[ Foreword ] [ Memorable Events ] [ The Hand of Partnership ] [ Operations ] [ Regional Commanders' Report ] [ Personnel and Training ]
[ Management Services ] [ Finance, Administration and Planning ] [ Environmental Report ] [ Organisation ] [ Annexes and Appendices ]
Commissioner Lo Wai-chung (centre), Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Wong Chi-hung (left) and Deputy Commissioner (Management) Chau Kwok-leung (right) reviewed the crime situation of Hong Kong at a press conference.
In 2015, the Regions continued to devote their efforts to upholding the principles and practice of maintaining law and order to serve all sections of society in Hong Kong with pride and care. The Force continued to place great emphasis on engaging various sectors of the community and adopting proactive multi-agency partnerships to promote crime prevention work. The intelligence-led fight against crime was supported by a series of publicity campaigns and educational programmes to promote public awareness of crime prevention and road safety.
The Region continued its commitment to maintaining public order and safety during public order events. To this end, we have placed increasing emphasis on building partnerships with organisers and other stakeholders, to ensure that events are managed to match the requirements of all involved as well as the expectations of the community at large.
Community engagement has continued to be a key theme, with the Region reinforcing its ties with District Fight Crime Committees and other stakeholders to build a safer and more secure society. Project White Knight in Lan Kwai Fong is an example in which officers have been working closely with local traders and other stakeholders to ensure effective street management while at the same time maintaining a pleasant leisure environment.
Building strong partnerships with schools, youth groups, and nongovernment organisations (NGOs) is a key objective of the Region. Officers are committed to developing young people with leadership potential, and reinforcing positive values in young people with a view to helping them prepare for life’s challenges. Meanwhile, we have also worked to safeguard the wellbeing of more vulnerable groups. Project Evergreen has been launched to enhance awareness of the people suffering from dementia or mental illness and taking proactive measures to reduce the risk of these vulnerable individuals go missing.
Project White Knight is rolled out in Lan Kwai Fong for of f icers working closely wi th local traders and stakeholders to ensure effective street management.
Officer from Traffic Hong Kong Island conveys road safety messages to students.
The forging of stronger ties with all these groups has produced impressive results, with the Region recording a general decrease in crime rates, and notable reductions in incidences of robbery, burglary and violent crimes.
The large number of infrastructure projects under construction has compounded traffic congestion in the Central Business District and other major thoroughfares of the Region, and officers have worked tirelessly to maintain smooth traffic flow. In addition, various engagement initiatives with both road-users and pedestrians have helped decrease the number of serious traffic accidents recorded.
The Marine Police are responsible for maintaining law and order within the waters of the HKSAR, and for ensuring the integrity of its 191 kilometre-long sea boundary. It has policing responsibility for the 1,651 square kilometres of Hong Kong waters, including its many islands. Its fleet of 115 vessels is designed to carry out a range of operational tasks in a variety of challenging maritime conditions.
In 2015, the Marine Police embarked on an ambitious programme to replace approximately 65 per cent of the vessels in its fleet. Many of the vessels to be replaced have been in service for over 20 years. The rapidly changing nature of policing activities together with technological advances have called for new vessel designs.
Designs for new vessels will incorporate improvements identified by the ‘Capability Enhancement and Capacity Building’ review. This review was part of the wider aim to deliver a fleet well prepared for future challenges across a range of activities, which include improving water sports safety, carrying out anti-smuggling and illegal immigration work, and protecting the security of Hong Kong at the boundary of administration.
Fleet enhancements will also address the roles in disaster relief, which include responding to maritime incidents such as a collision or sinking at sea involving multiple casualties, and acting as a robust first line of defence against the threat of sea-borne terrorist attacks. The development of an emergency landing platform to assist with the safe evacuation of people from a hazardous shoreline was awarded a Gold Prize & Special Citation Award (Innovation) at the Civil Service Outstanding Services Award Scheme 2015.
The Marine Police has the largest fleet of any government department in Hong Kong, enabling it to maintain a wide and permanent presence in the waters of Hong Kong. Apart from their core duties, Marine Outer Waters and Marine Port Districts have continued to assist other government departments in enforcing the laws relating to merchant shipping, fisheries, and environmental protection. Community focused programmes in conjunction with both island and seafaring communities have provided further opportunities to enhance services and meet community expectations.
The Marine Police approach the incident scene for joining a fire-fight and rescue operation.
The development of an emergency landing platform to assist with the safe evacuation of people from a hazardous shoreline was awarded a Gold Prize & Special Citation Award (Innovation) at the Civil Service Outstanding Services Award Scheme 2015.
In 2015, the overall crime rate in Kowloon East Region remained stable, registering a one per cent decrease compared with 2014. Several key crimes, including wounding and serious assault, registered significant decreases. The Region continued to adopt an engagement and partnership approach to its policing, to more effectively address various crime and community issues.
Apart from combating triad activity, drug trafficking and youth crimes, the Region made substantial efforts to counter a dramatic upsurge in ‘Pretending to be a Mainland Official’-type telephone deceptions. To enhance public awareness of this problem, the Region worked in coordination with its long-term partners and recently engaged sectors, such as telecommunications service providers to carry out publicity initiatives such as the dissemination of crime alert messages to the public. Cross-boundary co-operation, involving the exchange of intelligence and joint enforcement actions, was also enhanced. As a result, reports of this type of telephone scam dropped significantly. A transnational syndicate was successfully neutralised, with the arrest of over 400 suspects responsible for 4,000 scam cases in Hong Kong and Mainland provinces in an Asia-wide operation.
Kowloon East Region has initiated a number of multi-agency, community-based programmes to generate community support for its policing initiatives, engage the public in fighting crime, and identify youth at risk of drifting into criminality. In addition, various non-ethnic Chinese (NEC) engagement projects, such as Project Reach and Project Harmonious Pyramid, have been vigorously pursued, all of which are helping to enhance the Region’s relationship with the NEC community.
The rapid expansion of the railway network, along with rising expectations over service provision, will without doubt give rise to a more diverse and challenging policing environment. Railway District continues to work closely with various key stakeholders to strengthen its operational capacities in the areas of crowd management policing, response readiness for major incidents, and general security of the overall transport system. Operational practices and the allocation of resources are constantly being reviewed in anticipation of future policing needs.
The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal has developed into a popular public attraction. Increasing numbers of major sporting, cultural and festive events were held in 2015. The Region has taken a proactive role in policing, traffic management and facilitation for these events, helping ensure that public order and public safety is maintained.
Two new public housing estates, consisting of 22 blocks, and community facilities are being constructed in Anderson Road in Sau Mau Ping District and will result in a 17 per cent population increase in the District. To meet future policing needs, especially in the areas of crime and traffic management, two new beats will be created.
Cycling safety remains a key traffic concern for the Region due to the cycling track network along the Tseung Kwan O South Waterfront Promenade. Traffic Kowloon East has worked together with District Councils and the Hong Kong Road Safety Association in conducting a number of educational activities for raising public awareness of cycling safety.
Kowloon East officers distribute leaflets on anti-telephone deception at Yue Man Square.
During the visit to Kowloon East Operational Base, Traffic Kowloon East officers introduce Laser Speeding Gun to NEC students.
In 2015, the overall crime rate remained stable, with the majority of major crime categories (such as robbery and burglary) recording reductions. However, challenges have arisen in cases of online deception and blackmail.
The Region has continued to leverage community partnerships to help deliver safe and secure environments. The various Hawker Charters within the Region are good examples of collaborations with community to reduce street-level and quick cash crimes. The successful Operation Vanguard has continued, with new partnerships being developed with professional security vendors to expand community efforts in gathering criminal intelligence.
Initiatives aimed at youth-at-risk and NEC have continued to benefit from committed support by the community. Project Retriever Plus has leveraged synergies between various Government departments and NGOs to deliver a strong crime prevention message to young people. Meanwhile, Project Translink has been rolled out to provide instant telephone interpretation services for the NEC community members making reports to report rooms while Project Gemstone aims at promoting integration of local and NEC communities.
Both the Junior and Senior Police Calls have continued with their diverse and wide-ranging efforts to make their communities safer.
Given the special vulnerability of elderly pedestrians, Operation Sunlighter was implemented during the year to raise road safety awareness among this group.
Senior Police Call organises a wide range of activities to spread anti-crime messages.
Project Gemstone aims at promoting integration of local and NEC communities.
Primary school students visit Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station to get to know more about the Force work.
In 2015, the crime situation in New Territories South Region remained stable. A 1.9 per cent decrease in the overall number of crimes was recorded, with violent crime and quick cash crime reducing by 2.2 per cent and 4.1 per cent respectively.
The Region launched Operation Stormbreaker to help build a safer community for young people. Apart from stepping up law enforcement action against gangs that recruit young people for criminal purposes, a series of crime prevention activities was jointly organised by the Region, NGOs and schools that attracted participation by over 16,900 students and 3,200 local youths.
Shatin District also introduced an initiative for young people called Project Builder. This project has delivered a wide range of activities, including visits to well-known enterprises, experience-sharing sessions given by successful professionals, and opportunities to participate in volunteer activities. All of these were designed to broaden the horizons of local youth and develop their sense of social responsibility, while at the same time enlisting their support for the Police in fighting crime.
The Region continued with its efforts to engage the NEC community. Project Go Front and Project One World provided NEC students with opportunities to take part in capability building, sports and crime prevention programmes. These projects were also valuable in raising officers’ awareness of the needs of the NEC population, and generally in enhancing communication networks and partnerships.
The Region continued to work tirelessly to combat crime at the community level. Shatin District introduced Project MegaSafeguard, in which estate management companies and security personnel worked together with the Region in gathering intelligence and disseminating crime prevention messages to residents via email. Lantau District also launched Project Fastmarker, which co-ordinated community efforts to tackle quick cash crimes against construction workers and tourists.
New Territories South Region launches Operation Stormbreaker which helps preventing young people from being involved in criminal activities by stepping up law enforcement action against gangs and organising crime prevention activities.
Project One World provides NEC students with opportunities to take part in capability building, spor ts and crime prevention activities, raising officers' understanding of NEC population as well as enhancing communication.
Airport District receives awards in the Customer Service Excellence Programme Award Presentation Ceremony hosted by the Airport Authority Hong Kong.
In 2015, the crime situation in New Territories North Region remained steady, with overall crime decreasing by three per cent.
The use of illicit drugs has remained a concern in the Region. Two major decoy operations were run during the year to combat drug trafficking activities and intercept sources of income. These led to the apprehension of more than 100 people for dangerous drugs and triad related offences, and the seizure of a significant quantity of dangerous drugs and weapons.
The Region has adopted an early intervention approach in its work educating students about the dangers of being involved in illegal activities. In May, Tai Po District launched Project Mapmarker to disseminate crime prevention messages to students. Yuen Long District carried out Project Sunshine which encouraged the adoption of a healthy lifestyle as a means of developing self-discipline and preventing crime and hosted seminars in schools on the subject of juvenile crime. The Tuen Mun Fight Crime Street Running Programme attracted local young people taking part in running activities, and in the process successfully engaged the youth-in-need.
Yuen Long District, which has a large NEC community, continued with Project Himalaya, to encourage and provide training for NEC young people with an interest in joining the Police Force. A Nepalese who was a member of Project Himalaya joined the Force.Yuen Long District also hosted an inter-departmental liaison meeting with NEC leaders in September, at which NEC community concerns were aired. The Region hosted an NEC Community Liaison Gathering in November, at which NEC community leaders and imams discussed with the Regional Commander and other senior officers issues relating to the current crime situation and crime prevention.
In addition to its crime control and prevention activities, the Region continued to maintain its readiness to respond to potential major disasters and related events. In April, a large scale multi-departmental operation was conducted to test and enhance the Region’s contingency plans. Over 550 participants from various Government departments and private sector stakeholders attended.
Over the year, the Region liaised and worked closely with the community in its fight against crime. As a result, the key crimes of robbery and burglary decreased by 12.5 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively. By engaging in partnership with different sectors of community, and by carrying out proactive crime control operations and crime prevention education programmes, the Region will continue its efforts to keep Hong Kong a safe and stable city through social partnership.
New Territories North Region launches the Operation Megastrength to prevent juvenile crime.
Police of ficer takes care of cross boundary students at Shenzhen Bay Port.
A large scale multi-departmental operation is conducted to test and enhance the New Territories Nor th Region's contingency plans.
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