Both he and the chief of the Public Security Police Force (PSP) were dissatisfied with recent communications by the authority, stated Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak.
Last week, a private vehicle was observed travelling at high speed in front of Grand Lisboa Hotel, squeezing between a light bus and a seven-seater vehicle and running two red lights before colliding with a greening area at the door of Hotel Lisboa.
The immediate announcement by the PSP, which only spoke of a crash between two vehicles and a bus, drew criticism from the Macau Journalists’ Association (AJM) for downplaying the severity of the accident.
Subsequent updates were only released approximately half a day later in response to inquiries from journalists.
The AJM described this approach to information release unhelpful for journalists seeking to critically assess the severity and newsworthiness of road incidents and accidents.
Days later, footage of a PSP van running a red light was captured by a dashboard camera and went viral on social media. However, the PSP’s announcement described the incident as involving a ‘private vehicle’ and a motorcycle.
At a recent press conference, Wong was asked to comment on the matter. He expressed his intention to “proactively” discuss the matter, adding that the manner of information release for both incidents “comprised a multitude of problems.”
He acknowledged that while there are incidents of varying seriousness, information released for more serious incidents must be more detailed, timely and accurate.
The official noted that the police must avoid describing incidents in a vague or over simplified fashion. Details such as time, location, severity of injury and people involved should be disclosed. The phase of the investigation should also be disclosed, should the incident’s cause be unclear.
He underscored that if the incident features children, the elderly, disabled individuals, or law-enforcement personnel or vehicles among those involved or injured, the incident should be considered serious.
Wong also expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the update, stating that updates should not be delayed until the following day. Promptly announcing the results of investigations is also critical.
“[These criteria] are unquestionable and are my requirement. In fact, the requirement within the PSP is consistent [with mine], but problems have arisen during the handling of these two events,” Wong said.
Internal communications within the PSP were also problematic, judging from these two recent cases. Wong revealed that mid-level management failed to promptly report the cases and their details to higher management, admitting that he was not aware of the matters when the incidents occurred.
“This is problematic,” he said. “In fact, when severe cases happen, it has always been the practice to inform bureau heads or even the Secretary for Security. Details on the incident, the method of follow-up and the release of information must be conveyed to senior management.”
He concluded that the failure to inform senior management of the details “is not acceptable.” Announcing details of serious and sudden cases is critical to maintaining social stability and upholding the public’s right to information, he added.
