XN000022-1980-10-18 — Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1980

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS TAKES SALUTE

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THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS, MR TOM ECOB, WHO IS RETIRING EARLY NEXT MONTH AFTER 33 YEARS' SERVICE WITH THE GOVERNMENT, TODAY INSPECTED THE LAST PASSING-OUT PARADE IN HIS CAREER.

MR ECOB TOOK THE SALUTE FROM A GROUP OF RECRUITS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE IR TRAINING AT THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT'S STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE IN STANLEY. HE ALSO PRESENTED GOLDEN WHISTLES TO THE BEST TWO RECRUITS, MISS TANG PUI-FUN AND MR WONG KEE-YEUNG, BOTH ASSISTANT OFFICERS.

ON PARADE WERE 12 OFFICERS, AND 69 MAN AND 27 WOMAN ASSISTANT OFFICERS.

ADDRESSING THE PARADE, MR ECOB SAID OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT HAD EXPANDED CONSIDERABLY IN TERMS OF STAFF AND SERVICES.

+THIS EXPANSION, WHICH OBVIOUSLY ENHANCES CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF, IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, SINCE TWO NEW INSTITUTIONS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND OTHERS ARE ON THE DRAWING BOARD,

HE SAID.

MR ECOB ALSO NOTED THAT AT PRESENT, THE WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMMES IN OPERATION UNDER THE PENAL SYSTEM CALLED FOR STAFF TO BE WELL SKILLED IN MANY FIELDS. HE PRAISED THE PRINCIPAL AND STAFF OF THE STAFF TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A VERY EFFECTIVE SYLLABUS WHICH MET THE NEEDS OF TRAINEES.

HE SAID THE INSTITUTE WITH ITS BASIC TRAINING AND SPECIALIST COURSES HAD CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BUILT UP ITS PRESENT HIGH REPUTATION, NOT ONLY IN THE REGION BUT ALSO WORLD-WIDE, WITHOUT THE VALUABLE SERVICES IT PROVIDED.

+ IT IS THEREFORE GRATIFYING THAT WORK ON AN EXTENSION TO THE EXISTING TRAINING INSTITUTE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION AND CONSIDERABLY ENHANCED FACILITIES, WILL COMMENCE LATER THIS YEAR, HE ADDED.

MR ECOB JOINED THE PRISON SERVICE IN OCTOBER 1947 AS A PRISON OFFICER AFTER SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES. HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS AND WAS APPOINTED DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PRISONS IN JANUARY 1972.

IN RECOGNITION OF HIS VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION DURING HIS OFFICE AS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, PARTICULARLY DURING A TIME OF REORGANISATION IN THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT, HE WAS APPOINTED A COMPANION OF THE IMPERIAL SERVICE ORDER (ISO) IN 1977.

HE WAS ALSO AWARDED THE COLONIAL PRISON SERVICE MEDAL IN 1965 AND ITS FIRST AND SECOND CLASPS IN 1972 AND 1977.

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