Suicide attempts increased significantly in 2015, says PJ

The Judiciary Police (PJ)’s Crisis Negotiation Team has conducted more than ten negotiations each year in rescuing people who attempted to commit suicide, according to a report published this week by Macao Daily News.

Cheong Kin Wa, head of the Judiciary Police School and a crisis negotiator, said the number of attempted suicides or critical personal problems increased significantly in 2015 compared to previous years.

Many cases involve labor disputes, and primarily concern mainland residents. Cheong added that the negotiators are normally investigators from different departments.

The PJ recruits those who know two or more languages, such as English, Portuguese, Mandarin or Fujian’s dialect, in order to handle different situations.

Established in 2001, the team comprises volunteers from the police force. While the team initially comprised just ten people, it now has 27 members.

The PJ also trains negotiators to deal with situations where terrorism is involved. Cheong also said that negotiations are relatively unique when compared to other daily investigation duties.

The Crisis Negotiation Team commenced operations in Macau in the 1980s. Prior to the team’s establishment, the PJ invited Hong Kong negotiators to train the local team, and later chose local negotiators to be trained in Hong Kong after 2001. JZ