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SCMP Reporter

THE panel which supervises the way police deal with complaints is to start to interview officers.

  Police had promised to co-operate, but could not be forced to attend hearings, Independent Police Complaints Council chairman Dennis Chang Khen-lee said yesterday.

  He said the police-run Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO) had devised guidelines for officers being interviewed, telling them of their rights and responsibilities.

  Mr Chang said if officers were unwilling to attend interviews, the council would seek powers to force them to attend.

  'We need them to come of their own accord,' he said, when he released the council's annual report. 'They have promised and there is no reason to doubt their fullest co-operation.

  'But it is important that before police witnesses come, they should be fully appraised of their particular case,' Mr Chang said.

  He said the council wanted to talk to officers after its move to interview other witnesses involved in complaints.

  Since the council began the interviews in October, 13 witnesses have been spoken to in relation to six cases.

  Four of CAPO's findings were overturned and the remaining two endorsed.

  Mr Chang cited two cases - one relating to a medical consultant verifying the age of an injury to confirm it had been sustained in police custody, and another in which a witness had been unfairly visited at night by an officer on the pretext of checking her dog licence - as examples where CAPO rulings had been overturned.

  He said it was too early to make any judgment on CAPO, based on such a small sample.

  Mr Chang announced a publicity campaign for a logo to be devised for the council that encapsulated its independent operations.

  The council has also recommended procedural changes to the way CAPO conducts video interviews with witnesses.

  Mr Chang said Police Commissioner Eddie Hui Ki-on had agreed to implement a 'courtesy cop' scheme to encourage officers to improve manners and behaviour.

  Of all complaints, about 25 per cent are considered to be avoidable and comprise mainly claims of rudeness.

  Last year, allegations of misconduct fell from 4,812 to 4,148.

  Of these, 1,116 were later withdrawn - a practice that was subject to a major council inquiry - and 1,588 were deemed not pursuable.

  There were 569 allegations dealt with by informal resolution.

  Mr Chang said of the 873 fully investigated allegations, about 25 per cent were found to have substance - with 70 completely substantiated.

  The report concluded that complaints alleging assault, impoliteness, neglect of duty, and over-bearing manner represented 82 per cent of all claims.



Police complaints panel to call in officers as witnesses