WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1981
14
UMELCO POLICE GROUP REPORT
****
THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP IS GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THE WORK OF THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICE - CAPO - AND REMAINS CONVINCED THAT TO TRANSFER THE INVESTIGATION OF POLICE COMPLAINTS TO A NON-POLICE BODY IS NEITHER PRACTICABLE NOR VIABLE.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR LEWIS DAVIES, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.
WHEN COMMENTING ON THE +REPORT OF THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP FOR 1980+ TABLED IN THE COUNCIL, MR DAVIES POINTED OUT THAT THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO MAKE AN INCREASING USE OF THE POLICE COMPLAINTS MACHINERY.
+ THE 1980 REPORT CONFIRMS THAT THE GROUP HAS CONTINUED TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE ROLE IN THE MONITORING OF THESE COMPLAINTS.
+I WISH AGAIN TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE DETAILED AND EXHAUST IVE WORK PERFORMED BY THE GROUP AND TO ITS METHODICAL AND THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE CASES BROUGHT BEFORE IT, A POINT ILLUSTRATED BY THE GROUP HAVING DEALT WITH 430 MORE CASES IN 1980 THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, MR DAVIES SAID.
THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGISTERED INCREASED BY 14 PER CENT FROM 2 290 TO 2 601, AND THE PATTERN OF COMPLAINTS ALSO REMAINED GENERALLY THE SAME.
IT WAS INDICATED THAT 2 728 COMPLAINTS CASES, INCLUDING 709 CASES CARRIED OVER FROM 1979 AND COVER ING 3 453 SEPARATE POINTS OF COMPLAINT, WERE EXAMINED BY THE GROUP IN THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, LEAVING 582 OUTSTANDING AT THE YEAR END.
+OF THESE POINTS OF COMPLAINT, 368 WERE FOUND TO BE 'SUBSTANTIATED', A FURTHER 160 WERE CLASSIFIED AS 'NOT PROVEN' MEANING THAT CAREFUL INVESTIGATION HAD FAILED TO ADDUCE FACTS to WARRANT CLASS IF ICATION AS 'SUBSTANTIATED'. CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION WAS TAKEN AGAINST 422 POLICE OFFICERS, COMPARED WITH 312 IN 1979. FOUR OFFICERS WOULD HAVE FACED DISCIPLINARY ACTION BUT CHOSE TO RESIGN. AND 2 109 POINTS OF COMPLAINT WERE CLASSIFIED AS 'UNSUBSTANTIATED', AND A FURTHER 136 WERE FOUND TO BE FALSE AND 678 WITHDRAWN,+ MR DAVIES TOLD THE LEGCO SESSION.
MR DAVIES WENT ON TO SAY THAT +A POLICE OFFICER IS ENTITLED TO THE SAME PROTECTION AT LAW AS ANY CITIZEN, AND THE NORMAL RULES OF EVIDENCE MUST BE APPLIED TO ANY COMPLAINTS AGAINST HIM WHICH IMPLIES CRIMINAL CONDUCT,
IN CONCLUSION, MR DAVIES SAID THAT THE GROUP ACKNOWLEDGES THE CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IT RECEIVES AT ALL TIMES FROM CAPO, AND PAYS TRIBUTE TO ITS PROFESSIONAL ISM,
I ECHO THIS TRIBUTE, AND LOOK FORWARD WITH ALL THOSE CONCERNED TO A FURTHER CONSOLIDATION AND CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRESS ACHIEVED BOTH BY THE UMELCO POLICE GROUP AND BY CAPO OVER THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS. MR DAVIES SAID.
/15