The Earl of Caithness, The Minister of State,
BOYBA
[HONG KONG POLICE ◄
LIA
LOCAL INSPECTORS' ASSOCIATION
會協察督地本
ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE
NEW MAY HOUSE
ARSENAL STREET
Tel
HONG KONG
8315339
Fax 8346883
20 September 1990
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London.
NOT FOR HMG. BUT for comments.
ASIC MICG
Dear Minister,
Police Morale
In the recent past, the Chief Secretary made a number of public announcements that the Police Force had no morale problem. This was disputed by the 4 police staff associations.
In answer to press queries, the LIA Chairman stated that in the public interest, the real truth of the matter should be widely made known and suggested that the Commissioner of Police could be asked to disclose what he had reported to the Administration. In this context, one of the possible options was to subpoena the Commissioner to disclose the content of the documents submitted to him by his officers.
As a Force policy, Formation Commanders are required to submit morale reports on fortnightly basis, to the top Fore management. The Local Inspectors' Association (LIA) is not in possession of the confidential Force morale report and does not have access to its contents.
Due to possible misunderstanding, a certain press article slightly misinterpreted the documents concerned were in the LIA's possession.
In response to this press report, the Force management directed the LIA Chairman to appear before an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Force Internal Investigation to account for that press report.
The LIA is deeply concerned on such a move as matters of similar nature involving staff representatives have always been resolved by the head of staff relations or senior management staff in the past.
As this case is being handled by Internal Investigation Bureau instead of Staff Relations Branch, it implies threats of internal disciplinary or criminal investigations. We are also apprehensive that the motive was aimed at restraining representatives of Police staff associations from disclosing true facts to the public whenever there are differences between the Administration and the staff side.
ам
(LI Shu-fung)
Chairman
Local Inspectors' Association