XN000022-1983-07-21 — Page 8

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1983

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POLICE TO BOOST TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXPERTISE

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THE POLICE FORCE IS LOOKING FOR TALENT TO BOOST ITS EXPERTISE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOLLOWING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ITS COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT BRANCH.

DISCLOSING THIS TODAY (THURSDAY), THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES, MR KEITH LOMAS, SAID THE FORCE WOULD SHORTLY BE ADVERTISING LOCALLY FOR TWO SENIOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS AND SEVEN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS.

THE NEW POSTS WERE CREATED UNDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF

A STEERING GROUP SET UP LATE LAST YEAR TO STUDY THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT BRANCH.

''FOLLOWING THE TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BRANCH FROM THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT TO THE MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN OCTOBER 1982, A STEERING GROUP AND A SUBORDINATE WORKING PARTY WERE ESTABLISHED TO DETERMINE HOW FAR THE BRANCH'S OBJECTIVES AND DUTIES WERE BEING MET WITH EXISTING RESOURCES, AND TO RECOMMEND CHANGES WHERE APPROPRIATE,'' MR LOMAS SAID.

''AT AN EARLY STAGE IN ITS DELIBERATIONS, THE STEERING GROUP RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR SPLITTING UP THE COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT BRANCH INTO ITS COMPONENT PARTS, THERE BEING NO LONGER A LOGICAL REASON FOR TRANSPORT' TO BE COMBINED WITH 'COMMUNICATIONS','' MR LOMAS SAID.

THE REVIEW WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONDUCTED IN TWO PARTS.

''SO FAR AS COMMUNICATIONS WAS CONCERNED, THE BRANCH WAS FOUND TO HAVE CARRIED OUT A VERY GOOD JOB DESPITE BEING SERIOUSLY UNDERSTAFFED.

**HOWEVER, IT WAS RAPIDLY REACHING A POINT WHERE EXISTING RESOURCES COULD NOT MEET THE INCREASING DEMANDS BROUGHT ABOUT BY NEW COMMITMENTS AND EXPANSION OF THE FORCE.

**THE BRANCH IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN MANY TELECOMMUNICATION PROJECTS SUCH AS A JOINT MARITIME COMMUNICATION PROJECT, A CONSULTANCY ON THE EXTENSION OF THE BEAT RADIO SCHEME TO THE NEW TERRITORIES POLICE DISTRICTS, THE UPGRADING OF RADAR FACILITIES FOR MARINE POLICE LAUNCHES AND A SECOND GENERATION COMPUTER ASSISTED COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM, TO MENTION BUT A FEW.''

THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ACCEPTED THE STEERING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT BRANCH BE SPLIT INTO A COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH' AND A 'TRANSPORT BRANCH'. BOTH REMAINING SUBORDINATE TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

THE RECOMMENDATION WAS SUBSEQUENTLY IMPLEMENTED ON JUNE

22 THIS YEAR.

THE COMMISSIONER ALSO ENDORSED PROPOSALS THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH SHOULD BE HEADED BY A SPECIALIST CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE WITH FOUR SUBORDINATE SENIOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOUR DIVISIONS WITHIN THE BRANCH, AND WITH AN INCREASED NUMBER OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS.

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