THE IMAGE OF Macau's security forces, which reached its nadir during the triad turf wars of the 1990s, has once again been tarnished by rogue elements among its 5,000 staff.
The recent incidents took place at a time when the security forces were basking in the general public's gratitude for the virtual disappearance of gangland violence since the 1999 handover, and when their top brass are readying themselves for the challenges of the opening-up of the gaming industry to rival competitors later this year.
The security forces this week launched an official inquiry into the highly embarrassing circumstances of a brawl at a karaoke bar over the Easter holidays that involved two off-duty officers from different police forces. The free-for-all spectacle, which was broken up by a contingent of duty officers and witnessed by dozens of revellers, once again brought to light the apparent 'rivalry' between certain officers of the uniformed Public Security Police and the plainclothes Judicial Police.
Secretary for Security Cheong Kuoc-va pledged in a written statement that the officers would 'inexorably' be punished if found guilty of indiscipline. Apart from disciplinary proceedings, the case is also under investigation by public prosecutors.
Earlier this week, marine police officers also caught red-handed a colleague who was smuggling 160 kilograms of pork inside his car from the adjacent Zhuhai Special Economic Zone. According to preliminary investigations, the suspect regularly sold the meaty contraband to restaurants and shops.
The lack of discipline and civility among certain members of staff of the security forces has been a long-running issue. Some citizens blame the extremely low level of education - about half of the rank and file have just six years of formal schooling, and quite a few constables are said to be semi-literate - but others insist the real problem is that the higher echelons have never been able to instil a sense of professional responsibility in their charges.
No wonder constables can still be seen smoking, drinking, playing mahjong and using their private mobile phones and pagers when on patrol. Besides, off-duty policemen seem to be among the most loyal patrons of rather shady night spots. Complaints about alleged indiscipline and rudeness among policemen are common.