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THE SELF-APPOINTED. PREPARATORY CO.41ITTEE OF THE JUNIOR POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (JPOA) SPENT THE MCHTH TRYING TO PROMOTE THEIR IMAGE BOTH IN THE EYES OF THE RANK AID FILE AND OF THE PUBLIC. IN THE EARLIER PART OF THE MONTH THEIR ACTIVITIES WERE LARGELY CONFINED TO SEEKING PUBLICITY FOR ACTIONS DESIGNED TO SHOW THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELFARE OF ORDINARY PEOPLE. IN THE LATTER PART OF THE MONTH THEY ATTEMPTED MORE DRAMATIC TACTICS WHICH VERGED ON A CONFRONTATION WITH THE POLICE
LEADERSHIP.
DETAILS.
2. ON 23RD JANUARY THE DECISIONS OF THE POLICE DISCIPLINARY
HEARINGS INTO THE HUTCHISON HOUSE INCIDENT OF 20TH OCTOBER WERE
ANNOUNCED IN THE PRESS. OF THE FOURTEEN OFFICERS CHARGED, FOUR WERE ORDERED TO BE DISMISSED, SIX WERE FIRED AND GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCES OF DISMISSAL AND THE REMAINING FOUR WERE ACQUITTED. THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE HAD EARLIER EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT
THE DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS. PREDICTABLY, THEY CLAIMED THAT THE SENTENCES WERE TOO SEVERE AND SAID THEY WOULD BACK AN APPEAL, WHILE EMOTION ON THE ISSUE WAS DUILDING UP THEY WERE TOLD THAT ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS, SERGEANT SHUM, WHO HAD BEEN ACTING AS THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY POLICE HEAD- QUARTERS AS A FUTURE, FULL-TIME, PAID STAFF ASSISTANT TO THE JPOA, THE COMMITTEE SEIZED ON THIS ISSUE AS AN EXAMPLE OF INTERFERENCE IN THE ASSOCIATION'S AFFAINS. THEY COUPLED IT WITH THE DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS IN THE HUTCHISON HOUSE CASE TO MUSTER
SUPPORT FROM THE RANK AND FILE.
3. ON 25TH JANUARY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE
ANNOUNCED OVER TELEVISION AND TO THE PRESS THAT ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS EXCEPT HIMSELF HAD RESIONED BECAUSE INTERFERENCE FROM POLICE HEADQUARTERS PREVENTED THEM FROM CARRYING OUT THEIR DUTIES. AT A NEETING LATER IN THE DAY, HELD A TENSE AND EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE, ABOUT THREE HUNDRED RANK AND FILE, INCLUDING
/SOME
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