.
THE
6. DURING THE MONTH THE EXTENT OF THE INDEBTEDNESS OF THE RANK
AND FILE WAS ASSESSED AT APPROXIMATELY H.K DOLLARS SEVEN POINT
FIVE MILLION. THIS ASSESSMENT WAS MADE FOLLOWING A HEAVY RUN
ON THE FORCE WELFARE FUND TO OBTAIN LOANS, INDEBTEDNESS ON
THIS SCALE IS NOT NEW AND IS THE RESULT OF THE RISING COST OF LIVING, IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING AND, IN SOME CASES, THE LOSS OF BRIBES. THE RELIABILITY OF OFFICERS WHO ARE HEAVILY IN DEBT
MUST BE IN DOUBT.
7. A HIGH PROPORTION OF EXPATRIATE OFFICERS STRONGLY RESENT WHAT
THEY REGARD AS UNFAIR REPORTING IN THE LOCAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS
WHICH IS CRITICAL OF THE FORCE. THE CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS, BOTH COMMUNIST AND INDEPENDENT, CONTINUE TO REPORT FACTUALLY.
8. IT IS ASSESSED THAT THE MAJORITY OF POLICE RANK AND FILE
BELIEVE THEY ARE IMPROVING THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE. FOR THE PRESENT
THEY ARE AIRING THEIR GRIEVANCES THROUGH POLICE CHANNELS. THERE
IS NO INDICATION OF AN INTENTION TO REVERT TO MASS MILITANT
ACTION, BUT AS LONG AS A HARD CORE OF INTERDICTED OFFICERS REMAINS
AT LARGE WITHIN THE FORCE THE HATRED FELT FOR THE ICAC HAS THE
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