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SCMP Reporter

PROPOSALS for more police to be put on the beat are in turmoil because of delays installing a computer network.

 The deadline for completion of the $524 million system has been put back two years, only 18 months after work began.

  Because of the failure to meet deadlines, predicted cost savings on which the re-deployment of about 600 officers depends will almost certainly not be generated.

  Delays have been blamed on officers with insufficient technological knowledge being given computer-based jobs.

  There are also claims police have arbitrarily extended the scope of projects.

  One government official said: 'If they'd done nothing for the past 18 months, absolutely nothing, then they'd be 18 months behind.

  'But, you really have to work hard to have a two-year delay. That takes some effort.

  'We are not talking about a little slippage on the programme; we are talking about a disaster.

  'We now propose to take a more hands-on approach to this area, which we should not have to do, because the police should be capable of taking control of their own affairs.

  'This is not the police's finest hour.'   Problems with the computer system have recently attracted such adverse government attention that Deputy Secretary for Security, Ken Woodhouse, chaired a meeting on Tuesday with police to rein in the crisis.

  Those who attended the talks included the Deputy Secretary for the Treasury, Kwong Ki-chi, and Deputy Police Commissioner Peter So Lai-yin.

  They could not be reached for comment.

  However, government sources say police have now been ordered to submit a detailed file on the future of the four-year programme, initially tipped to be finished by early 1998.

  One police source said: 'Yes, it is true there have been delays and certainly we would like to see things done more quickly.

  'But we are doing all we can to speed up delivery.'   Police argue the Information and Technology Branch, responsible for the overhaul of the force's archaic computer system, suffers a perennial shortage of 10 per cent in staff.

  However, when original timetables were submitted, the vacancy rate hovered at 15 per cent.

  Under computer reforms resulting from a Coopers and Lybrand study into police practice and performance, close to 600 officers were tipped to be re-allocated to frontline posts.

  It is the linchpin of police study team reports which advocate a boost of up to 2000 in the police establishment.

  These reports are due to be finalised next year.

  Of the partially completed projects, the computerisation of the force's vast fingerprint stores is the most notable.

  But the Communal Information System, which seeks to link more than 2000 personal computers to all stations and commands - with capacity for the expanded use of bilingual charge sheets - is the most important development.

  Another proposal is that electronic mail, message sending and retrieval and other cross-checking facilities will become available.



Computer delay puts police plan in jeopardy