WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1979
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THE MAJORITY OF THE 2,264 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED IN 1978 RELATED TO THE ON-DUTY ATTITUDE OF POLICE OFFICERS TOWARDS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, ALLEGING THE USE OF OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE (SIX PER CENT), OVERBEARING OR IMPOLITE CONDUCT (21 PER CENT) OR ABUSE OF AUTHORITY (14 PER CENT).
ALMOST AN EQUAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ALLEGED ASSAULT (35 PER CENT), IN NEARLY ALL CASES ARISING FROM INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN THE COURSE OF POLICE OPERATIONS.
EVERY COMPLAINT AGAINST THE POLICE LODGED WITH OR REFERRED TO THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE OFFICE IS INVESTIGATED AND A REPORT ON THE COMPLETED INVESTIGATION IS SUBMITTED TO THE GROUP.
UMELCO POLICE GROUP PRAISED
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THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES, PAID TRIBUTE TO THE WORK PERFORMED BY THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP WHEN HE TABLED ITS 1978 REPORT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SAID THE GROUP FOUND A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN THE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS BY THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE OFFICE (CAPO) AND THAT THE BACKLOG HAS BEEN REDUCED.
MR. DAVIES RECALLED THAT AT THE OUTSET, THE WORK OF CAPO HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY A BACKLOG OF COMPLAINTS, INSUFFICIENT STAFF AND INADEQUATE ACCOMMODATION.
+SINCE THEN HIGH PRIORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND STAFFING OF THE OFFICE BECAUSE THE CREDIBILITY OF CAPO AND THE THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF COMPLAINTS ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE FORCE ALIKE, HE SAID.
OF THE 1,465 COMPLAINTS INTO WHICH INVESTIGATIONS WERE COMPLETED, 230 WERE FOUND TO BE SUBSTANTIATED OR PARTIALLY SUBSTANTIATED.
POSITIVE ACTION, RANGING FROM DISMISSAL TO ADVICE ON THE HANDLING OF INCIDENTS, TO AMENDMENT OF POLICE PROCEDURES, WAS TAKEN IN 192 CASES.
IN THE REMAINING CASES, IT WAS DECIDED AFTER FULL CONSIDERATION OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WAS CALLED FOR.
MR. DAVIES ATTRIBUTED THESE RESULTS TO BE EVIDENCE OF THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP AND CAPO.
+ IN ADDITION TO STUDYING THE REPORTS OF COMPLETED
INVESTIGATIONS, THE GROUP ALSO INTRODUCED IN MARCH 1978 (WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE) A SYSTEM OF SPOT CHECKS,+ HE SAID.
/INVESTIGATION