WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1979
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INVESTIGATIONS INTO COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE
SHOW MARKED IMPROVEMENT *****
A +MARKED IMPROVEMENT+ IN THE RATE AT WHICH COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATED IS NOTED IN THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1978 TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP, WHICH IN 1977 UNDERTOOK THE TASK OF MONITORING HOW THE CAPO (COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE OFFICE) HANDLES COMPLAINTS BY THE PUBLIC, ALSO SAYS THERE HAS BEEN A +CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT IN THE THOROUGHNESS AND OBJECTIVITY+ OF CAPO INVESTIGATIONS.
+WE ARE GRATIFIED, THE REPORT STATES, TO LEARN FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE THAT THE COMPLAINTS" AGAINST THE POLICE OFFICE IS SEEN TO AN INCREASING EXTENT BY THE FORCE AS A TRUTH-SEEKING AGENCY, AS MUCH CONCERNED WITH THE EXONERATION OF THE INNOCENT AS WITH THE PUNISHMENT OF THE GUILTY.
THE REPORT ALSO GIVES AN INDICATION OF THE THOROUGHNESS WITH WHICH THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP CARRIED OUT ITS MONITORING DUTIES.
LAST YEAR THE GROUP HAD SPOT-CHECK EXAMINATIONS CONDUCTED INTO 165 COMPLAINTS, IT HELD 25 FORMAL MEETINGS, AT A RATE OF ALMOST ONE MEETING A FORTNIGHT: 19 MEETINGS WITH THE POLICE AND SIX INTERNAL ONES.
THE SIX-MAN GROUP, WHICH IS CHAIRED BY SIR SIDNEY GORDON, CONCLUDED THAT, IN VIEW OF THE IMMENSELY CHALLENGING TASK+ CONFRONTING THE COMPLAINTS OFFICE, SATISFACTORY PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WERE: MR. T.S. LO- REV. JOYCE M. BENNETT MR. WONG LAM- MR. LI FOOK-WO (WHO REPLACED MR. T.K. ANN) AND FATHER PATRICK MCGOVERN (WHO REPLACED MR. OSWALD CHEUNG).
THE REPORT SAYS THAT THE GROUP TOLD THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE OF ITS CONCERN ABOUT DELAYS IN BRINGING COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATIONS TO A CONCLUSION.
+STAFF SHORTAGES AND THE TIME TAKEN TO DEVELOP THE CAPO OPERATING PROCEDURES CONTRIBUTED TO EARLY DIFFICULTIES AND, INEVITABLY, SOME COMPLAINTS INVOLVE COMPLEX AND PROTRACTED INVESTIGATIONS. HOWEVER, AS THE CAPO GAINED STRENGTH AND EXPERIENCE, A MARKED IMPROVEMENT WAS EVIDENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE REPORT SAYS.
IT ALSO NOTES THE GROUP'S CONCERN ABOUT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINANTS CHARGED WITH OFFENCES SUCH AS OBSTRUCTING THE POLICE, LOITERING OR RESISTING ARREST, WHEN THEY APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN FIRST SUSPECTED OF DIFFERENT AND OFTEN MORE SERIOUS OFFENCES.
THE GROUP BELIEVES THAT THERE IS GREATER SCOPE FOR APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE POLICE'S HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS.
THE REPORT ...