MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): I think stop and question and stop and search actions are effective in fighting crimes. As the Vice-Chairman of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), I know that many complaints are related to the use of foul language or impolite treatment, and as a matter of fact, these cases are very difficult to prove.
As such cases can be avoided if police officers are equipped with body worn video cameras because the situation can be recorded on the spot, I would like to know about the Government’s plan relating to the use of such cameras.
PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Mr CHAN, what is the relationship between your supplementary question and the main question?
MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Because stop and question and stop and search actions are mentioned, and I think Mr LEUNG queries in his main question why there are so many complaints. I am considering the matter along the direction of how to minimize this type of complaints.
PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Your supplementary question is not directly related to the main question. Please think again.
MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): President, instead of asking this supplementary question, I would like to ask another question. As I just said, many complaints are related to politeness, or the persons concerned may lodge a complain because they query why they, and not other people, are stopped and searched by the police; therefore, complaints are actually caused by this kind of sentiments.
I would like to ask the Secretary whether they have recorded some actual cases; in some cases, stop and search actions may not be very useful, but in other cases, such actions can actually help combat crimes, for example, some people may actually be consequently arrested. In this connection, have the authorities collated such information so as to make the police’s stop and question and stop and search system more effective?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (in Cantonese): The police are concerned about stop and question and stop and search actions conducted by front-line officers, and have been providing training in this regard on an ongoing basis. In the course of training, some common cases would of course be edited into teaching materials to provide real-life as well as simulated scenarios for training purposes, so that police officers can discuss how the situations can be better handled.
Regarding whether there are some real-life recorded cases, as the current plan to equip police officers with body worn video cameras is still on trial, therefore, as far as I know, there is no plan to use actual recordings as teaching materials for the time being. But I think the police will select some common cases handled by front-line officers, cases that are difficult to handle, cases that can be handled in a better way, as well as some solutions, to be edited and recorded, and incorporated into the simulated teaching materials for training front-line officers. Presentation will be provided to these officers, followed by discussions, so that they would know how to effectively handle certain common situations. That is definitely what the police will do.