[ Foreword ] [ Memorable Events ] [ The Hand of Partnership ] [ Operations ] [ Regional Commanders' Report ] [ Personnel and Training ]
[ Management Services ]
[ Finance, Administration and Planning ] [ Environmental Report ] [ Organisation ]
[ Appendices ]
> Integrity and honesty
> Respect for the rights of members of the public and of the Force
> Fairness, impartiality and compassion in all our dealings
> Acceptance of responsibility and accountability
> Professionalism
> Dedication to quality service and continuous improvement
> Responsiveness to change
> Effective communication both within and outwith the Force
Looking back at the year 2016, I feel that all members of the Hong Kong Police Force can take an enormous amount of pride in what we have achieved as an organisation. It has been a year in which, by working together and with the community, we have overcome many challenges and scaled new heights, while ensuring that Hong Kong continues to be one of the safest and most stable societies in the world.
In addition to combating crime, public order policing has become an increasingly heavy commitment for the Police Force in recent years, and 2016 was no exception. Indeed, last year saw a very substantial increase in our public order policing commitments. A total of 13,158 public order events were held in 2016 compared with 6,029 the previous year, a 118 per cent increase. Whilst the majority of these events were held in an orderly and peaceful manner, there have been an increasing number of instances where a minority of protesters have resorted to violence and other radical tactics to disrupt public order, in the process threatening their own safety as well as that of Police officers and other members of the community. This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable in a modern and free society like Hong Kong, and it is behaviour that the Police Force will not tolerate.
As a Police Force, we have always facilitated peaceful and lawful public order events. We adopt a strictly apolitical approach in our policing of all such events. We are also committed to working closely with all groups and individuals who wish to hold public order events, with the aim of ensuring that they are conducted in a safe and orderly manner for all participants and for the community at large, and that they are held in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong. This is the approach that the Police Force has taken in the past, and it will continue to be our approach in policing all types of public order events in the future.
The year 2016 witnessed one of the greatest challenges the Police Force has faced in recent history: the Mong Kok Riot of February 2016. The level of violence displayed by the rioters and their wanton disregard for the safety of others was unprecedented in the modern era, and it was only due to the courage, resilience and devotion to duty of responding members of the Police Force that the situation was brought under control with law and order restored within a very short period of time. Relevant riot organisers and serious offenders have been charged with a number of offences and will be tried at various levels of court, including in the High Court and the District Courts. As it does after all major events, the Police Force has taken stock and reviewed the event to ensure that we evolve and learn from the experience. We have in particular focused on ensuring that our capabilities for dealing with such incidents, and especially for protecting our officers, are second to none.
Ensuring the safety of our community not only involves the Police Force in combating crime and maintaining public order. Two other significant areas are our work in managing road safety and in conducting the fight against terrorism, both of which are important in making sure that members of our community feel safe. In 2016 we saw a decrease in the total number of traffic accidents leading to injuries, as well as in the total number of persons injured in traffic accidents. We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all road users, whether drivers, passengers, cyclists or pedestrians, as well as to maintaining the smooth flow of traffic on our roads, which has a direct impact upon road safety.
Recent terrorist attacks around the world show that the global threat posed by terrorism has never been greater. Whilst Hong Kong remains a safe and secure city, we are not immune from this threat and must remain vigilant at all times. The Police Force continues to allocate considerable resources to ensure that our counter-terrorism capabilities are maintained at a very high state of readiness, and that we have effective measures in place not only to respond to a terrorist attack, but also to prevent such attacks from occurring in the first place. We will maintain our efforts to protect the community from the scourge of terrorism.
Our achievements in 2016 did not simply revolve around operational policing. We are a modern and multi-talented law enforcement agency committed to continuous improvement, including ensuring that all our staff are as well-prepared as possible to perform their duties. In this regard, we are very proud that the high levels of professionalism displayed by the Police Force in 2016 have been recognised locally and internationally through numerous prestigious awards in various fields. These awards include, amongst many others, the Global Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) Award 2016 and the Double Star "Committed to Excellence" accreditation awarded by the European Foundation for Quality Management.
The Police Force also attaches great importance to human resource management, recognising that each and every member of the Police Force is a valuable asset. It is very pleasing to note that 2016 was a watershed in the development of our human resource management skills. This was recognised by the fact that the Police Force won a number of very prestigious awards at the HR Excellence Awards Ceremony 2015-16, organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.
All our achievements during the course of 2016, along with the challenges we have overcome, would amount to nothing without our Force values. These provide us with our identity; they are what we, the members of the Hong Kong Police Force, hold most dear. These values – of which integrity and honesty are at the forefront – drive all that we do and dictate the way in which we perform our daily duties. In the complex and fast-paced environment in which we operate today, these values are of greater importance than ever in binding us together and ensuring that we deliver the service that our community expects and deserves. In relation to our service delivery, it is very gratifying to note that the number of complaints decreased over the course of the year. This is a reflection of the extremely high levels of professionalism that the Police Force has displayed in serving our community.
During 2016 we continued to work hand in hand with the community, and community engagement remains central to our efforts in maintaining law and order. The importance of garnering support and understanding from the community cannot be underestimated. We can only perform our duties effectively if we have the trust, confidence and collective support of the entire community, and it is therefore a responsibility of every member of the Police Force to play a part in engaging all sectors of the community.
All in all, 2016 has been a successful year for the Police Force. The tireless efforts and total dedication of all members have helped us achieve a crime rate that would be the envy of many societies around the globe. At the same time we have ensured the safety and stability of our community by carrying out professional and impartial policing of the many public order events that were held during the year, by promoting road safety, and by maintaining vigilance and a high state of preparedness in the face of the threat of terrorism.
All these achievements have been built on the fact that we are a well-trained and highly professional law enforcement body grounded in values of honesty and integrity, and committed to providing the best service to our community. Looking back on the year, I believe we can all be justifiably proud of what we have achieved and the challenges we have overcome. However, we cannot and will not rest on our laurels. Instead, our achievements will drive us to even greater heights and lead to even higher levels of service. Although 2017 is likely to be another challenging year, it will I believe be one that we can all look forward to with a great deal of confidence and self belief.
Commissioner Mr Lo Wai-chung
Force senior officers
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