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SUNDAY, MARCH 31. 1985
AS IN MANY FIELDS OF MODERN POLICING, VERY SPECIALISED TRAINING IS NEEDED FOR COMMERCIAL CRIME INVESTIGATION WORK.
''PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN BANKS AND COMPUTERS IS HELPFUL, BUT NOT ESSENTIAL, AS WE RELY VERY HEAVILY ON OUR OWN IN-HOUSE TRAINING," SAID MR FARNHAM. ALL OF OUR OFFICERS ARE VOLUNTEERS AND THEY ARE ALL CAREFULLY SCREENED.
F
''THIS WORK IS NOT EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA.''
FOR ONE THING, CASES CAN BE EXTREMELY COMPLEX, UNRAVELLING A DEVIOUS CRIMINAL PATTERN CAN SOMETIMES TAKE UP TO TWO YEARS OF PAINSTAKING EFFORT.
OFFICERS PREPARE FOR THE WORK THROUGH INTENSIVE TRAINING COURSES HERE AND OVERSEAS. THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE COMPUTER INVESTIGATOR'S COURSE IN OTTAWA AND THE U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION COURSE IN COMPUTER FRAUD ARE TWO WELL- KNOWN COURSES WHICH ARE HIGLY-VALUED BY THE HONG KONG BUREAU.
''WE ALSO HAVE EXCELLENT RELATIONS WITH THE MAJORITY OF HONG KONG BANKS AND THEY RUN COURSES FOR US AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR OWN IN-HOUSE TRAINING SESSIONS, SAID MR FARNHAM.
''WE MUST KEEP PACE WITH CHANGES IN SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES AND I'M SURE THAT WE DO.''
BESIDES EXPERTISE, MANPOWER IS CRUCIAL AND HIS STAFF OF 164 POLICE OFFICERS HAS HAD TO KEEP DOUBLING, ANNUALLY, FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH THE WORKLOAD,
ABOUT 1980, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REALISED THE GROWING POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIAL FRAUD IN THE FAST-DEVELOPING REGION AND SET UP ITS STANDING LIAISON COMMITTEE ON COMMERCIAL CRIME TO DRAW TOGETHER ALL RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES.
THESE INCLUDED THE COMMISSIONER FOR SECURITIES, THE
COMMISSIONER FOR BANKING, THE OFFICIAL RECEIVER, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE.
CONVENING EVERY TWO MONTHS, THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSES MATTERS OF POLICY AND NEW LEGISLATION, AND IS THE OVERALL WATCHDOG ON COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN THE TERRITORY.
ON A LOWER RUNG IS THE OPERATIONAL TARGETTING COMMITTEE, WHICH DISCUSSES TACTICS AND TARGETTING. IT ALSO SUPERVISES THE “ORA OF THE TASK FORCES WHICH ARE SET UP WITHIN THE CCB WHEN A FRAUD CASE MERITS SPECIAL ATTENTION BY ITS COMPLEXITY, INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE, OR AMOUNTS OF MONEY INVOLVED.
- THE LONGEST OF AT PRESENT, FOUR TASK FORCES ARE OPERATING WHICH HAS BEEN CONCENTRATING ON ITS CASE FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS.
/ADDITIONALLY, A