Para 10
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ky view regarding the reduction of the Eropean Contingent is that, if at all possible, corrupt and inefficient men should be eliminated. Most of the corruption exists in the senior ranks.
2.
No man now serving in the Force shose integrity is above suspici or and who is fit to carry out his duties should be forced to leave the Force.
3. I agree that these should be a very strict medical board. We have had some bad cases in the pasẻ of men who have been passed as medically fit, who have been nothing but a medical liability on return to Hong Kong.
4. Sergeants whose return to duty is considered undesirable can be retired, under clause 6(c) of the Police Pensions Regulation on abolition of office terms.
5. It has occurred to me that, in the case of Inspectors and sub- Inspectors whose office is not abolished and who are not wanted back, Colonel Sansom may have envisaged retiring them on maximum pension which is reached after 24 years and 4 months service, he comments that "placing a large number of persons on pension at a comparatively early age will be expensive" and then goes on to explain the necessity of this step without which the money and effort which is being expended on the creation of a better Force will be entirely wasted. With this I agree and would add that public opinion in Hong Kong would be strongly adverse, if the know black sheep do return.
6. If the undesirables are pensioned on maximum pension, it would greatly lessen resistance to the termination of their services, particularly in the case of the older men, but some will almost certainly not take kindly to the loss of full salary that they would have drawn, if retained.
7.
The following is roughly the number of Inspectors and sub- Inspectors by age group, whose return to the Colony is undesirable
Age group 53, 52 51 50 49 48
47
46 45 44 43 42
No. of mens involved.
2 1 2
2 1 4 5 3 4
2 2 2
The above figures are provisional only as the final list of undesirables is not completed. This may not be so expensive as may appear at first sight owing to the early age (45 in the case of a man joining the Force at 21) earns full pension. It seems probable that additions pension will only be required in a few cases.
8. Every man has in the past been required to sign a fresh Agree- ment for Service in Hong Kong on return from leave. I believe that the period of the Agreement is so arranged that each Agreement expires at the end of every fifth year from the date of Appointment, My predecessor Mr. Perdue is being asked for precise information regarding these Agreements.
9. ity own view, for what it is worth, is that a man joining the Hong Kong Police was on a series of agreements for service and that his services could be dispensed with at any time on expiration of his agreement and that Section 7 of the Police Force Ordinance is intended to give the Governor in council power to break an Agreement on account of (a) inefficiency, (b) age, before the Agreement expires.
10. If it is legally possible to terminate a man's service on the expiration of his Agreement there can be no objection to this course in view of the necessity to reduce the combined numbers of Colonel Sansom's Force and the former Force.
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