MORE than half of expatriate police on contract terms have agreed to new conditions to ensure a bulk of experienced middle-rank officers will straddle the transition to Chinese rule.
It is understood slightly more than 200 of the 400 overseas contract officers have signed up for another three years.
Senior police sources expect the remainder will seek to extend terms until the year 2000 in deals which are still able to be struck prior to the change of sovereignty in 1997.
Already, contracts have been signed that stretch into 1998.
However, senior force management is hoping recent surges in rank-and-file morale will encourage other expatriate officers - most in senior inspectorate ranks - to agree to further contract periods.
''All expatriate police on contract face an automatic renewal of terms every three years,'' one senior source said.
