Chapter 18: Police Force

The Hong Kong Police Force has distinguished itself as one of the oldest, yet most modern, police forces in the world.

The Police Force has varied responsibilities, ranging from protecting the public, preventing and detecting crime, to maintaining law and order. Apart from these principal duties, the Police Force is also responsible for ensuring smooth traffic operations on the roads and reducing the number of accidents, as well as detecting illegal immigration.

At December 31, the Police Force had a strength of about 27 880 police officers supported by some 5 510 civilian staff and reinforced by some 4 610 volunteers serving in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force.

During the year, the overall law and order situation in Hong Kong remained stable. There was a 5.5 per cent decline in the figure of overall crimes while the figures for violent crimes and burglary were at a 27-year-low and a 21-year-low, respectively. The crime figures in Hong Kong remained among the lowest when compared with other metropolitan cities around the world.

The Police Force worked closely with the Mainland and other neighbouring law enforcement agencies in the fight against cross-border crimes. During the year, a series of operations codenamed 'Spring Thunder', which involved officers from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong, led to the seizure of suspected dangerous drugs worth $9 million and the arrest of 219 suspected traffickers in Hong Kong.

Vigorous enforcement action against psychotropic drugs resulted in the arrest of 2 504 persons for various drug-related offences. In addition, 2 472 persons were arrested as a result of a series of anti-triad operations.

Large-scale operations were conducted to facilitate the safe and smooth running of three major international economic forums. The police also facilitated the staging of 2 347 public meetings and processions. With the exception of a few, these events were conducted smoothly.

Considerable headway was made in management, including the opening of the purpose-built Tactical Training Complex at the Police Training School in Wong Chuk Hang. In addition, funding was secured for a Command and Control Communications System (third generation) which will provide front-line officers with a state-of-the-art communications and command system by the end of 2005.

During the year, the force's senior management formulated a 'Three Year Strategic Action Plan', which set out the focus of police work from 2002 to 2004. The main policing priorities for 2002 will be cracking down on violent crime, triad activities, transnational crimes and vigorous enforcement action against the abuse of psychotropic drugs. Further improvements in the use of information technology, recruitment of quality officers and enhancing staff training will also be key areas of work.

Reported crimes in 2001 totalled 73 008 cases, a decrease of 5.5 per cent compared with 77 245 cases recorded in 2000. Despite the decrease, the Police Force is vigilant in maintaining law and order to ensure that the HKSAR remains one of the most stable and secure cities in the world.

Violent crimes — including murder, wounding, serious assault, rape, indecent assault, kidnapping, blackmail, criminal intimidation, robbery and arson — decreased to 13 551 cases. Compared with 14 812 cases in 2000, the number of violent crimes dropped by 8.5 per cent. Robbery, wounding and serious assault accounted for 71.1 per cent of the total number of violent crimes.

There were 62 robberies involving the use of firearms/arms (including pistol-like objects), a decrease of 26.2 per cent compared with 84 cases in 2000. Bank robbery rose by 36 cases, from 18 in 2000 to 54 in 2001.

Regarding non-violent crimes, burglary (excluding aggravated burglary) decreased slightly from 8 964 cases in 2000 to 8 637 in 2001, a decline of 3.6 per cent. Theft also decreased slightly from 30 570 cases in 2000 to 29 542 in 2001, a decline of 3.4 per cent. Deception increased from 3 986 cases to 4 051 over the same period, a rise of 1.6 per cent. Serious narcotics offences increased from 2 312 in 2000 to 2 473 in 2001, an increase of 7 per cent.

Of the 73 008 crimes reported in 2001, 44 per cent or 32 151 crimes were detected, with 38 829 people arrested for various criminal offences. Of those arrested, 5 909 were juvenile offenders (aged seven to 15) and 6 145 were young persons (aged 16 to 20).

The number of violent crimes involving the use of firearms declined slightly, from eight cases in 2000 to six in 2001. An identified Mainland gang was held responsible for two of these cases. Firearms seizures decreased from 21 in 2000 to 18 in 2001, which was attributable to close co-operation and effective exchange of intelligence between the Police Force and its Mainland counterparts. With a view to combating firearm-related crimes, a liaison system was developed between the Police Force and the Guangdong Public Security Department in exchanging information on suspects and forensic evidence in cases relating to the use of firearms.

During the year, 2 562 motor vehicles were reported missing, a decrease of 8.6 per cent compared with 2 804 vehicles in 2000. The types of vehicles for which there was a decrease included luxury vehicles, four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles, motorcycles, high-performance vehicles and container tractors. The downward trend was attributable to stringent local enforcement, strengthened boundary control and the Mainland authorities' ban on right-hand drive vehicles.

The organised crime and triad situation remained stable as in previous years. Triads were involved mostly in extortion, loansharking, wounding, illegal gambling, prostitution and debt collection. There were 2 445 triad-related cases which represented only 3.4 per cent of the 73 008 reported crimes overall. The figure has been declining in the past five years, by an average of 3.5 per cent.

There were 2 019 crime and 12 639 non-crime reports relating to debt collecting activities, compared with 2 498 and 8 753 reports, respectively, in 2000. Such crime reports had been on a downward trend since 1999, after police took effective enforcement action. However, the number of non-crime cases involving harassment of debtors had been rising steadily.

A subcommittee was formed under the Law Reform Commission to study ways to tackle the problem of abusive debt collection practices including, among other things, the licensing of debt collection companies. The Administration would consider the way forward upon the announcement of a final recommendation by the commission. Besides this, the Administration was studying the recommendations made by the commission on introducing legislation that would make 'stalking' an offence.

During the year, 38 people were charged with offences under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, and the courts ordered crime proceeds amounting to $5.18 million to be confiscated. A further $894 million was restrained pending court proceedings. Close liaison with Mainland authorities and overseas law enforcement agencies was maintained in the fight against international money laundering, resulting in the successful detection of a number of significant cases.

There were three successful applications to enhance the sentences of imprisonment passed on defendants involved in triad-related and organised crimes. On average, the length of sentence was increased by 33 per cent.

The Witness Protection Programme is administered by the Police Witness Protection Unit. The unit provides a wide range of protective measures, including a change of identity, which are tailor-made to the needs of individual witnesses assessed as being exposed to a genuine threat of serious physical injury or death. It also assists and advises other units and divisions in the Police Force on protection of witnesses who are under a lesser threat.

In 2001, the five Regional Child Abuse Investigation Units investigated a total of 109 child abuse cases (103 of sexual abuse and six of serious physical abuse). The figure decreased by 3.5 per cent compared with a total of 113 cases in 2000. To protect the welfare of children, a multi-disciplinary approach was adopted in handling child abuse cases. Joint investigations were conducted with officers of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) in cases that required immediate social work intervention.

Interviews of children are conducted in one of the five child-friendly video interview suites located in non-police premises. These suites are equipped with advanced facilities for forensic examinations.

In 2001, the Police Force and the SWD organised three joint training programmes for 64 police officers and SWD officers in special investigations relating to child protection. Officers from the Child Protection Policy Unit (CPPU) also gave lectures in public education and publicity programmes on the prevention and handling of child abuse for parents and concerned professionals from the Government and non-governmental organisations.

The CPPU maintains close liaison with overseas law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organisations in exchanging information on combating the commercial sexual exploitation of children. With a view to better protecting children from exploitation in relation to child pornography and child sex tourism, the Administration plans to introduce the Prevention of Child Pornography Bill into the Legislative Council in early 2002.

The level of syndicated and serious fraud handled by the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) in terms of the number of cases over the year decreased by 14 per cent while the total financial losses reported fell substantially, by 43 per cent, compared with 2000.

The upsurge of 'Loco London Gold' fraud that was noted in 1999 was again successfully contained in 2001, with a number of offenders convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for up to eight years and four months. There was a spate of 'pyramid scheme related fraud', most commonly known as 'cash planting' in which offenders promoted fraudulent investment schemes with high rates of return in a short time, plus a large rebate for introducing new members. Proactive enforcement action was taken against 19 companies, and assets worth over $89 million were restrained under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance. Strategic and co-ordinated action by the CCB and other crime units, together with wide publicity in the media, resulted in a substantial reduction in such fraudulent activities.

An upsurge in reports of fraud related to bankruptcy was noted in 2001: increasing numbers of people petitioned for bankruptcy shortly after they had secured bank loans or exhausted the credit limit on newly issued credit cards, thereby potentially defrauding the financial institutions of the amounts outstanding. The CCB liaised with the Hong Kong Association of Banks Working Group on Bankruptcy and investigated cases where fraud was suspected.

The counterfeiting of local currency and credit cards remained a concern. Similar to the trend in major countries, a sizeable number of counterfeit banknotes produced by computers with inkjet printers surfaced in Hong Kong during the year. Such banknotes were frequently detected at banks. However, cases involving the seizure of counterfeit banknotes were fewer than in 2000. In respect of counterfeiting of coinage, there was an increase in the number of fake $10 coins seized, and the CCB monitored the situation closely. The increase did not pose a threat to the integrity of the local coinage; genuine coins worth around $6 billion were in circulation. While the incidence of counterfeit payment cards being used in local retail operations remained low compared with other major cities in the Asia-Pacific region, liaison with the industry and overseas law enforcement agencies was maintained continually to combat this type of crime on an international basis.

Technology crime declined by around 36 per cent, following increases in the previous two years. While the total number of technology crime reports remained small, the gaining of unauthorised access to computers, or 'hacking', remained an area of concern. It was noted that criminals were becoming sophisticated and more inclined to use information technology in perpetrating crime. The number of computers examined for crime evidence continued to increase, by 74.7 per cent.

With the global promotion of e-commerce, the Police Force had envisaged that criminals would take advantage of information technology in committing offences, and that Hong Kong would have to maintain a safe and reliable environment for such business. In July, the Technology Crime Division (TCD), a unit dedicated to enforcement action against technology crime, was set up in the CCB. The division is tasked with the responsibility of further enhancing the enforcement capability of the Police Force in the areas of investigation, computer forensics examination and intelligence support. During the year, close liaison was maintained with overseas law enforcement agencies and the private sector, such as computer-related industry, Internet service providers and research institutes. The report of the Inter-departmental Working Group on Computer Related Crime was published, and the Government also mapped out the way forward regarding the report's recommendations. The TCD was already preparing the implementation of some of the recommendations.

In 2001, heroin continued to be the predominant drug used by adult abusers in Hong Kong. While stringent enforcement action against heroin abuse continued, a high priority was accorded to reversing the rising trend of psychotropic substance abuse. During the year, it became apparent that abuse of drugs linked to 'dance parties' — such as 'ecstasy'-type tablets and ketamine — would constitute a drawn-out problem. However, the revamped enforcement strategy adopted by the police did achieve considerable success in disrupting the trafficking of psychotropic substances. In all, 2 229 persons were arrested for offences connected to ketamine and 1 142 persons were arrested in cases related to 'ecstasy'-type tablets. Several region-wide operations under the code-name 'Spring Thunder', aimed at cracking down on psychotropic substance abuse, led to the arrest of 219 suspected traffickers, and psychotropic substances worth over $9 million were seized.

In operations targeting narcotics trafficking, the police seized a total of 149 kilograms of heroin and dismantled 12 heroin attenuation centres. A scarcity of heroin in the region, as a result of stepped-up enforcement on both sides of the boundary in early 2001, resulted in reduced seizures of heroin compared with 2000. In one significant case, pursuant to Section 56A of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, a heroin trafficker had two years added to his 24 years' sentence of imprisonment for involving a minor as a drugs courier.

In action against psychotropic substances, police officers seized 2 145 kilograms of herbal cannabis, 184 812 'ecstasy'-type tablets, 39.66 kilograms of ketamine and 39.53 kilograms of methylamphetamine ('ice'). The single seizure of 1 980 kilograms of herbal cannabis in April was a record for the Police Force. Furthermore, the police successfully neutralised two rudimentary illicit enterprises, based in Hong Kong, that were producing 'ecstasy'-type tablets. A significant blow was struck against the trafficking of psychotropic substances in June when the police seized precursor chemicals capable of producing a substantial amount of methamphetamine. In relation to 'ecstasy'-type tablets, the seizure of tablets that contained substances other than the customary MDMA became more frequent. For example, tablets purported to be 'ecstasy' were found to contain a mixture of methamphetamine and ketamine.

In 2001, the number of persons arrested for drug offences totalled 10 077, compared with 10 139 in 2000. Of those arrested, 1 983 were aged 16 to 20 years and 177 were aged under 16. Compared with 2000, there was 15.3 per cent increase in the number of arrested persons aged under 21. In a further effort to protect vulnerable youths from psychotropic substance abuse, the Narcotics Bureau produced anti-drugs lecture packs for officers' use during regular school visits.

Financial investigations to recover the proceeds of drug trafficking continued in 2001. In total, $33.43 million was confiscated by the courts and $10.87 million surrendered to the Government to fulfil outstanding confiscation orders. In addition, $2.66 million was restrained pending confiscation. Anti-money laundering action against local syndicates remained a priority, but the global nature of drug trafficking also necessitated close co-operation with overseas law enforcement agencies. A ceremony took place in September to share confiscated drug trafficking proceeds of over $83 million, marking a success in global co-operation with the Governments of Australia and the United States in two major transnational investigations spanning 12 years.

Throughout the year, the Narcotics Bureau co-operated closely with Mainland and overseas counterparts to interdict cross-boundary and transnational trafficking, with appreciable results being achieved.

The Crime Prevention Bureau continued to provide a public advisory service, and 25 619 security surveys were conducted for both the public and private sectors.

The bureau also continued its educational role through campaigns and seminars, its call-fax and web-page services and the deployment of the Robotcop and the crime prevention bus.

The Criminal Records Bureau maintains criminal records on people convicted of crime in Hong Kong. In 2001, 89 890 new conviction records were filed. The bureau also maintains the Enhanced Police Operational Nominal Index Computer System from which information on wanted people, missing persons as well as outstanding warrants of arrest is readily provided to front-line police officers round-the-clock. Other records and indices maintained in the bureau include those on missing vehicles, a computerised photo album library which enables victims and witnesses to view potential suspects, an index of crime information sent to the Police Force by members of the public and a computerised system that helps investigators to identify suspects by their modus operandi.

The Forensic Firearms Examination Bureau continued to play an important role in the investigation of firearms-related crimes by improving its quality of service both to the force and to other disciplined services departments. Since 2000, the bureau has been an accredited laboratory under the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, which ranks it as equal in status to, for example, the laboratory of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The bureau's scanning electron microscope and its computerised bullet and cartridge identification system remained one of the most advanced pieces of equipment in the Asia in solving firearms-related crimes.

The Identification Bureau continued to apply the latest technology in recovering fingerprint evidence from crime scenes, which is a pivotal factor in the investigation and detection of crimes.

To keep abreast of technological advancements, an ordinance that empowers law enforcement agencies to take sample from suspects for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) profiling came into effect on July 1. In the case of the Police Force, a dedicated group of 'Scene of Crime' officers was assigned to the bureau to provide services for taking DNA samples, for investigative purposes, on a 24-hour basis.

Fingerprint officers from the bureau's Scene of Crime Section were available round-the-clock to attend crime scenes, upon request by investigating officers. In 2001, they attended a total of 16 209 crime scenes.

The Advanced Technology Section, which is equipped with sophisticated instruments, utilised the most recent and productive methods to chemically examine and reveal traces of fingerprints and palmprints on exhibits for 3 007 cases, with 469 persons identified.

The Computer Assisted Fingerprint Identification System, which uses advanced automated fingerprint searching methodology, continued to contribute significantly to the effectiveness and efficiency of the bureau in comparing fingerprints. During the year, 145 633 fingerprints were processed by the system, and it established that 61 228 persons had criminal records. In addition, 647 persons were identified in connection with crimes under investigation. The manual search method, which remained indispensable in identification work, helped to identify 927 suspects.

Officers of the Photographic Section attended 4 422 crime scenes in 2001, producing 87 960 monochrome photographs and 1 305 949 colour prints and slides. Special forensic photographic services — such as infra-red, ultraviolet and laser photography, video crime scene re-enactment and printing of photographs from bank surveillance films and video tapes — are available upon demand to police units and other government departments.

The Liaison Bureau acts as a co-ordination centre in dealing with all police-related inquiries from overseas police organisations and consulates based in Hong Kong.

The bureau's Liaison Division is responsible for liaison with Mainland police authorities. Close liaison is maintained with the Interpol China National Central Bureau in Beijing, the Guangdong Liaison Office, the Shenzhen and Zhuhai Liaison Sub-Offices in Guangdong and other Mainland law enforcement organisations. Since 1990, 207 criminal fugitives and 283 stolen vehicles have been returned to Hong Kong from the Mainland.

The Interpol Division represents the Police Force in the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO), better known as Interpol, as a sub-bureau of the China National Central Bureau. During the year, a Hong Kong police officer remained on secondment to the ICPO General Secretariat in Lyon, France, to work in one of its specialised groups. Another officer was also attached to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Sydney, Australia, to enhance international co-operation in combating crime.

There were no major incidents affecting public order in Hong Kong during the year.

The Police Tactical Unit (PTU) Headquarters provides training to Regional and District personnel to cope with internal security commitments. During the year, more than 1 300 officers formed eight PTU companies to receive such training. The training provides officers with the capability to carry out a wide range of duties, including anti-crime patrols, anti-illegal immigration operations, security assurance, and crowd management during festive occasions, public gatherings, processions and demonstrations.

PTU officers played an important role in the successful policing of three major international events hosted in Hong Kong during the year — the Fortune Global Forum in May, the 10th East Asia Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum in October, and the 14th General Meeting of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council in November.

The Special Duties Unit (SDU), which is the Police Force's counter-terrorist response unit, is also based at PTU Headquarters and during the year it was deployed on a number of occasions to assist other units in various operations.

A major counter-terrorist exercise was held at the Hong Kong International Airport, involving the SDU along with a number of non-governmental and quasi-governmental organisations which operate at the airport.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Bureau is responsible for all bomb disposal work in Hong Kong, both on dry land and underwater.

The bureau was called out 496 times, making 2001 the busiest year since its establishment in 1972. The majority of the call-outs were related to the discovery of World War II-era ordnance during dredging operations for land reclamation. Some of the ordnance was in highly unstable condition and, on occasion, still underwater. These discoveries resulted in several extensive and hazardous operations, involving permanent EOD establishment officers and the volunteer EOD Cadre, to destroy over 500 shells in controlled explosions.

Following the terrorist attacks in the United States in September, the bureau was heavily engaged in anthrax-related call-outs which were either hoaxes or the result of misunderstandings. All of these were handled within the context of radiological, biological and chemical (RBC) incidents for which plans and training had been in place for several years. The rapid response helped to ensure that disruption to daily life was kept to a minimum. None of the call-outs resulted in the discovery of anthrax or any credible RBC agent.

There has been an overall downward trend since 1993 in illegal immigration from the Mainland. During the year, 7 918 illegal immigrants (IIs) were arrested by police officers, an average of 22 per day, representing a small increase of 3.8 per cent compared with 7 631 in 2000. Of these, almost 57 per cent claimed to have entered Hong Kong by sea and the remaining 43 per cent crossed the land boundary.

Close liaison in the form of regular liaison meetings and exchange of intelligence was maintained with the Guangdong Border Defence Bureau. Additionally, the Guangdong bureau undertook to give full co-operation and assistance to the Police Force in combating illegal immigration and in preventing cross-boundary crimes. A project to enhance protective measures along the boundary fence system is to be completed by April 2002. This, in conjunction with the use of advanced technical equipment, will further improve the capability of the Police Force in maintaining boundary security.

There are about 150 dogs in the Police Dog Unit, comprising general patrol dogs and 'sniffer' dogs. The unit is responsible for ensuring that all dogs and handlers are professionally trained and their skills are maintained at a high level of proficiency. The unit also provides training to drug detection dogs from the Customs and Excise Department.

Special 'sniffer' dogs are stationed at the Hong Kong International Airport and the Kai Tak Operational Base to provide round-the-clock service in search operations. The unit's explosives detection dogs also play a key role in security operations undertaken by the Police Force.

Traffic Branch officers had an active role in the arrangements for large-scale international functions during the year. The Fortune Global Forum, the East Asia Economic Summit and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council meeting necessitated major diversionary traffic arrangements and full deployment of the Escort Group as well as regional enforcement and control teams.

Apart from their duties dealing with major events and special enforcement operations, Traffic Branch officers launched publicity campaigns on road safety awareness jointly with working partners including schools, trade associations, the mass media, and government bureaux and departments. The enactment of several new pieces of road safety legislation during the year helped in achieving the overall objective. The legislation included increasing the penalty for speeding; mandatory wearing of seat belts by rear seat taxi passengers; introducing 'dangerous driving' and 'dangerous driving causing death' offences to replace 'reckless driving' and 'reckless driving causing death'; and banning the use of telecommunication equipment, except hands free devices, while driving.

The introduction of the Automated Non-stopper Traffic Enforcement Computer System (ANTECS) and the installation of a recording system on Traffic Branch motorcycles further enhanced the process of prosecution and enforcement action against irresponsible driving behaviour. The new system, which computerises the processing of 'non-stop' traffic offences, was implemented in March. It identifies automatically vehicle number plates from photographs, obtains information on vehicle owners from the Transport Department's computer system and reduces processing time from 10 days under the manual system to fewer than three days.

There were 15 631 traffic accidents involving casualties in 2001, representing an increase of 4.6 per cent compared with 2000. The number of fixed penalty tickets for moving offences decreased by 3.6 per cent. Police officers and traffic wardens issued 695 118 tickets for parking offences, representing a decrease of 17.1 per cent. Traffic summonses issued to offenders decreased by 5.5 per cent.

Since the enactment of the Security and Guarding Services Ordinance in December 1994 to replace the Watchman Ordinance, and its full operation on June 1, 1996, some 200 000 Security Personnel Permits have been issued. A Security Personnel Permit is valid for five years. Since 1996, over 20 000 Security Personnel Permits have been renewed, and some 1 600 revoked upon the holders' conviction of specified offences. The phased programme to replace Watchman's Permit commenced in May 1997. The last phase of the programme began in September and will be completed by the end of April 2002 when all Watchman's Permits will be cancelled or replaced by Security Personnel Permits.

The Firearms and Ammunition (Amendment) Ordinance 2000 became fully operational in November. The amendments significantly enhance the standard of firearms instruction, management of shooting ranges and maintenance of public safety. While imposing effective control on individuals who may have access to arms and ammunition, the amended ordinance also facilitates the legitimate possession and transhipment of arms and ammunition.

With a view to improving the regulatory mechanism concerning vice activities in massage establishments and to minimise any resultant inconvenience for legitimate operators, most of the service improvements recommended by a consultancy study have been implemented. In addition, the Massage Establishments (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Legislative Council on November 14. Under this, massage establishments which do not provide full body massage to customers by persons of the opposite sex would no longer be required to obtain a massage establishment licence for their operation.

On February 7, a bill aimed at, among other things, tightening up control of activities in karaoke establishments was introduced into the Legislative Council.

Despite a general decrease in the number of illegal immigrants (IIs) found in Hong Kong during the past two years, their interception in the waters of Hong Kong remained a top priority for the Marine Region. A total of 717 Mainland IIs and 16 Vietnamese IIs were arrested by Marine Police officers in 2001. Some syndicates employed high-powered speedboats and Mainland Trading Vessels (MTVs) to convey female IIs from the Mainland to Hong Kong for the purpose of prostitution. Heightened enforcement action at various II landing sites, and increased checks on vessels, yielded fruitful results.

MTVs entering the HKSAR to buy low-tax diesel fuel continued to be a problem. However, through the sustained efforts of the Anti-Smuggling Task Force, working in conjunction with the Customs and Excise Department, the problem was contained and there was a reduction in criminal activities connected to MTVs such as extortion, robbery and criminal damage. At the same time, smuggling by speedboats decreased significantly after several smuggling syndicates were neutralised. Pre-emptive operations against smugglers led to the seizure of contraband goods valued at $38 million and the apprehension of 156 persons.

The new Marine Radio Communication System was implemented during the year. This system includes a radio voice system that provides police launches with digital-based data as well as a capability for locating vessels automatically. The new system enhances the deployment of the Marine Police fleet and also heightens the headquarters command functions. A launch replacement project was also under way: two new 'Keka Class' launches, along with two barges and six interceptor launches, would join the fleet in the next few years.

The Police Public Relations Branch is responsible for explaining the work of the Police Force to the public, and building up good relations, with the aim of enlisting public support in the fight against crime.

Police Community Relations Officers in police districts have developed close ties with their local communities to disseminate information on police policies and priorities. During the year, 33 Secondary School Liaison Officer posts were created to implement the Secondary School Liaison Officers Programme. The aim of this programme is to establish and maintain close liaison with school management, school social workers, parents and non-governmental organisations in preventing juveniles from falling prey to crime.

The long-established Junior Police Call (JPC) scheme continued to organise various activities for young people to help them build up positive values and stay away from crime and, in turn, to assist the police in fighting crime. Apart from organising a wide range of activities for young people, the Police Force, in conjunction with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), produces a weekly radio programme, Voice of JPC, to provide a forum for spreading crime prevention messages and promoting youth activities. JPC membership totalled around 160 000 at year-end.

Two weekly television programmes, Police Magazine (a 30-minute Cantonese programme) and Police Report (a five-minute English programme), jointly produced by the Police Force and RTHK, have been successful in appealing to the public for information on crime cases and raising people's awareness of prevalent crime trends.

The Good Citizen Award Scheme and the Good Citizen of the Year Award Scheme, jointly administered by the Police Force and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, commended exemplary and civic-minded citizens who helped the police combat crime.

In 2001, the Police Force received useful information from calls to its telephone hotlines and also from its Crime Information Forms. The information given in 739 calls (not including those to the emergency hotline 999) and in 1 815 forms led to positive results and arrests.

For the first time, the full text of the Hong Kong Police Review was uploaded onto the Police Force home page(http://www.info.gov.hk/police/index.htm) for easy access by members of the public. Its first electronic edition in CD-ROM format was well received. Moreover, the Internet version of OffBeat, the force's full-colour fortnightly newspaper, was revamped during the year to make downloading easier and faster.

Officers seconded from the Information Services Department (ISD) provided round-the-clock services in disseminating information on crime and police action to the media, both local and overseas. During the year, they handled 277 880 media enquiries, organised 242 press conferences and briefings, attended 335 scenes of incidents to assist media coverage and issued 3 512 press releases.

The Fight Crime Publicity Campaign, launched with the help of the ISD and other government departments and the Fight Crime Committee, adopted the themes of 'a tripartite alliance of parents, schools and police to prevent juvenile crime' and 'prevention of computer crime involving youngsters' with the aim of working closely with members of the public to address these problems.

During the year, the Police Force launched the Police Recruitment and Publicity Campaign aiming at enhancing the force's image and recruiting persons of the right calibre to further improve its service to the community. Complemented by a full publicity package, two new television commercials featuring the professional and caring aspects of police work were produced to convey the message that the Police Force is not only an efficient and effective law enforcement agency but also a modern, professional and caring force continually seeking to make improvements in its services to the community.

The Police Force is undertaking a major building works programme. The construction of a new Police Headquarters began in November 2000. The headquarters is scheduled for completion in late 2003 and occupation in early 2004. The new facility — a state-of-the-art complex with an efficient and environmentally friendly design — will mark the force's commitment to professionalism and continual improvement.

The refurbishment of 59 police stations and operational bases is proceeding in parallel with the force-wide Customer Service Quality initiative. The improvements are expected to be completed in 2002. In addition, an automated station security system that can bring about manpower savings is being installed at these premises.

Planning for two new Regional Headquarters cum Operational Bases in the New Territories South Region and Kowloon West is at an advanced stage. The future Kowloon West Regional Headquarters complex will also incorporate a new Mongkok District Headquarters and Tai Kok Tsui Divisional Police Station; the latter will be responsible for policing the developing Kowloon West reclamation area. A new Kowloon East Regional Headquarters cum Operational Base is planned on the site of the former Airport Police Station at Kai Tak. A new Marine North Divisional Base is planned at Ma Liu Shui.

The new Tactical Training Complex at the Police Training School in Wong Chuk Hang became operational in November. This purpose-built, two-storey, self-contained facility, simulating an urban environment, greatly enhances police firearms training. Another new complex will be a Police Dog and a Police Search Unit complex to be built in Sha Ling, New Territories. The complex is due for completion in September 2003.

The Police Force's vehicle fleet is the largest in the Government, with a wide range of vehicles available to respond to all operational requirements. In line with the Government's initiatives on 'clean air', the force has taken the initiative in operating vehicles that use environmentally friendly fuel. Besides this, a continuing programme to check and clean police fuel storage tanks has been implemented to maintain environmental standards. The programme for replacing older vehicles has continued. New vehicles acquired include personnel carriers with modern features to replace lorries, a new Mobile Command Unit for Hong Kong Island, and new motorcycles with anti-lock braking systems.

The Marine Police Radio System, together with its Automatic Vessel Location and Messaging sub-system, was launched at the end of the year. The system is based on the TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) open digital standard and is one of the most advanced digital wireless data and positioning systems in the world.

In furtherance of the progressive convergence of communications with information technology facilities and applications, a consultant was hired to study the most cost-effective methodology for integration of voice and data onto a single platform during the replacement of more than 9 000 telephones in all police premises.

Design and development of the third generation Command and Control System continues apace and is on target for completion by the end of 2005. The new system would have a digital radio infrastructure built on an open standard, which facilitates future enhancement.

The Police Force has revamped its web site(http://www.info.gov.hk/police/index.htm) to include the provision of a number of forms to assist the public in reporting certain matters to the police without visiting a police station. The home page also provides for on-line applications for various permits as well as providing articles on useful subjects such as crime prevention. With a dedicated e-Police Team, the Police Force will continue to play an important role in the Government's implementation of electronic service delivery.

During the year, the Police Force embarked on a number of new service quality initiatives including the development of new management framework, comprising key performance indicators, and a computer system to track the progress of initiatives. Extensive research and planning was being undertaken prior to the full-scale implementation of a Knowledge Management system, which would give officers easy on-line access to all the stored knowledge necessary for the efficient discharge of their duties.

An Internal Communication Strategy was introduced in March with the aim of improving communication through fostering an open attitude towards direct communication and enhancing application of technology in communication systems within the Police Force. To promote force values and solicit staff suggestions for improvement, another round of Living-the-Values workshops was held in mid-2001. Continued effort was made to collect feedback on the performance of the Police Force and issues of concern from the public and staff through a Public and a Staff Opinion Survey.

The Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO) investigates public complaints against members of the Police Force, including Traffic Wardens, civilian staff and members of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force. Such investigations are monitored by the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), an independent body comprising leading members of the community appointed by the Chief Executive.

In 2001, the CAPO received 3 246 complaints, a decrease of 410 cases, or 11.2 per cent, compared with 2000. The majority of complaints were of neglect of duty, misconduct and improper manner. These accounted for 65.6 per cent of total complaints.

During the year, the IPCC endorsed the investigation results of 3 540 complaint cases, which involved 6 103 allegations. The rate of substantiation of complaint allegations that were fully investigated was 12 per cent; 38.6 per cent of the allegations were classified as withdrawn, not pursuable or curtailed. Complaints of a minor and trivial nature were dealt with by way of Informal Resolution, which was adopted in handling 24.4 per cent of the complaint allegations. A total of 14 police officers were subject to disciplinary action arising from complaints made by members of the community.

As a further measure to promote the transparency and impartiality of the police complaints system, the number of IPCC Lay Observers, who could attend the CAPO's interviews with complainants and police officers, was increased to 59 in 2001.

A civilian establishment of more than 5 800 in 59 different grades is deployed throughout the Police Force, representing about 17 per cent of its total manpower. Civilian staff members play a vital role by performing a wide variety of functional duties to support police operations.

Training is an essential and integral component in the development of a modern police force, to cope with the changing environment and demands of the public.

During the year, the Training Wing rigorously reviewed the quality of training for the force and promoted the well-established practice of lifelong learning. Multimedia technologies were developed to support the growing demand for continual training and learning at all levels of the force. Furthermore, officers were selected to attend appropriate overseas and local courses to enrich their skills and knowledge. Assistance, including financial aid, was offered to officers undertaking job-related private studies.

Newly recruited constables and inspectors are required to attend a 27-week and 36-week training course, respectively, at the Police Training School. The training programmes cover a range of subjects such as criminal law, police and court procedures, community awareness, communication skills, use of firearms, footdrill, physical fitness, first aid, swimming and lifesaving. Where appropriate, computer-based training is used to enhance training efficiency and effectiveness.

The Continuation and Promotion Division of the Police Training School provides development and promotion courses to in-service and newly promoted junior police officers. The division also trains newly recruited Traffic Wardens and provides traffic training to officers in the junior and middle ranks.

The Police Training School also assists the Labour Department, the Education Department and the Social Welfare Department in running youth training programmes to help teenagers develop their confidence, discipline, interpersonal skills and leadership potential.

In formulating staff training strategies of the Police Force, the Training Development Bureau pays particular consideration to the needs of both internal and external customers. To ensure that more professional services are provided to the community, the bureau developed and delivered a series of service improvement courses and training packages for front-line officers. Furthermore, the bureau also organises workshops on English and Chinese writing, Putonghua and First Aid Training; and provides relevant and up-to-date reference materials to prepare officers for examinations relating to the performance of constabulary duties. A number of the examinations and training courses provided are accredited by universities, which paves the way for further learning.

The Higher Training Division provides management courses for inspectors and senior inspectors who have four to seven years' service, and newly promoted chief inspectors and superintendents. These courses are designed to enhance officers' managerial skills by examining current issues, international best practice, individual skills and techniques for self-development.

The Weapons Training Division provides training to police officers on the use of force, firearms and tactics training for officers. The methodologies and technologies adopted by the Police Force are in line with international standards. During the year, study groups and delegations from other law enforcement agencies in the Mainland and South-East Asia visited the Police Force with a view to re-engineering their own training courses.

The Detective Training School was relocated in July to the Police Training School. The school provides specialist training in a variety of tasks for criminal investigative duties. These include criminal investigation, Special Duty (drugs, vice and gambling) Squad training, interview development training, managing undercover operations, testifying on gambling practices in court and triad courses. Various computer-based training packages have been developed to facilitate training.

The Police Driving School provides driving training to officers on a variety of motor vehicles. All police drivers are required to undergo thorough training in defensive driving techniques that take into account operational needs without compromising safety. During the year, the school placed greater emphasis on driver attitude and education, rather than purely skills-based instruction. A comprehensive test and revalidation licensing process seeks to ensure that all police drivers demonstrate a safe and courteous example on the roads.

In 2001, the Information Technology Training Centre continued to play an important role in the provision of user training courses on the Police Force's major computer systems and general information technology applications. The centre continually reviews and updates training syllabi to ensure that the training needs of force members are met.

There were 1 909 applications for Inspectorate posts in 2001, compared with 1 640 in 2000. Of the 28 officers who were appointed as Inspectors, 11 were serving officers promoted from within the ranks. Recruitment at the constable rank remained satisfactory, with 331 recruits out of 8 444 applicants.

The Personnel Services Branch provides a wide range of support services in the areas of personal and family welfare, financial protection, bursaries and scholarships for children, psychological consultations, assistance with retirement, sport and recreation, catering and the allocation and maintenance of departmental quarters. During the year, the major sources of funding for most welfare activities in the Police Force were the Police Welfare Fund, the Police Children's Education Trust and the Police Education and Welfare Trust, which were established with funds from public donations.

Two voluntary group life and permanent disability insurance schemes — the Central Fund and the Family Protection Fund — were also made available to enhance protection for all staff. More than 54 per cent of staff took part.

Welfare officers conducted casework interviews and visited officers in need of welfare advice and support. In addition to the casework services, a series of family life education programmes and group work services were organised for officers and their families. Resettlement courses and job placement services were also provided to retiring officers.

The Police Healthy Lifestyle Working Committee continued to promote activities on financial prudence, and physical and mental well-being. Officers were encouraged to establish a smoke-free workplace and to take part in sports, and build up a habit of regular exercise. Elite players were selected for international competitions, such as the World Police and Fire Games and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Police and Security Forces Sports Exchange.

On the recreation side, holiday homes and hotels with a wide range of facilities were made available to force members.

Most of the police canteens were contracted out to private sector caterers although the Police Catering Unit remained responsible for arranging operational feeding in emergency situations.

The Psychological Services Group provides counselling service for officers and their immediate family members. During the year, training in stress management was offered to officers of all ranks. Conflict management training was conducted for Traffic officers to help them prevent disputes arising with members of the public in the course of their work.

In 2001, the Police Quartering Division managed 13 971 Departmental Quarters, including 13 378 for Junior Police Officers, 578 for Inspectorate officers and 15 operational/post-tied quarters. The division was fully computerised in May to achieve efficiency, effectiveness and economy. During the year, 1 946 units at the Shun Lee new Disciplined Services Quarters were allocated to the force.

The Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (HKAPF) comprises volunteers from all walks of life and has a proud history dating from its establishment in 1914. At December 31, it had some 4 610 members.

The HKAPF is a trained manpower reserve to support the Police Force. It has a role during internal security situations and will perform specific duties to maintain the stability of the community. It is also a reserve to assist in times of natural disasters or civil emergency. Apart from this, the HKAPF's officers are mainly involved in crowd management duties in major public events and festivals and perform other pre-planned duties. During the year, the auxiliary force took part in more than 20 major crowd management operations, each involving some 100 to 500 officers.