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WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1980
POLICE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM WORKING WELL
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THE SYSTEM OF HANDLING PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE IS FAIR, WORKABLE AND EFFECTIVE, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON LEWIS DAVIES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING ON THE 1979 REPORT OF THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP, TABLED IN THE COUNCIL TODAY. MR DAVIES SAID IT WAS NOT THE INTENTION TO MAKE ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES IN THE
ARRANGEMENTS THOUGH THOSE OPERATING THEM WERE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
THE SYSTEM WAS ROUGHLY PARALLEL WITH THAT FOLLOWED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, HE SAID, EXCEPT THAT THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP'S TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE WIDER THAN ITS UK COUNTERPART.
*THE GROUP REVIEWS EVERY SINGLE CASE AND IN ADDITION OPERATES A SYSTEM OF RANDOM SPOT CHECKS ON COMPLAINT CASE FILES, HE NOTED. +THESE CHECKS INVOLVE A DETAILED REVIEW OF ALL STATEMENTS AND OF THE CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THEM,+
WHERE UMELCO REQUIRED CLARIFICATION OF ANY POINT THE CASE WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE COMPLAINT AGAINST POLICE OFFICE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION, OR OTHER APPROPRIATE ACTION, HE SAID.
MR DAVIES ADDED TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE AND EFFECTIVE UNIT WITHIN THE POLICE FORCE FULLY FAMILIAR WITH POLICE PROCEDURES AND
INSTRUCTIONS, THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE CONTINUES TO GIVE HIGH PRIORITY TO THE STAFFING OF CAPO WITH OFFICERS OF THE HIGHEST CALIBRE.
THE REPORT SHOWS HOW ACTIVE THIS OFFICE HAS BEEN DURING THE YEAR.+
NOTING THAT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS MADE DIRECT TO CAPO OR OTHER POLICE FORMATIONS HAD INCREASED BY 17 PER CENT IN 1979 AS COMPARED WITH 1978, MR DAVIES SAID THIS INDICATES THAT THE PUBLIC IS MAKING USE OF THIS PROCEDURE AND WOULD APPEAR TO HAVE INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN IT.
+IT SAYS MUCH FOR THE MUTUAL RESPECT IN WHICH THE PROCEDURE IS HELD THAT THE UMELCO GROUP ACKNOWLEDGES THE ESSENTIAL CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE RECEIVED FROM THE POLICE, HE SAID.
MR DAVIES SAID THE UMELCO GROUP'S REPORT PROVIDES A BODY OF EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT THE GROUP CONTINUES TO PLAY A MOST EFFECTIVE AND INCREASINGLY EXPERIENCED ROLE IN MONITORING THE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE POLICE.
/DURING THE