Organization Structure
 

'A' Department (Operations & Support)

Operations Wing

Consists of three sections:

Operations Bureau

Comprises the Operations Division, the Counter-Terrorism and Internal Security Division, and the Key Points and Search Division which includes the Police Dog Unit. It deals mainly with the staffing of operational matters which include the formulation and dissemination of relevant Force orders, boundary security, deployment of resources and liaison with the Hong Kong garrison.

Police Tactical Unit

Includes Training, Administration and the Special Duties Unit. Among other things, it reviews regularly tactics used in crowd management and riot control.

Special Duties Unit

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau

Is responsible for all bomb disposal work both on land and underwater. It also trains officers on explosives related matters and inspects storage of ammunition and explosives.

Police Regions

The Force is divided into six regions:

  • Hong Kong Island,

  • Kowloon West,

  • Kowloon East,

  • New Territories North,

  • New Territories South, and

  • Marine.

The regions are divided into 23 districts and divisions and in a few cases, sub-divisions. Regional police provide front-line policing 24 hours a day. They are responsible for the traditional constabulary functions of preserving life and property; preventing and detecting crime; keeping the peace; and responding in times of emergency.

Land Regions

Each of the five land regions has a headquarters comprising:

Operations Formation responsible for dealing with operational problems and procedures at Regional level. It is broken down into:

  1. Regional Command and Control Centre (RCCC) - provides the means for exercising control over resources both at regional and district levels. It also acts as an information centre for the passage of information to the Headquarters CCC and other agencies. Equipped with the Enhanced Computer Assisted Command and Control System, each Centre receives 999 calls from the public and provides a fast and efficient service to operational officers.

  2. Emergency Unit (EU) - provides a quick response to emergency situations, including 999 calls, as well as a speedy and additional presence of uniformed police on the ground to combat crime. An EU comprises a headquarters element and four platoons which operate on a three-shift basis.

  3. Police Tactical Unit (PTU) - The Regional PTU Company provides a ready reserve to deal with threats to internal security situations and natural disasters. On a daily, non-emergency basis, the PTU is deployed on front-line street patrols to supplement District resources to tackle identified crime black spots.

Administration Formation implements policies laid down by the Regional Commander and is responsible for the Region's general administration. Its responsibilities include community relations, staff relations, and magistracies.

Crime Formation investigates serious and inter-district crimes. In addition, it collects, collates and evaluates intelligence on criminals and criminal activity within the Region.

Traffic Formation is responsible for:

  • traffic control;
  • enforcement of traffic legislation and regulations;
  • investigation of traffic accidents;
  • promotion of road safety; and
  • implementing Force and Regional traffic policies.

Marine Region

The Marine Police maintain the integrity of the sea boundaries and regional waters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It is responsible for:

  • enforcing the law in regional waters;
  • preventing illegal immigration by sea;
  • search and rescue in HKSAR and adjacent waters; and
  • casualty evacuation.

The Marine Region comprises a Regional Headquarters and two sea Districts. With a fleet of 142 craft - 70 launches and 72 vessels, the Region polices 1,651 square kilometres (sq kms) of Hong Kong waters and some 262 outlying islands. The Region comprises:

Operations Formation is responsible for all operational matters at Regional level, including:

  • Regional Crime Units investigating crimes and syndicated illegal immigration by sea;
  • RCCC;
  • Logistics Unit;
  • Small Boat Division.

Administration Formation is responsible for general administration; personnel and establishment matters.

Support Formation is responsible for:

  • management of the launch acquisition programmes;
  • training and assessment of Marine police personnel in navigation, seamanship, engineering and safety; and
  • selection and acquisition of specialist equipment.
  • core property strategy in Marine Region

Support Wing

Consists of three groups:

Support Branch

is divided into five divisions:

  1. Field Division - is responsible for co-ordinating policy matters relating to firearms, equipment, uniforms and operational procedures. Projects undertaken by the Division during the year included the force-wide introduction of the OC Foam and the new, expandable baton. It had also been instrumental in developing technological solutions to a number of policing problems and is currently conducting a review of police uniforms including the cap and the shoes as well as other accoutrements.

  2. General Division - handles policy matters relating to station procedures; the security and management of the Police Headquarters (PHQ) complex; and diverse other duties. During the year, the Division played a major role in the streamlining of station procedures; making arrangements for the reallocation of offices and facilities; formulating a new policy for parking at the PHQ as required by the PHQ Redevelopment Project and such other duties as co-ordinating the Force involvement in the District Council elections.

  3. Transport Division - is responsible for the procurement, allocation, maintenance and management of the vehicle fleet.

  4. Force Data and Access to Information Co-ordination Unit - is responsible for co-ordinating the Force response to, devising internal policy on and ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and the Code on Access to Information.

  5. Police Licensing Office - acts as the licensing authority for a number of licences and permits.

Police Public Relations Branch

is responsible for maintaining a high level of public confidence by robustly projecting a positive image of the Force through community and media relations. It is divided into two branches:

  1. Community Relations Bureau

  2. The Information and Publicity Bureau

Traffic Branch Headquarters

is responsible for the formulation and dissemination of traffic enforcement policies, the collation of related resource requirements, the processing of traffic summons and fixed penalty tickets, the monitoring of changes in traffic legislation, the development and evaluation of traffic management schemes, and the co-ordination of the Force's road safety efforts. It is also responsible for the administration of the Traffic Warden Corps, who assist the Police in the control of traffic and enforcement of parking offences. It comprises:

  1. Traffic Management Bureau

  2. Central Traffic Prosecutions Bureau

  3. Administration Bureau