After the killing last year of a suspect by a mentally-ill constable, the police promised to improve counselling procedures to prevent such a tragedy recurring. The number of police psychologists is being doubled while new recruits will face tests to assess their mental health. But the story that emerged yesterday at the sentencing of Yau Chun-sing, the constable responsible for the shooting, must cast doubt on whether this is enough.
There is no doubt that Yau was seriously disturbed. His family has a history of mental illness. He, himself, had undergone the highly traumatic experience of seeing a close colleague commit suicide in 1994. The extent to which this disturbed his mind became clear when he claimed he was possessed by his dead friend's spirit.
Still, a police psychologist decided that Yau was going through a passing phase. After a spell under observation, he was judged fit to carry a gun again - and a man is now dead as a result.
The victim might still have been alive had the police sought the opinion of a government psychiatrist which would probably have resulted in a proper diagnosis. A private psychiatrist, whom Yau saw at his own behest, was quick to suspect schizophrenia, but was in no position to make official recommendations.
That demonstrates the folly of relying on police psychologists to try to prevent a rerun of this tragedy. Their skills lie in counselling. But they are in no position to diagnose mental diseases accurately as has been sadly proved by this case.
If the police are serious about the need for greater safeguards, they will have to find some way of incorporating such medical skills into their counselling procedures. One option would be to have independent psychiatrists assigned to the police force.
