CO129-599-4 Salaries Commission- 1947 Report 1-1-1947 - 31-12-1949 — Page 46

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In the first place we consider that the present system of engaging non-gazetted Police officers on a series of five year contracts should be discontinued. We recommend that the normal period of probation for local non-gazetted Police officers should be two years and for overseas officers both gazetted and non-gazetted three years in view of the necessity of such officers learning Cantonese within that period. A corollary of thesurecommendations is that the Police Force should be placed on the same terms as regards pensions as other officers in the public service. We consider that the sections of the Police Force Ordinance, 1932 relating to pensions should be repealed and that non-gazetted Police officers be brought under the Pensions Ordinance. We consider that provisions should be inserted in the Pensions Ordinance to permit non-gazetted Police officers to rotire voluntarily at 45 and to permit Government if it so wishes to require such officers to retire at 45 without cause assigned (unless such a provision is included for the whole of the public service). If these alterations are made, we do not consider that non- gazetted Police officers who accept the revised salary scales should be granted more favourable pension fractions than other officers in the public service. It will be noted that under their present pension regulations, non- gazetted Police do not receive any addition to pensionable emoluments in respect of their privilege of free quarters. If our proposals are accepted they will in future receive greatly increased pensionable omoluments which will include an element for rent as well as compensation for the loss of fuel and light allowance. Those proposals will make it unnecessary for separate pension regulations to be drawm up for the various contingents in the Force. We consider that all members of the Force on the permanent establishment should be contributors to the Widows and Orphans Pension Scheme.

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In framing our recommendations for salary scales for the rank and file of the Police Force we have considered it essential that the Commissioner of Police should be able to draw upon good material for his recruits and that a reasonable career should be open to the rank and file. The rates of pay proposed should attract officers of higher qualifications than hitherto. We recommend that the ranks of lance corporal and lance sergeants be abolished and that the title sergeant major be changed to staff sergeant and that of senios sergeant major to sergeant major.

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We recommend that in future all civilian deck staff in the Water Police should be trained as Police and should receive pay according to their appropriate Police rank. Serving officers who are unwilling to undergo training

or who are considered unsuitable for training should be given the option of transfer to the Harbour Department. If it is impossible to absorb them into the Harbour Department or other departments employing floating staff, they should be retired on abolition of office. We do not recommend the absorption of engine room staff into the Police Force. but consider that such staff must remain on the same rates of pay as similar staff in the Harbour Department. We consider that civilian motor drivers, mechanics and telephone operators should be absorbed into the ranks of the Police. We are unable to recommend that the clerical staff of the Department should form a

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