The Force Working Group on Community Engagement (FWG) held the annual meetings with representatives of the associations of school heads, the Federations of Parent-Teacher Associations and school sponsoring bodies across the 18 districts on October 5, 6 and 15 respectively. The meetings were chaired by Commissioner Chow Yat-ming, with Director of Operations Lui Kam-ho, District Commanders and Police Community Relations Officers, and personnel from various units in attendance.

The Commissioner said at the meetings that overall youth crime figures for the first eight months of this year showed an upward trend, with a pronounced increase during the summer holidays. Since social media trends may encourage imitation, there is a need to raise young people’s awareness of the risks associated with social media platforms. The Commissioner thanked the education sector and parents for their support of the Force, and stated that the Force would build on its past experience and continue to work closely with the education professionals.

During the meetings, Assistant Commissioner (National Security) (2) Kwok Ka-chuen outlined the Force’s work and achievements in promoting national security education and introduced the “NSmarties AI Interactive Platform”. Senior Superintendent Cheung Tin-lok of the Crime Wing Headquarters briefed participants on the latest youth crime situation and the Force’s crime prevention work, while also introducing the “Leadership Institute on Narcotics”. Chief Inspector
Tam Ming-chu of the Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau introduced the “AML Think Tank” established by the Force in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks. Chief Inspector
Wong Kok-seng of the Public Relations Wing introduced Decoding Traps: A Guide for Teachers and Parents, together with its videos, teaching kit and electronic resources.

Moreover, Force representatives and guests shared real-life cases and frontline experience, analysing how young people fall into “quick cash” traps and the rise in youth crimes during the summer holidays. They also explained the tactics and consequences of various scams and illegal activities, providing principals, teachers and parents with information on identifying and handling risks. Participants affirmed the Force’s youth work in recent years and agreed that the meetings helped the education sector stay abreast of the latest law-and-order situation, further strengthening crime prevention efforts on school campuses.