XN000022-1983-08-19 — Page 7

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1983

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AUXILIARIES PRAISED FOR WORK

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THE ANNUAL AUXILIARY REFRESHER TRAINING CAMP IS NECESSARY TO MAKE AUXILIARY POLICE OFFICERS MORE AWARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND TO WIDEN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONSTABULARY POWERS WHICH THEY WOULD BE CALLED UPON TO EXERCISE, THE CHIEF STAFF OFFICER, AUXILIARIES, MR ALISTAIR MCNIVAN, SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.

ADDRESSING A PASSING OUT PARADE OF 119 AUXILIARIES WHO HAVE JUST COMPLETED THEIR WEEK-LONG ANNUAL TRAINING, MR MCNIVAN NOTED THAT THE AUXILIARY POLICE WERE NO LONGER REGARDED MAINLY AS A BACK-UP TO THE REGULAR FORCE IN INTERNAL SECURITY SITUATIONS.

THEY WERE ROUTINELY PROVIDING OFFICERS FOR NORMAL WATCH AND WARD DUTIES, AND IT FOLLOWED OBVIOUSLY THAT THE AUXILIARIES, IN ADDITION TO THEIR CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, MUST ALSO BE MORE PRACTISED IN CONVENTIONAL POLICE WORK, HE SAID.

MR MCNIVAN REMINDED THE AUXILIARIES THAT WHEN THEY WERE ON DUTY, IN THE STREETS, THEY WOULD BE EXPECTED TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS DECISIVELY, TACTFULLY AND WITH UNDERSTANDING,

''YOU ARE GIVEN VERY WIDE POWERS WHICH YOU MUST EXERCISE WITH IMPARTIALITY AND WITH RESTRAINT. NEVER ABUSE YOUR AUTHORITY. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BRING THE WHOLE FORCE INTO DISRESPECT, HE TOLD THEM.

COMMENDING THE OFFICERS ON PARADE FOR THEIR CIVIC MINDEDNESS AND DEVOTION TO LAW AND ORDER DUTIES, MR MCNIVAN ALSO THANKED THEIR EMPLOYERS FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO ATTEND THE TRAINING CAMP.

HE THEN CONGRATULATED THE OFFICERS ON THEIR SMARTNESS AND STEADINESS ON PARADE, AND EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE HIGH TRADITIONS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE.

ALL OFFICERS WERE ATTACHED TO THE COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, NEW TERRITORIES AND MARINE (AUXILIARY).

ISLANDERS GET FIRST SITTING-OUT AREA

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A SITTING-OUT AREA WITH BARBECUE PITS AND BENCHES HAS BEEN COMPLETED FOR VILLAGERS OF SHAM WAN TSUEN ON CHEK LAP KOK ISLAND.

THE 400-SQUARE-METRE SITTING-OUT AREA IS THE FIRST SUCH

FACILITY FOR THE ISLAND'S 600 VILLAGERS.

THE PROJECT WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE VILLAGERS THEMSELVES, AND ASSISTED BY A GROUP OF 17 PROBATIONARY POLICE INSPECTORS WHO SPENT FIVE DAYS ON THE JOB AS PART OF THEIR TRAINING COURSE.

THE ISLANDS