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RESTRICTED COVERING CONFIDENTIAL
VISIT OF OVERSEAS POLICE ADVISER (OPA) TO ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE
(RHKPF) 1-10 NOVEMBER 1990
INTRODUCTION
due
A combination of circumstances led to my biennial visit in February 1990 - being deferred by some eight months. The over- riding consideration was the comparatively recent changeover of Commissioner of Police (CP) from Mr Raymon Anning to Mr Li Kwan-Ha and consequential changes in the senior management team. It was mutually agreed that a visit by the OPA shortly after the new appointment would be premature.
2.
The purpose of my visit basically was familiarisation and liaison; given the speed of development in Hong Kong, two years is a long time. Additionally Hong Kong Dept. (HKD) at the FCO felt
there might be merit in examining the following:
(i)
progress of localisation /
(ii) reactions to Disciplined Service pay review and
(iii) progress in assuming border and naval duties from CBF Hong Kong. It might therefore be of advantage to report on those specific aspects before turning to more general comments.
ISSUES AFFECTING MORALE/WELFARE
classified brief
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3. Issues (i) and (ii) are given an airing in a prepared for me by the Head of the Staff Relations Dept. Mr Butler
(Appendix A). Mr Butler also sat in on my meeting with the Staff
Associations.
4.
E
At Appendix B appear charts/graphs which illustrate clearly the problems of recruitment and wastage, which have brought about a shortage of men and women on the beat. Appendix C contains the proposed pay scales for junior officers, whilst appendix D displays the percentage increases in recent years. The final appendix is perhaps the most graphic and clearly identifies the perceived paradox of vastly increased responsibilities (para. 1.3 of the paper) and reductions in both actual establishment (600 posts) and proposed
establishment increases (700 posts). These figures taken together with forecasts of wastage over recruitment (para. 2.3) and shortfalls in recruitment (para. 2.6) are of concern. It is not yet known what effect the recent pay award will have, but present figures indicate a net loss of over 80 police officers per month (para. 3.7).
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