TNAG-0736-FCO40-940-Local-Intelligence-Committee-assessment-of-political-situati-1978 — Page 46

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4. FOLLOWING THE POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO THE 28TH OCTOBER INCIDENT AT THE OPERATIONS DIVISION OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC) ONE EX-POLICE OFFICER WAS PROOSECUTED AND AT THE END OF THE MONTH THE CASE WAS STILL BEING HEARD.. FOURTEEN SERVING POLICE OFFICERS ARE THE SUBJECT OF DEPARTMENTAL DISCIPLINARY CHARGES. THIS CASE REMAINS A MATTER OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AND CONCERN TO RANK AND FILE AMONG WHOM THERE IS A WIDESPREAD BELIEF THAT THOSE WHO ARE THE SUBJECT OF DISCIPLINARY CHARGES ARE SCAPEGOATS.

5. CONCERN OVER ICAC METHODS AND TACTICS AND MISTRUST OF THE NEWLY CREATED ICAC COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE APPEARED TO BE GENERAL THROUGHOUT THE POLICE FORCE. THE RANK AND FILE DOUBT THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT IS CHAIRED BY A PERSON BELIEVED BY THE RANK AND FILE TO BE A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE ICAC COMMISSIONER. COMMITTEE MET ONCE IN MID-DECEMBER.

THE

6. DURING THE MONTH THE EXTENT OF THE INDEBTEDNESS OF THE RANK

AND FILE WAS ASSESSED AT APPROXIMATELY H.K DOLLARS SEVEN POINT

FIVE MILLION. THIS ASSESSMENT WAS MADE FOLLOWING A HEAVY RUN

ON THE FORCE WELFARE FUND TO OBTAIN LOANS, INDEBTEDNESS ON

THIS SCALE IS NOT NEW AND IS THE RESULT OF THE RISING COST OF LIVING, IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING AND, IN SOME CASES, THE LOSS OF BRIBES. THE RELIABILITY OF OFFICERS WHO ARE HEAVILY IN DEBT

MUST BE IN DOUBT.

7. A HIGH PROPORTION OF EXPATRIATE OFFICERS STRONGLY RESENT WHAT

THEY REGARD AS UNFAIR REPORTING IN THE LOCAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS

WHICH IS CRITICAL OF THE FORCE. THE CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS, BOTH COMMUNIST AND INDEPENDENT, CONTINUE TO REPORT FACTUALLY.

8. IT IS ASSESSED THAT THE MAJORITY OF POLICE RANK AND FILE

BELIEVE THEY ARE IMPROVING THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE. FOR THE PRESENT

THEY ARE AIRING THEIR GRIEVANCES THROUGH POLICE CHANNELS. THERE

IS NO INDICATION OF AN INTENTION TO REVERT TO MASS MILITANT

ACTION, BUT AS LONG AS A HARD CORE OF INTERDICTED OFFICERS REMAINS

AT LARGE WITHIN THE FORCE THE HATRED FELT FOR THE ICAC HAS THE

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/POTENTIAL