Sensitive posts likely to rotate more often

POLICE are likely to move officers between sensitive posts more frequently following last month's blitz on corruption.

A group of senior officers has been asked to look at all jobs considered prone to corruption, especially in gambling and vice, and to concentrate on the feasibility of speedier transfers.

This is in addition to a taskforce at deputy commissioner level to reduce police criminal activity.

In conjunction with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the force has long had a programme of rotation.

Although no decisions have been made, police sources say they are determined to highlight and eradicate flaws which may have encouraged recent corruption.

Officers attached to so-called sensitive police posts are rotated either annually or after 18 months.

'We consider these matters to be well in hand at the moment but, as a matter of course, we are reviewing this rotation policy,' one source said.

'The issue of suspensions has also been of concern - but, yes, we are also looking at current procedures in rotations to lessen the chance of these things happening again.

'Each region has had its own policy on this and I think we want to tie these things together in a co-ordinated way.' It is believed the ICAC has co-operated with police in a recent appraisal of the force's interdiction list.

This follows concern at the high number of officers on suspension with full pay and the length of time taken to resolve their status.

In the past few weeks, 20 police officers have been reinstated to full duty after the ICAC advised they were either not proceeding with investigations or that it was unlikely any prosecutions would be launched.

Last month, the South China Morning Post revealed how police suspensions had risen by more than 40 per cent, mainly linked to a range of high-profile ICAC raids.

In a 30-day period in October and November, more than 20 officers were arrested by the ICAC in a major blitz on 'small pockets' of officers.