[ Foreword ] [ Memorable Events ] [ The Hand of Partnership ] [ Operations ] [ Regional Commanders' Report ] [ Personnel and Training ]
[ Management Services ] [ Finance, Administration and Planning ] [ Environmental Report ] [ Organisation ] [ Annexes and 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
This is the first foreword I have been asked to write since becoming Commissioner of Police in 2015, and I am honoured to be able to do so. In many respects, 2014 brought some formidable challenges for the Force, especially with the illegal occupy movement protests that happened in the last few months. So, it is with great satisfaction that I am able to report that the Force was able to perform exceptionally well in our core duties in 2015 and, despite the Mong Kok riots, which took place in February 2016, I am fully confident that the Force will remain steadfast and will be able to cope with these challenges, which we will undoubtedly still face in the foreseeable future.
Firstly, I would like to mention the ‘bread and butter’ issues that are never far from a Commissioner’s mind. The law and order situation continued to improve in 2015. Both overall crime and violent crime are at their lowest rates since the seventies. The number of robberies reported was the lowest since figures were first collated in 1969 and the number of burglaries was the lowest since 1970. These are excellent figures and they compare favourably with those of many other major cities in the world.
Public safety is, of course, an issue which is always the number one concern of many people in Hong Kong. In fact, year on year, the number of public order events dropped last year, whilst the Force continues to approve and facilitate the vast majority of notifications for public meetings and public processions. I was most pleased to see that these events were largely peaceful in 2015 and that the organisers were able to work closely with the police to ensure that their protests were lawful and did not compromise public safety and public order. However, we can all see a clear trend that some of the protests nowadays are becoming increasingly radicalised and violent. Nonetheless, I have every confidence that the Hong Kong Police will always ensure that it is fully prepared, especially in terms of equipment and training, to deal with these demonstrations.
As incidents have shown overseas, terrorism is a huge concern for all law enforcement agencies and, as such, it remains one of my operational priorities. The Force continues to work closely with local stakeholders and the international law enforcement community to keep Hong Kong safe from the scourge of terrorism. Another area that concerns the public is road safety. The number of traffic-related fatalities and injuries is on the rise, therefore, the Force will maintain its drive against drink and drug driving, whilst continuing to promote road safety for both elderly pedestrians and cyclists.
As a result of a concerted effort in the area of complaint prevention, the number of reportable complaints made against members of the Force continued to decline in 2015 as well. I am glad to see that officers recognise that complaints can be avoided if they carry out their duties in a fair, responsible and professional manner and it was heartening to see on social media several times last year officers being applauded for the professional manner in which they handled members of the public in difficult and confrontational situations.
The members of the Hong Kong Police – regular, civilian and auxiliary – are our most important asset. The highly successful recruitment drives in 2015 prove that we are still one of the most attractive employers in Hong Kong. It was most gratifying to see that two initiatives developed by Force volunteers, Project Gemstone, which helps members of local ethnic minority communities in Hong Kong obtain the qualifications necessary to join the Force, and Operation Breakthrough, which uses sport as a means to revitalise young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, continue to provide the Force with a steady stream of quality recruits.
Training, both recruit and in-service, is crucial to ensuring that the Force can provide the service which our community expects and deserves. In 2015, the Force became a Full Institutional Member of the International Association for Educational Assessment, whilst also being awarded a Gold Prize for Internal Service from the 2015 Civil Service Outstanding Award Scheme for our emotional fitness training programme.
In addition to training, we need to provide equipment and resources to address the challenges facing us and there have been notable developments in this area. Of particular note has been the ISO accreditation of our Information Security Management System, which helps ensure the safety and security of the data held on our computer systems. Furthermore, the setting-up of a new Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau significantly increased the Force’s capability in protecting the community from cyber attacks and investigating technology crime, and was instrumental in arresting the steep increases in the number of reports of technology crime being made in recent years. To improve our crime fighting capability, the Force also hosted the Conference on Transnational Organized Crime and Information-led Policing.
Since I became the Commissioner, I have been striving to improve how the Force communicates with the public. In the autumn of 2015, the Hong Kong Police launched its page on Facebook to communicate more effectively with the public and, in December, to develop and improve its relationship with the media in a mutually beneficial manner, we set up the Force Media Liaison Cadre. Furthermore, in recognition of the service that we provide to the community, the Force scooped 13 awards at the 2015 Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme, including a Silver Prize in the Best Public Image category.
Internal communication is equally important as well. The Force continues to harness social media to improve communications with staff relations officers and our staff associations. Monthly staff associations meetings are now being used to discuss policy initiatives prior to implementation and meetings with front-line staff relations officers are now held on a monthly basis, rather than bi-monthly as before. All members of senior force management regularly hold meetings with staff from all parts of the Force and, since the summer of 2015, I have personally hosted over 300 officers, mainly from the junior ranks, at my weekly and monthly breakfast sessions.
The Force’s Welfare Services Group continues to provide an excellent service. Its officers are routinely deployed to hospital casualty wards during major incidents, so that speedy welfare services can be provided for those in need. Welfare is also a regular topic at unit training days. The Police Welfare Fund now subsidises activities to encourage officers to take more interest in sports and the arts, whilst the “Family Add More….+ Love and Communication Project” helps officers focus on the benefits of a stable, family-oriented lifestyle and is being used to strengthen a sense of neighbourliness in police quarters.
At the time of writing, obviously the Mong Kok riots are still fresh in all of our minds. Whilst I feel that the year 2015 was a successful one for the Force, particularly in terms of serving the community and developing and supporting our staff, this incident has reminded us all again that the operating environment remains extremely challenging, volatile and unpredictable. Therefore, we will continue to make all necessary efforts to ensure that our officers are adequately trained and equipped to deal with any eventuality confronting us. The safety of all officers performing their duties will always be my top priority. I am convinced that providing an environment, in terms of unhindered two-way channels of internal communication and sufficient and up-to-date equipment and training for our officers, coupled with actively engaging and communicating with all sectors of our community, shall remain the best way forward for the Hong Kong Police. I should like to call upon each and every member of the community to support the Force in this endeavour, as I am sure we all hold the future stability and prosperity of Hong Kong dear.
Thank you.
Commissioner of Police Mr Lo Wai-chung
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