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Victoria Button

Armond Chan Yiu-kwok Senior superintendent with the Hong Kong Police Force commercial crime bureau

Why did you join the police?

My father was a policeman. I grew up listening to his hero stories. I always knew I'd be a policeman. The only other ambition I ever had was to be a judge but  I was kicked out of secondary school after I failed Form Three. I hadn't taken my exams seriously enough.

Was it difficult to join the force with that sort of academic record?

You needed only Primary Six to join so I thought I had more than enough schooling, but the chief inspector said my results were worse than the janitor's. I had to talk my way in.

What was your career goal?

I wanted to get my 'red tabs' - be an assistant duty officer - which meant learning English. Later, I decided I wanted to be a sergeant but my superior said: 'Armond, you really don't look like a sergeant. You look like an inspector.' My father said I shouldn't believe it, that it was impossible.

More night school?

Definitely. The first time I sat the HKCEE I failed everything except English. The next year, I swapped to arts stream and tried again and got passes in everything except maths.  The year after, I took a month off to study  and finally got through.

And you got the promotion?

I reached the rank of inspector after five years in the job. After promotion, I studied to get my O-levels, then my A-levels and became an 'LA'.

An LA?

Law addict. I sat in on lectures at the extra-mural department of the University Hong Kong to find out more about legal concepts. Then I did a higher diploma in legal studies at the City University of Hong Kong, and studied a law degree by correspondence from London University. After that, I got a postgraduate certificate in laws at the University of Hong Kong and was called to the bar of the Hong Kong Supreme Court, a wonderful moment for me.

How did you find the time to study?

Less sleep. Sometimes I would only get three hours in a night. Also, by sacrificing public holidays - and having an understanding wife and family.

Did you get much help from the police force to do your study?

It used to be a capital offence in the force to study at tertiary level. You definitely kept quiet about it. If people knew, they would think you wanted to leave. The force is much more open-minded now. By the time I did a Master of Arts in public policy and management at City University, which I finished in 1998. I was given time off to study, although I still had to pay the fees.

What did the management qualification do for you?

Dealing with people is an art, and it helped me in that art. You need to know who to 'kiss' and who to 'kick'. I would take theories I'd learnt, for example on empowerment, and try them out.

Useful contacts: University of Hong Kong tel 2859 2111, www.hku.edu.hk; City University of Hong Kong tel 2788 9094, www cityu.edu.hk;  police recruitment division tel 2860 2860. Armond  Chan was talking to Victoria Button.



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