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SCMP Reporter

THE police force is to undergo a structural and personnel revamp early next year, following a review of the force to 1997 and beyond.

  Management is expected to implement a major recommendation by consultants Coopers and Lybrand to create a new post of chief of ''detectives and spies''.

  It proposes splitting the operations department into two, each to be headed by a senior assistant police commissioner.

  The proposed new chief - the Director of Crime and Security Wing - will share the work of the Director of Operations, who looks after both the uniformed branch and CID officers.

  Regional commander for Hong Kong Island, Assistant Commissioner of Police Peter Wong Tsan-kwong, is strongly tipped to be promoted to head the new department.

  The crime director will also be responsible for some of the work of the sensitive Special Branch, which will be scaled down from 1995.

  The Special Branch will be renamed the Security Wing and will continue to protect VIPs, carry out anti-terrorist operations and vet civil service and police job applications.

  A police source said the force would work with the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which will take over Special Branch's job in security checks and reports on senior Government officials from mid-1994.

  While its anti-espionage function is set to be scaled down, a small amount of monitoring of spying will be maintained.

  Special Branch director, Deputy Commissioner of Police John Thorpe, is to retire in June 1995.

  Although Special Branch (SB) will not be abolished until 1995, the new Crime and Security Wing is expected to be set up on April 1 next year. That will involve taking over command of about 3,500 CID officers in the 27,000-strong force.

  ''The reason for the new command structure is that at present the director of operations and his deputy director [crime] are facing a huge workload,'' a police source said.

  ''The director himself now looks after 85 per cent of the police force, and you are talking about uniform branch and CID officers from all the regions, districts and divisions.

  ''Also you need to find a convenient home for the Special Branch officers when the department goes in 1995. Since there are certain similarities between the SB and the CID it would be reasonable and appropriate for the former to come under the new Crime and Security Wing,'' a police source said.

  Current operations director, Peter Lee Lam-chuen, will be responsible for uniformed officers in land and marine police divisions.

  Coopers and Lybrand and a police internal team have been working on the $3 million review over the past year.

  The police source said: ''There are no major flaws in the police force, but a review is necessary in order to put the force in the direction of the next 10 years, bringing it through the transition period.''   While the internal team looked at the functions and deployment of specific police formations, Coopers and Lybrand has been reviewing the management and leadership of the force headed by Commissioner Li Kwan-ha.

  The impending structural changes and retirement of several top officers will lead to at least three senior assistant commissioners, seven assistant commissioners and 11 chief superintendent vacancies in the next six months.

  The deputy commissioner (management), Keith Lomas, will retire in early 1994 at the age of 57. His job is expected to go to Director of Personnel and Training, Peter So Lai-yin.

  The elevation of Mr So, a local officer, paves the way for a full Chinese line-up in top police jobs in the run-up to 1997, with Mr Thorpe going in 1995.



New post as police force sees big revamp