Kong family chalks up century-long service

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Station Sergeant Mr Kong Chi-tin, his elder and younger brothers as well as his son have so far chalked up a total of 118 years' service with the Force.

Mr Kong is currently on pre-retirement leave, and by next May he will have worked for more than 38 years. His elder brother, Chi-kai, has retired as a Station Sergeant after 38 years' service. His younger brother, Chi-on, has also served for more than 35 years. His son, Hok-lai, is a Senior Inspector, with more than seven years of service.

The Kongs are totally committed and loyal to the Force. Mr Kong Chi-tin had devoted most of his career to anti-triad and anti-crime work, including 14 years in the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau.

In an interview with OffBeat, Mr Kong Chi-tin said his brothers had not influenced his joining the Force. He said: "It was my childhood ambition. When my teacher asked me what jobs I wanted to do in future, I gave an affirmative answer: 'I want to become a cop. I admire Police work to solve crimes and protect the public!'"

Mr Kong joined the Force in March 1966 and was presented with the Silver Whistle Award as the best all-round Recruit Police Constable in his squad. He was promoted to Sergeant and Station Sergeant in 1975 and 1980 respectively.

Mr Kong has taken part in many dangerous operations, including tackling gunmen. Yet he has taken these jobs in his strides. "This is because I have total faith in our effective team work and my colleagues' ability!" he explained.

Role in kidnap cases

Mr Kong said his last posting in the New Territories North Regional Crime Unit Team 2 had given him a lot of job satisfaction because he had taken part in the investigation of two separate kidnap cases in 2001 and 2002.

Mr Kong and two colleagues had been tasked with the painstaking job of staying in the victims' houses until the safe return of the kidnapped children.

He recalled: "At the beginning, the victims' families were a bit sceptical of our presence, and didn't have total trust in the Force. To win their trust, I had to work hard to gain their acceptance by comforting them and talking to them so that they realised they could rely on the Force. I told them that I, being a father, could well understand their feelings. But this was not an easy job because I couldn't tell them every action we had taken. Eventually I managed to win their trust and they followed my instructions."

The efforts of Mr Kong and his team members finally paid off when the kidnapped children returned home unharmed. "I was really very happy. When the parents gave me a big hug, I knew they were really very grateful to the Force," he said.

"We, as police officers, face a certain degree of danger and very often put our lives at risk, but I see these as part of our work, and I, as well as my colleagues, will continue working to the best of our ability. We are now better equipped for our jobs. But we should not forget that regular training, keeping a clear mind and team work are very important," he added.

To Mr Kong, the San Po Kong riot in 1967 is the most memorable incident because he met his wife while quelling disturbances there.

"In 1967, I was attached to the Police Tactical Unit and was called to deal with riots in San Po Kong. One day, when I was taking a break near a platoon vehicle, I saw my former classmate walking down the street. If I had not joined the Force, I wouldn't have gone to San Po Kong. If I had not gone there, I wouldn't have met my wife. Perhaps, this is the 'bonus' of my Police work," Mr Kong said with a smile.

After retirement, Mr Kong will take up voluntary work for disabled children.

Station Sergeant Kong Chi-tin has taken part in many dangerous operations throughout his police career