SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1990
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POLICE EXERCISE DISCRETION IN APPLICATION OF POWERS
POLICE OFFICERS ARE INVESTED WITH WIDE POWERS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES AND IN THE APPLICATION
POWERS THEY HAVE EQUALLY WIDE DISCRETION,
OF THESE
ADDRESSING A PASSING OUT PARADE AT THE POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL IN WONG CHUK HANG TODAY (SATURDAY), POLICE REGIONAL COMMANDER, MARINE, MR JOHN MACDONALD, STRESSED THAT IT WAS THEREFORE EXTREMELY THAT IN EXERCISING THEIR POWERS OFFICERS SHOULD
REMEMBER
OF OFFICE AND ACT IMPARTIALLY, WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR.
IMPORTANT THEIR OATH
THAT
"YOU MUST NOT FORGET THAT A POLICEMAN CANNOT BE PROVOKED, YOU ARE IN EFFECT CLOTHED IN 'SPIRITUAL ASBESTOS' SUPPRESSING PERSONAL FEELINGS, IGNORING THE AFFRONTS AND INDIGNITIES SO OFTEN EXPERIENCED, MR MACDONALD SAID.
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HE TOLD THE GRADUATING OFFICERS THAT UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY MUST CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH TACT, FORBEARANCE AND ABOVE ALL, COURTESY AT ALL TIMES.
"EVEN A PERSON CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF COMMITTING AN OFFENCE
LAW RETAINS HIS RIGHTS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A COURT OF
DETERMINES THE OUTCOME OF INFORMATION LAID AGAINST HIM.
ACTS
THAT YOUR
"IN THESE WORRYING AND STRESSFUL TIMES WITH IRRATIONAL OCCURRING ALL TOO FREQUENTLY, IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT CONDUCT IS EXEMPLARY, HE ADDED.
"
AND
THAT
DESCRIBING WHAT HE HAD PUT ACROSS MIGHT SOUND LIKE A "GRIM IMPOSSIBLE BURDEN" FOR YOUNG OFFICERS TO BEAR, MR MACDONALD SAID THEY WOULD HAVE HELP, HOWEVER, MAINLY FROM THEIR COLLEAGUES, FOR THEY
OF WERE ABOUT TO BECOME FULLY FLEDGED MEMBERS
AN ORGANISATION WITH EXCELLENT ESPRIT DE CORPS, AND ALSO FROM FRIENDS, FAMILY AND MEMBERS OF THE MANY ORGANISATIONS WITH WHOM THEY WORKED SO CLOSELY.
WOULD
THE MARINE POLICE CHIEF, WHO WILL RETIRE LATER THIS YEAR FOLLOWING A 31-YEAR SUCCESSFUL POLICE CAREER, SAID HE DEFINITELY JOIN THE FORCE AGAIN IF HE HAD THE CHOICE.
ON
PARADE
AND
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TODAY ARE 34 PROBATIONARY INSPECTORS CONSTABLE RECRUITS WHO HAVE JUST COMPLETED THEIR BASIC TRAINING.
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