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SCMP Reporter

COMPLAINTS against police have increased some 15 per cent over the past three months, figures released yesterday show.

   The Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO) statistics reveal 889 complaints were lodged from July to September, compared to 777 in the previous quarter.

  There have now been 2,569 complaints this year, compared to 2,343 over the first nine months last year - a 10 per cent rise.

   The biggest increase involved complaints about the use of offensive language, with 99 cases in the third quarter compared to 76 in the previous quarter - a leap of 30.3 per cent.

   Neglect of duty, and unnecessary use of authority, also registered large rises, of 28.3 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

  In an effort to streamline the complaints procedure, an Informal Resolution system was established in January last year. It was used to settle 1,011 complaints in the first nine months of this year.

  Under this procedure, 334 complaints were informally resolved, 168 were still being investigated, 169 required further action and 340 were withdrawn.

  Complaints of assault constituted more than 40 per cent of allegations against officers.

   This year, CAPO has prosecuted four officers for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, three for common assault, three for theft and one for incitement to steal.

  Five complainants were prosecuted for making false accusations, bringing the total of CAPO-instituted prosecutions to 16.

    Man Sai-cheong, the vice-chairman of the Police Complaints Committee (PCC) - which monitors CAPO - yesterday called for the body to be made independent of the force.

  ''Appointing a civilian to head CAPO is not the solution and wouldn't do much to raise public confidence as it would be seen as only a symbolic position because the police would still be investigating their own colleagues,'' said Mr Man, a legislative councillor.

  ''However, having a civilian in charge may be a step in the right direction of setting up an independent body to investigate complaints against police.''   Mr Man was responding to comments made by the ombudsman Arthur Garcia, who has called for civilian leadership of CAPO.

  Complaints against police are dealt with by CAPO which then reports to the governor-appointed PCC.

  Legislators, lawyers and civil rights activists claim it is inherently unfair to have complaints against police investigated by other members of the force.

  But despite a police agreement last May to allow civilian monitors, the force continues to oppose civilian leadership of CAPO on the grounds that a civilian boss would hurt the morale of the unit's officers.



15pc rise in police complaints