| Hong Kong Police Force | |||||||||||||||
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| Abbreviation | HKPF | ||||||||||||||
| Motto | Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty | ||||||||||||||
| Agency overview | |||||||||||||||
| Formed | 1 May 1844; 181 years ago (1844-05-01) | ||||||||||||||
| Annual budget | HK$20.6 billion (2019–20)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Legal personality | Police force | ||||||||||||||
| Jurisdictional structure | |||||||||||||||
| Operations jurisdiction | Hong Kong, China | ||||||||||||||
| General nature | |||||||||||||||
| Operational structure | |||||||||||||||
| Headquarters | Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street,Wan Chai,Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||
| Police officers | Disciplined officers: 33,210 (2023)[2] Auxiliary officers: 4,501 (2021)[3] | ||||||||||||||
| Civilian officers | 4,735 (2023)[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Agency executive | |||||||||||||||
| Parent agency | Security Bureau | ||||||||||||||
| Units |
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| Website | |||||||||||||||
www | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 香港警務處 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 香港警务处 | ||||||||||||||
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| Hong Kong Police | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 香港警察 | ||||||||||||||
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| Royal Hong Kong Police Force | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 皇家香港警務處 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 皇家香港警务处 | ||||||||||||||
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TheHong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primarylaw enforcement, investigative agency, and largestdisciplined service under theSecurity Bureau ofHong Kong.
Pursuant to theone country, two systems principle, the HKPF is officially independent of the jurisdiction of theMinistry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, which under usual circumstances may not interfere with Hong Kong’s local law enforcement matters. All HKPF officers are employed as civil servants and therefore required to pledge allegiance to theHong Kong Basic Law.
The HKPF consists of approximately 34,000 officers, including theHong Kong Auxiliary Police Force, civil servants, and itsMarine Region (3,000 officers and 143 vessels as of 2009).[4]
A police force has been servingHong Kong since shortly after the island was established as a colony in 1841. On 30 April 1841, 12 weeks after theBritish landed in Hong Kong, CaptainCharles Elliot established a policing authority in the new colony, empowering CaptainWilliam Caine to enforceQing law in respect of local inhabitants and "British Police Law" for "non-natives".[5] By October 1842, an organised police force (still under the direction of Caine who was also Chief Magistrate) was routinely bringing criminals before the courts for trial.[5]: 17 Caine's role as head of the police force ended when its first Superintendent was appointed on 22 February 1844, Captain Haly of the41st Madras Native Infantry.[5]: 40–41 The formal establishment of the force was gazetted on 1 May 1844.[6]
During World War II,Japan occupied Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Police Force was temporarily disbanded. Policing duties were assumed by the JapaneseKempeitai, with Chinese officers being forced to serve alongside and officers of other ethnicities sent toStanley Prison. Some local Chinese were also recruited as police officers, which the force retained after theliberation of Hong Kong from Japan and were given the letter designation of "J". Officers served pre-war were also reinstated into the force.[7][8]
The 1950s saw the commencement of Hong Kong's 40-year rise to global prominence, during which time the Hong Kong Police tackled many issues that have challenged Hong Kong's stability. Between1949 and1989, Hong Kong experienced several huge waves of immigration frommainland China, most notably1958–62. In the 1970s and 1980s, large numbers ofVietnamese boat people arrived in Hong Kong, posing challenges first for marine police, secondly for officers who manned the dozens of camps in the territory and lastly for those who had to repatriate them. The force was granted the use of the title ‘royal’ in 1969 for its handling of theHong Kong 1967 riots — renaming it theRoyal Hong Kong Police Force.[9]
In 1974, theIndependent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was created to give government wide-ranging powers to investigate corruption.[10] At the turn of the 1980s, the Hong Kong Police Force began marketing itself as "Asia's Finest".[11]
The recruitment ofEuropeans to the force ceased in 1994,[12] and in 1995 the Royal Hong Kong Police took responsibility for patrolling the boundary with China. Prior to 1995, theBritish Army had operated the border patrol. The force played a prominent role in the process of thehandover of sovereignty in 1997 and continues to perform ceremonial flag-raising on each anniversary.[citation needed] With the handover of sovereignty, the police force dropped the prefix "Royal" from its name.
In the 2010s, the police force played a prominent role in relation to the2014 Hong Kong protests and2019–20 Hong Kong protests.[13][14] FollowingChris Tang's appointment as theCommissioner of Police in November 2019, the police force changed its motto from "We serve with pride and care", which had been used for more than 20 years, to "Serving Hong Kong with honour, duty and loyalty."[15]The Economist suggested that this change would curry favour with thecentral government of China.[16] In July 2022, as part of a process to remove colonial aspects from the force,foot drills changed from British style to ChinesePeople's Liberation Army style with agoose step. The language spoken during drills changed from English to Chinese, and junior officers stopped addressing higher-ranking officers with "Yes Sir".[17][18]
During the 1940s, the HKPF faced a number ofcorruption scandals involving officers. During the 1950s and 1960s, the force struggled with corruption issues relating to bribes fromsyndicated drugs andillegal gambling operations.[19] Police corruption again emerged as a major concern in the early 1970s when the Commissioner ordered investigations to break the culture of corruption, causing forty-odd officers to flee Hong Kong with more than HK$80 million cash (about HK$2 million each).[19][20]
More recently, the Hong Kong Police Force has facedextensive allegations of misconduct during the 2019 protests including excessive force,[21][22] brutality,[23] torture,[24] and falsified evidence.[25] In particular, the police were criticised for their failure to respond during themob attack at the Yuen Long MTR station in July 2019.[26] Several lawsuits were filed in October 2019 against the HKPF for failure to show identification during protests.[27][28]
In May 2023, the HKPF recommended that schools install CCTV cameras in school classrooms to enhance security.[29]
From 2019 to 2022, 24 to 42 police officers were arrested per year.[30]
TheCommissioner of Police serves as the commander of the HKPF and reports directly to theSecretary for Security. The HKPF is divided into six primary departments: Operations & Support, Crime & Security, Personnel & Training, Management Services, Finance, Administration & Planning, andNational Security.
TheSpecial Branch was established by theBritish Colonial Government of Hong Kong in 1934 originally as ananti-communist squad underMI5 with assistance fromMI6.[31] The branch later joined the Crime Department of theRoyal Hong Kong Police Force in 1946 and focussed on preventingpro-KMT rightists andpro-CCP leftists from infiltrating the colony.[32]
Police officers enjoy remuneration far exceeding median incomes in the Special Administrative Region (HK$18,000 per month in 2019[33]), the base rate for newly recruited police constables with minimal high school education being HK$24,110 per month and that forhigh school matriculants being HK$42,655.[34] In addition, all officers enjoy extensivehousing benefits, free medical and dental benefits (including coverage of family members), with substantial vacation,sick andmaternity leave allowances exceeding statutory minimums.[35]
In addition, officers and their families enjoy substantial fringe benefits through the statutorily entrenched Police Welfare Fund which has current assets exceeding HK$200 million. Attracting funds in excess of HK$50 million per annum, almost entirely donations,[36] the fund trustee, the Commissioner of Police, has unfettered freedom to choose how the funds are to be expended.[37] The Commissioner disburses the bulk of its annual expenditure in the form of cash grants to police officers and their families.[36]
A donation of HK$10 million by the pro-Beijing Friends of Hong Kong Association, which consists ofNational People’s Congress delegates and members of theChinese People’s Political Consultative Conference national committee, in 2019, raised concern,[38] as did a 2017 donation of HK$15 million,[39] that fringe benefits may be inadequate.[40]
Two trust funds established by statute in 1967 augment the benefits enjoyed by members of the force. The Police Children's Education Trust and Police Education & Welfare Trust disburse funds by way of scholarships, bursaries and grants for education expenses and to assist officers with needy children or in financial difficulty.[41] These funds were also the recipients of HK$10 million in 2017 from an undisclosed donor.[39]
Numerous associations of serving and retired police officers have been formed over the years. Currently, these include:
The four serving officers' associations wield significant power, controlling half of the voting rights on the Police Force Council.[43] Government consultations with Police Force staff are formally conducted through the council[44] and the associations figure prominently at times of controversy.[45]
The HKPF continues to use ranks and insignia similar to those used in British police forces. Until 1997, theSt Edward's Crown was used in the insignia, when it was replaced with theBauhinia flowercrest of the Hong Kong government. Pips were modified with the Bauhinia flower in the middle replacing the insignia from theOrder of the Bath. The crest of the force was modified in 1997. The rank structure, organisation and insignia are similar to those used by theMetropolitan Police Service until the mid-1970s.[46]
| Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gazetted | |||
| Commissioner of Police (警務處處長) | CP |  | crest over pip over wreathed and crossed batons. |
| Deputy Commissioner of Police (警務處副處長) | DCP |  | crest over wreathed and crossed batons. |
| Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (警務處高級助理處長) | SACP |  | pip over wreathed and crossed batons. |
| Assistant Commissioner of Police (警務處助理處長) | ACP |  | wreathed and crossed batons. |
| Chief Superintendent of Police (總警司) | CSP |  | crest over two pips. |
| Senior Superintendent of Police (高級警司) | SSP |  | crest over pip. |
| Superintendent of Police (警司) | SP |  | crest. |
| Inspectorate | |||
| Chief Inspector of Police (總督察) | CIP |  | three pips. |
| Senior Inspector of Police (高級督察) | SIP |  | two pips over bar. |
| Inspector of Police (督察) | IP |  | two pips. |
| Probationary Inspector of Police (見習督察) | PI |  | pip. |
| Junior police officers (JPOs) | |||
| Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) | |||
| Station Sergeant (警署警長) | SSGT |  | wreathed crest. |
| Sergeant (警長) | SGT |  | three downward-pointing chevrons. |
| Rank and file | |||
| Senior Police Constable (高級警員) | SPC |  | one downward-pointing chevron. |
| Police Constable (警員) | PC |  | ID number.[47] |
Up until 1997, uniforms and hats had distinctions according to their rank. For example, senior constable and sergeant ranks are plastic ranks on the sleeve of the uniform.Special Duties Unit, Marine Police, and the Counter-terrorism Response Unit have their ranks at the back of the helmet or vest. Inspector to senior superintendent ranks have an insignia on the collar of the uniform. Chief Inspectors have a wide black stripe fitted on their police hats. Superintendents also have a small white stripe fitted on the police hat. Senior Superintendents and Chief Superintendents have a wide white stripe on their hats, Assistant and Senior Assistant Commissioners have 1 row of silver oak leaves on the edge of their hats while Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner has 2 rows of silver oak leaves, a slide with a silver vertical line on the collar of the uniform, a black baton, and a red whistle or a black and white whistle on the front right pocket.[citation needed]
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The current Hong Kong Police uniform was implemented in 2005. Most front-line officers wear a light blue shirt and dark blue cargo trousers, while senior officers wear a white shirt.
A long-sleeved shirt is worn with a black necktie, while a short-sleeved shirt can be worn with an open collar in warm weather. A waist-length dark blue windbreaker can also be worn over the shirt in cooler temperatures.
Male officers typically wear a black peaked cap while female officers wear a black bowler hat with a red stripe. Dark-blue baseball caps may also be worn, which was permitted from September 2022[48] while the peaked cap was reserved for events or interviews.[48] Specialized units like the PTU, Marine officers, the Driving Cadre and Emergency Unit wear berets.[49]
The uniform also does not include shoulder patches. Instead, a silver HKPF emblem is displayed on the headgear. The only patch on the uniform reads “Police” in English and Chinese, and is sewn above the left breast pocket of the shirt. Navy blue epaulettes worn on all uniform shirts and jackets show the officer's rank insignia (if any) and unique identification number.
HKPF officers do not wear a badge, but instead carry aWarrant card for identification. Having a WC is needed for HKPF officers who identify themselves when they are not in uniform.[50]
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Traffic Branch Motorcyclists | A heavy, bright, yellow and blue reflective jacket is worn. In warmer weather, a lightweight yellow reflective vest is an alternative. Black knee-high leather riding boots are also worn with navy blue riding trousers, along with protective gear such as gloves and a white helmet. A blue baseball-style cap is worn when not riding. |
| Rural Patrol Unit | Cargo shirt and trousers in olive green are worn with either a dark blue baseball-style cap or a navy blue beret. Cargo shirt and trousers in Disruptive Pattern Camouflage is also sometimes worn. |
| Other specialized units | In some specialized units, a cargo shirt is worn in either olive green, dark blue, or disruptive pattern camouflage (depending on the unit), along with matching cargo trousers, and a navy blue beret or a dark blue baseball-style cap. |
Ceremonial uniforms include either a white (similar toNo.3 Warm weather ceremonial uniform) or navy blue tunic (similar to the old winter uniform).Sword design was based on1897 patternBritish Army infantry officer's sword and used for formal occasions such as parade out orLegal Opening Day.
They are fitted with a black whistle on the front right pocket and insignia on the collar for commissioned officers. ASam Browne belt is also worn.
The previous uniforms were reminiscent of the British colonial era from 1973.[51] They were replaced with what were intended to be more modern, international, and cosmopolitan uniforms in 2005.[51]
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Retired summer uniform | A short-sleeved olive green tunic-style tropical field shirt, and olive green trousers worn with a blackSam Browne belt with shoulder strap.[51] Female officers wore a short-sleeved beige shirt with a knee-length skirt until 1995 when they were given the same uniform as male officers (without the shoulder strap).[52]Bermuda shorts were worn by male officers instead of trousers from the early 20th century until 1977.[51] |
| Retired winter uniform | Acornflower blue (or white, for commissioned officers) shirt with a blue and red striped necktie, worn under a heavy navy blue tunic coat and aSam Browne Belt with shoulder strap, and navy blue trousers. The tunic may be removed and shirt sleeves folded up to the elbows when working indoors or in warmer weather. |
| Retired headgear | In some specialized units, a cargo shirt is worn in either olive green, dark blue, or disruptive pattern camouflage (depending on the unit), along with matching cargo trousers, and a navy blue beret or a dark blue baseball-style cap. |
Until 1998, all officers wore a black whistle lanyard over the left shoulder running under the epaulet with the double cord attached to a whistle tucked in to the left breast tunic pocket. Officers who had received a Commissioner of Police Commendation or HE Governor's Commendation were issued a plaited black, yellow and red lanyard for CP's Commendation, or red for Governor's.[53][54]
Uniform officers wear a utility belt which holds a sidearm, extra ammunition, ahandcuff, anextendable baton, apepper spray, aMotorola radio with a connected remote speaker microphone attached to the shoulder and a body-mounted camera.
While the HKPF had initially continued to procure equipment from Western countries, following the US and EU arms embargo imposed after the passing of theNational Security Law in 2020,[55] the HKPF had started importing firearms from mainland China to refresh their inventory.[56][57]
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Most police vehicles in Hong Kong are white, with a blue and red3Mretroreflective stripe around on the sides of the vehicle with wording "警 POLICE 察" in white, the only exception being thearmoured personnel carriers specially designed for thePolice Tactical Unit, which are wholly dark blue and with wording "警 POLICE 察" on a light blue background in white on the sides of the vehicle. Most police vehicles in Hong Kong are equipped with both red and blueemergency vehicle lighting. The vehicles which are assigned toairport duties have additional yellow emergency vehicle lighting and yellow rooftops required for all airport vehicles. All police vehicles are government property and so bear license plates starting with "AM".
Since 2008, the Hong Kong Police Force have brought in the use ofBattenburg markings for new police vehicles of the Traffic Branch for better visibility on the roads. In addition, these new vehicles show the Force crest on the front part of the vehicle, which the Force has not used in the design of new vehicles for the last two decades.
The Hong Kong Police Force has ordered 10 new electric scooters for their officers to help reduce pollution in central Hong Kong. Emergency Unit, Police Tactical Unit, and Traffic Police have identification markings on the back of the car. For example, PTUD 1/3 means PTU D Team 1st Team 3rd car; EUKW 23 means Emergency Unit, Kowloon West region, 23rd car; and TKW 2 means Traffic unit, Kowloon West region, second car. Until 2007, EU, PTU, and TP vehicles had identification markings in a slightly different format. For example, “1/3 PTUD”, “23 EUKW”, and “2 TKW”.[61]
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The Hong Kong Police Force and its previous incarnation have been the subject of many films and television shows, including the locally producedPolice Story film series,The Criminal Investigator,Infernal Affairs film series,Cold War, andOCTB. English language films featuring the HKPF includeRush Hour andSkyscraper.
The Hong Kong Police Force and Special Duties Unit have also appeared in popular video game series such asTom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege andSleeping Dogs.[62]
The force stopped hiring from overseas in 1994[...]
Men with triad links and metal staffs entered the Yuen Long station in the New Territories looking for democracy protesters on trains. They laid into passengers indiscriminately; local police, apparently turning a blind eye, failed to respond. That incident did more than any other to discredit a police force that used to be called "Asia's finest". Today, only Mrs Lam uses the phrase.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain: Hong Kong – The Facts, published by the Information Services Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
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