CO129-611-6 Police Department- gazetted officers 24-12-1945 - 10-2-1948 — Page 114

CONFIDENTIAL.

RECE

9JUL1946

C. O. BEG

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG,

14th June, 1946.

113

سقط

Sir,

I have the honour to address you on the subject of the establishment of senior officers in the Police Force, Hong Kong, and to refer to my confidential despatch of 1st December, 1941, in which I recommended an increase in the establishment of gazetted officers from 18 to 21. The re- organization of this Force has assumed an added urgency and importance from the circumstances attending the liberation of the Colony with its inevitable legacy of violence and unrest, and the decline in standards of public behaviour generally.

2.

I now recommend that the 1941 establishment

should be increased from 18 to 27 effective posts. The Commissioner of Police has actually asked for 30 posts in order that provision for a leave reserve may be included, but I consider that this can be made up as occasion arises by acting appointments from the Inspectorate grade.

3.

I appreciate that the increase is considerable but for the following reason I am satisfied as to its necessity. In 1941 gazetted officers performed only administrative and specia- lised duties leaving practically all actual police work including investigation of crime to the inspectorate with the unsatisfactory results already known to you. I consider that it is of vital importance that officers of the rank of Assistant Superintendent and above, should, in future, be in direct charge of police work in the various districts. For this purpose an increase of 9 officers is required bringing the total up to 27.

4.

This proposal is a corollary to the proposal to reduce the European inspectorate, who numbered 277 pre-war. A revised establishment of 117 is in contemplation but for various reasons, of which you are already aware, the reduction to this figure will not be effected for some time to come. It may be noted that the proposed increase in the establishment of senior police officers will afford better chances of promotion for the Inspectorate, and will enhance the morale and efficiency of the Force as a whole.

5.

2

The new establishment would provide for a Commissioner, two Deputy Commissioners and twenty-five Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents or Probationers on a time scale. This involves an increase of one Deputy Commissioner and eight Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents or Probationers.

6.

It is intended that one Deputy Commissioner shall be in administrative charge of the Special Branch to deal with politi- cal matters and crime, while the other will be in charge of the executive police work on the Island and Mainland and will supervise the Police Training School. This recommendation was made in Mr. Penne father-Evans' report attached to my confidential despatch referred to above and the division of duties between two Deputy Commissioners has, in fact, been tried with some success during the period of military administration. I consider that the in- crease to two posts is even more essential in the critical period of re-organization now facing us than it was at the time of the original recommendation.

RECEIVED

8- JUL 1346

1

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

GEORGE HALL, P.C., M.P.

C. REGY