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PUBLIC ORDER
projects. These were concerned with manpower, training, equip- ment, transport, and building.
However recruitment difficulties have been experienced. Recruit- ing the right type of man in sufficient numbers is one of the force's biggest problems. The number of constables recruited during the year was consistently below target, although the situation improved momentarily in the latter part of the year after the Salaries Com- mission report was published. Recruitment of local and overseas inspectorate officers compared favourably with last year, although the number of officers from abroad who resigned has caused concern.
The strength of the regular force (excluding women police) at the end of the year was: 181 gazetted officers, 979 junior officers, 10,377 non-commissioned officers and constables. There were 565 women police of all ranks.
The strength of the auxiliary police was 3,260 and there were 1,948 civilian staff employed in the force.
A total of 83 officers (comprising 51 recruited locally and 32 from overseas) and 695 constables were accepted for training. Sixty- nine officers and 926 constables completed their training and were posted to police formations for duty.
The extended interview scheme, introduced last year for the selection of local inspectorate officers, continued satisfactorily. It involves a three-day non-residential selection course at the Police Training School which enables selection staff to assess more ac- curately the suitability of candidates as potential recruits.
A new-style rank and file winter uniform was introduced and the style of summer uniforms for all members of the force is being studied.
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The Police Tactical Unit is the crowd control and internal security training establishment of the force. Highly trained riot control com- panies, based at Fanling as well as in the three land districts, provide an immediate reserve of manpower for use in any cir cumstances. The unit is now familiarly known to the public as the 'blue berets' because of the distinctive dark blue beret worn by the
men.
The Tactical Unit is recognised as one of the leading centres in the world for crowd control and anti-riot training. During the year, officers from the Philippines, the United States, Papua and New Guinea, Brunei and Nauru attended courses there, and a number of shorter visits were made by representatives of several other countries.