PUBLIC ORDER
the syllabuses will be completed in April 2000. The division also trains newly recruited Traffic Wardens and provides traffic training to police officers of middle and junior rank.
The Higher Training Bureau provides in-service management training through three levels of a command course for inspectors who have served four years in the rank, newly promoted Chief Inspectors and Superintendents respectively.
Firearms and tactics training for the force is the core objective of the Weapons Training Division; the Detective Training School provides a variety of specialist. training for criminal investigative duties; and the Police Driving School runs training courses involving vehicles ranging from motorcycles to armoured personnel carriers. The Information Technology Training Centre is mainly responsible for conducting in-house training courses on all major information systems used by the force as well as a variety of standard microcomputer application courses for all force members.
One of the key projects of the Training Development Bureau in 1999 was the provision of comprehensive training support to standardise Training Days in formations.
The Auxiliary Police Training Division conducts training for auxiliary police officers including the Basic Training Course for recruit constables, Annual Continuation Training for serving police constables, non-commissioned officers, inspectorate officers and superintendents as well as a Promotion Course for station. sergeants. A total of over 5 000 auxiliary police officers from the rank of Police Constable (Auxiliary) to Superintendent (Auxiliary) were trained in 1999.
Recruitment
There were 2 215 applications for inspectorate posts in 1999, compared with 4 073 in 1998 and 53 were appointed as inspectors. Another 19 serving officers were promoted from within the ranks. Recruitment at the constable rank remained satisfactory with 399 recruits out of 10 151 applicants.
Awards
In 1999, one officer was awarded the Hong Kong Police Medal for Distinguished Service and one received the Bronze Bauhinia Star, 23 officers were awarded the Hong Kong Police Medal for Meritorious Service and five received the Chief Executive's Commendation for Government Service.
One officer was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery and one received the Bronze Medal for Bravery in recognition of their courageous actions in the rescue operation after the airliner crash at the airport on August 22.
In recognition of long and loyal service, 1086 officers were awarded the Hong Kong Police Long Service Medal after 18 years of continuous police service, 1 081 officers the 1st Clasp to the medal after 25 years' service, 270 officers the 2nd Clasp to the medal after 30 years' service and 229 officers the 3rd Clasp to the medal after 33 years' service. Among the civilians, one officer was awarded the Medal of Honour, two received the Chief Executive's Commendation for Government Service, 214 officers were awarded the Long and Meritorious Service Certificate and 36 officers received the Long Service Travel Award.
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