[ 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
The year 2019 marked the 175th year of the Force’s proud history of safeguarding Hong Kong. As it has borne witness to the extraordinary development of the territory, the Force has at the same time endeavoured to make Hong Kong one of the safest and most stable cities in the world. It has been an honour for the Force to have made history together with our city over the past 175 years.
During the second half of the year, however, the Force faced some unprecedented challenges. From June 2019 onwards, a string of large-scale protests occurred stemming from the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 (‘the anti-extradition bill protests’), culminating in relentless violence that threatened the rule of law. However, showing an unswerving determination to protect Hong Kong and resolutely enforce the law, the Force rose to the challenges of the times. This review outlines how the Force provided policing services during the year in the spirit of ‘Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty’, with the aim of curbing violence and restoring law and order in the community.
The Force’s unflagging dedication to upholding law and order in Hong Kong for the past 175 years, together with the concerted efforts of the community in fighting crime, have established Hong Kong as a city with a famously low crime rate. In the first half of 2019, the overall crime figures showed a downward trend for the 12th consecutive year since 2007. A further drop of 4.7 per cent in overall crime was recorded by comparison with the same period in 2018, hitting a new record low since half-yearly figures began to be maintained in 1977. These very positive figures set the scene for highly successful celebrations of the Force’s 175th anniversary, which garnered exceptional public support.
One highlight of the anniversary was the publication of a comprehensive ‘Hong Kong Police Force 175th Anniversary’ commemorative book. In addition, the Hong Kong Police Force 175th Anniversary Open Day was held for two weekends in a row at the Hong Kong Police College in January 2019. We were delighted to have the presence of the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, as the officiating guest at the opening ceremony to kick-start the celebratory activities. The open day was well received, with more than 30,000 visitors sharing the joy of our 175th anniversary.
The crime trend reversed in the second half of 2019 due to the series of violent incidents relating to ‘the anti-extradition bill protests’. By the end of the year, a total of 59,225 crime cases had been reported, representing an increase of 9.2 per cent over 2018. The most significant rise was registered in crimes stemming from ‘the anti-extradition bill protests’. These included offences against public order, arson, criminal damage, possession of unlawful instrument, possession of offensive weapons, and other offences.
Over the period, there was a continuous escalation in violent acts carried out by protesters, from hurling bricks and blocking roads at the initial stages to wantonly vandalising government buildings, universities and public facilities, as well as blindly attacking persons with different political views. Sadly, such actions eventually caused tragedies. In one instance, a person who denounced the radicals’ misdeeds was set on fire and suffered critical burns. In another case, an elderly man who tried to film the rioters’ acts was hit on the head by a brick and subsequently died.
In the face of such violence, the Force stood up as it always has done to keep Hong Kong safe, and Operation TIDERIDER was launched to stop the violence and curb disorder. During the operation, our colleagues put their lives on the line to accomplish their missions, displaying exceptional courage. A total of 551 Force members were injured (as at December 31, 2019), including one officer whose finger was bitten off, one who was slashed in the neck, another who was shot through the calf by an arrow, and some who were injured by corrosive fluid.
Thanks to the Force’s resolute enforcement of the law undertaken in solidarity, social order was gradually restored. Last November, in particular, a large number of radicals were arrested during the riot at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Through sophisticated planning, our colleagues dealt a severe blow to the hard core of violent protesters. At this point, we were beginning to see positive prospect of restoring law and order in Hong Kong.
In our efforts to end violence and unrest, our officers were not the only ones whose safety was threatened – their family members also became targets. Police quarters were attacked by rioters, while some of our colleagues and their family members were harassed or fell victim to ‘doxxing’, having their personal data maliciously disclosed. Some even received threats on the internet.
However difficult the circumstances, the Force always put the safety of its officers first. To do this, we continued to improve our tactics and enhance our equipment for operations, and stepped up the security of police stations and quarters to prevent vandalism. We also obtained injunctions restraining outsiders from causing a nuisance at our departmental quarters and, where necessary, arranged temporary accommodation for colleagues and their family members.
Every effort was made to provide the best possible medical attention for colleagues injured in the line of duty. Apart from ensuring that they received suitable forms of health care at public hospitals, we also arranged for them to receive treatment at private hospitals depending on their specific needs.
In response to the tremendous pressure faced by our colleagues, the Psychological Services Group undertook a variety of initiatives to relieve frontline officers’ stress. The caring culture long fostered by the Force was on full display during Operation TIDERIDER as our colleagues stuck together through thick and thin. Their solidarity was what enabled officers to persevere in their duty without wavering.
It takes years of hard work to create a caring culture that makes a difference during a crisis, and our achievements have been the result of persistent efforts over a long time. In 2019, the Force was once again awarded the 10 Years Plus Caring Organisation Logo by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in recognition of our endeavours to promote a caring culture.
The Post-Retirement Service Contract (Police Staff) Scheme was launched in 2019 to cope with the anticipated human resources challenges as well as to provide extra manpower for Operation TIDERIDER. More than 1,000 retired or retiring officers were re-hired or retained under the scheme.
The Force treasures every one of its members, and can face any challenges dauntlessly when it works together as a whole. To maximise the Force’s effectiveness, it is equally important that the community understands the significance of police work and supports the Force in its endeavours.
As it tackled violent incidents during Operation TIDERIDER, the Force therefore committed significant resources to enhancing its transparency. This included disseminating information relating to public order events via the Force’s social media platforms, and holding frequent press conferences to allow direct communication with the media. Later in the year, the Police Facebook Live Cadre was deployed to provide real-time coverage of public events and police operations. We employed these channels with the aim of enabling every citizen to better understand our work in stamping out the violence raging across the territory.
In an increasingly complex social environment, the Force must continually take stock of changing situations and stay abreast of the times through its strategic planning. For this reason, we released our Environmental Scan Report in 2018 and continued to address strategic issues through various corporate governance and risk management initiatives. The result was the formulation and promulgation in 2019 of the Force’s Strategic Directions (SDs) for 2019-21:
SD 1 – Embracing the use of technology for policing in the digital age
SD 2 – Policing with the community
SD 3 – Preparing the workforce to meet emerging challenges
The Force has been pressing ahead with implementing these strategic directions. For example, new technology including a mobile version of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system, equipped on police cars, was utilised to enhance our traffic enforcement capability in 2019. At the same time, the Force worked proactively on developing the e-Ticketing Pilot Scheme, which was launched in the first quarter of 2020.
To embrace the era of e-policing and strengthen our capacity for innovation, the Innovation & Solution Lab was established in October 2019. In a related move, Force members can now perform some duties via designated smartphones, delivering greater work flexibility, as a result of the Force’s ever-increasing communication capabilities and the development of a string of prototype applications.
The Force has forged the concept of ‘Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty’ as its motto, drawing on the experience and wisdom it has accumulated over the past 175 years in preserving law and order. Our motto involves not only intelligence but also love of our city. By adhering to these values of honour, duty and loyalty, the Force will remain the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s public peace and order, just as it was in overcoming the challenges of last year.
Commissioner Tang Ping-keung
Force senior officers
Commissioner Tang Ping-keung tours around the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Commissioner Tang Ping-keung visits frontline officers.
Commissioner Tang Ping-keung visits frontline officers.
Commissioner Tang Ping-keung and Senior Directorate Group members engage in sincere dialogue with members across the Force.
Commissioner Tang Ping-keung tours around the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
[ Top ]