Foreword

During 2004 the momentum of Hong Kong's economic recovery strengthened, which was reflected in renewed vibrancy and activity in the city. The recovery was further stimulated by the extension of the "Individual Visitor Scheme" which brought over 12 million Mainland visitors to the SAR, an increase of 44 per cent over the previous year. This increase inevitably stretched the Force's diminishing resources at a time when we continued to face budgetary constraints. Unfortunately, the year ended with the tragic tsunami in South Asia. The Force speedily responded to this by joining the SAR Government task force, which was sent to Thailand to assist the survivors as well as to identify and recover those lost in the disaster. On a happier note, the completion and occupation of the new Arsenal House Police Headquarters and Central Police Station were an achievement of particular satisfaction for the Force in 2004. Despite these varied challenges I was very pleased to report that at the year's end not only had overall crime dropped by a significant 8 per cent in 2004, but also, as I had previously pledged, neither our front-line policing nor our service to the public was compromised.

One of the Force's primary targets in 2004 was to tackle crimes of a violent nature. The number of crimes involving the use of genuine firearms remained low; there were just three reported cases in 2004, all of which were robbery-related. Through intelligence-led operations and close cooperation with our Mainland counterparts we were successful in neutralising two armed robbery syndicates and two criminal gangs that had access to firearms, resulting in the arrest of 18 persons and the seizure of 15 firearms. In addition to these successes the number of robberies dropped a significant 30.4 per cent whereas violent crimes overall dropped by 4.5 per cent, indicating that our strategies were well focused. Our efforts against triad-related crimes also continued during the year with a total of 13 major anti-triad operations being conducted, which resulted in the arrest of 1,117 persons and the neutralisation of 11 triad gangs.

Another area on which we strongly focused in 2004, and which will continue to remain one of my operational targets in 2005, is that of serious narcotics offences. These rose by 1.2 per cent in comparison with 2003, while young persons arrested for psychotropic drug offences also rose by 12.2 per cent. The Force made significant seizures of drugs, in particular of cocaine, by targeting the traffickers. In one single case over 30kgs of the drug were seized, this being the largest ever seizure of cocaine by the Police in Hong Kong. I believe much of this success is attributable to the pro-active approach adopted by the Police in the fight against drugs, and this will continue in 2005.

It was encouraging to note that the further extension of the "Individual Visitor Scheme" in 2004 did not adversely impact the general crime situation. There was an overall drop in the number of "quick cash" crimes, which was the major factor attributable to the rise in overall crime in 2003. I believe that positive steps taken through enforcement action and effective publicity campaigns to raise awareness within the community contributed to this decrease. However, with the scheme set to expand even further in 2005, the Force remains vigilant and ready to protect the safety and property of both our citizens and our visitors alike.

Looking ahead, 2005 will be another eventful year for the Force. The World Trade Organisation's Sixth Ministerial Conference in December 2005 will probably be the biggest challenge that the Force will face in the forthcoming year. The Force has the determination, capability and skills to handle and overcome any unlawful challenges to the conference. We are determined to ensure the security of the conference as well as conference delegates during their visit to our city, while at the same time allowing for the freedom of expression through lawful activities. Other significant events during the year will be the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2005 in March, the International Lions Conference in June and the opening of Disneyland in September.

The Force remains alert to the growing threat of international terrorism. Despite the fact that present intelligence indicates that there are no terrorist threats directed at Hong Kong, we do not underestimate the potential dangers. Maintaining our counter-terrorist capability will therefore remain a Force priority. To ensure that we remain in an effective state of readiness, we will continue to conduct counter terrorism exercises as well as to enhance our links with international security and intelligence agencies, Interpol member states, world airlines, shipping companies and the local consular community.

I look forward to showcasing our new Headquarters when the Force co-hosts the 15th Interpol Symposium for Heads of Police Training in March 2005. This is the first time the Symposium has been held outside of Lyon and it will provide a platform for the heads of police training from all corners of the globe. They will benchmark best training practices and discuss the sharing of training resources.

As a Force we may take pride in the achievements made in the past year. It has not been an easy task for the Force to meet the Government's objective of "doing more with less and at greater efficiency", particularly at a time when we are facing increasing expectations from the public. To a large extent, Hong Kong remains a safe and stable city because all ranks of the Force have reacted in a restrained and civic-minded manner during these difficult times. During 2005 and beyond, the Force will continue to strive for improvements in the quality of service given to the public as well as to ensure that Hong Kong remains a safe and stable city.