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Following is the written reply of the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, to a question by the Hon Martin Lee on Correctional Services Department officer attending work-related course in the Legislative Council today (June 6):
Question:
Information from the Correctional Services Department (CSD) indicates that some CSD officers went to Thailand earlier to attend a Supervisory Criminal Investigator Course, which was conducted by the International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok of Thailand. The content of the course covers criminal investigation techniques, anti-transnational crime tactics, crime scene management and evidence collection techniques, etc. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the following in the past three years:
(a) the number and ranks of CSD officers who attended the above course, the total public expenditure incurred, and the programme and subhead of expenditure in CSD's Estimates under which provision was made for such expenditure;
(b) how the duties of those CSD officers who attended the course relate to criminal investigation techniques, anti-transnational crime tactics, crime scene management and evidence collection techniques; and
(c) whether any CSD officers have been sponsored by CSD to attend courses which do not relate to prison management, prisoner rehabilitation and the correctional services industry; if so, of the names of the courses, the number and ranks of officers involved, and the total public expenditure incurred?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) In the three-year period ending May 2007, one officer of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) attended the Supervisory Criminal Investigator Course conducted by the International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok, Thailand. The rank of the officer concerned was Chief Officer. The expenditure incurred was $12,333 and was accounted for under Programme (1) Prison Management and Subhead 000 Operational Expenses in the Expenditure Estimates of the CSD.
(b) The CSD officer who attended the above course was responsible for overseeing the security of correctional institutions under the CSD (which includes preventing, combating and investigating activities in the institutions that are unlawful or related to criminal offences) and maintaining close liaison with other law enforcement departments. Training provided by the course could enhance not only the professional knowledge and skill of the officer concerned, but also the efficiency of prison management of the CSD.
(c) In the past three years, no CSD officers attended courses which did not relate to "Prison Management", "Prisoner Rehabilitation" and "Correctional Services Industries".
Ends/Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:00
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