73-920: The history of the Hong Kong Police originates in 1841, when the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) was officially established by the British colonial government, the same year that the British had settled in Hong Kong . While changes have been implemented throughout the People's Republic of China (PRC) since the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the Hong Kong Police Force (formerly the Royal Hong Kong Police Force) has since been responsible for serving
146-484: A goose step . The language spoken during drills changed from English to Chinese, and junior officers stopped addressing higher-ranking officers with "Yes Sir". During the 1940s, the HKPF faced a number of corruption scandals involving officers. During the 1950s and 1960s, the force struggled with corruption issues relating to bribes from syndicated drugs and illegal gambling operations . Police corruption again emerged as
219-496: A 30-member representative Legislative Council. He envisaged that the new Council would handle everyday affairs and that its decisions would be immune to the Governor's veto. Young, echoing the plan of Sir Geoffry Northcote , called for the promotion of local Chinese civil servants to the senior posts. These initiatives were eventually abandoned under the term of Governor Sir Alexander Grantham , an ardent conservative. Young retired from
292-521: A Japanese prisoner-of-war until 1945. After a period of recovery, Young returned to Hong Kong in 1946 as its governor, Young introduced limited democratic reforms in Hong Kong, which were undone by his successor, Sir Alexander Grantham . Retiring to England, Young died in Winchester in 1974. Young was the third son of colonial administrator Sir William Mackworth Young , sometime Lieutenant-Governor of
365-507: A badge, but instead carry a warrant card for identification. The uniform also does not include shoulder patches. Instead, a silver HKPF emblem is displayed on the headgear. The only patch on the uniform reads “Police” in English and Chinese, and is sewn above the left breast pocket of the shirt. Navy blue epaulettes worn on all uniform shirts and jackets show the officer's rank insignia (if any) and unique identification number. Uniform officers wear
438-429: A black Sam Browne belt with shoulder strap. Female officers wore a short-sleeved beige shirt with a knee-length skirt until the mid-1990s when they were given the same uniform as male officers (without the shoulder strap). Bermuda shorts were worn by male officers instead of trousers from the early 20th century until the 1970s. Retired winter uniform: A cornflower blue (or white, for commissioned officers) shirt with
511-433: A black whistle on the front right pocket and insignia on the collar for commissioned officers. A Sam Browne belt is also worn. The previous uniforms were reminiscent of the British colonial era, and were replaced with what were intended to be more modern, international, and cosmopolitan uniforms in 2005. Retired summer uniform: A short-sleeved olive green tunic-style tropical field shirt, and olive green trousers worn with
584-478: A blue and red striped necktie, worn under a heavy navy blue tunic coat and a Sam Browne Belt with shoulder strap, and navy blue trousers. The tunic may be removed and shirt sleeves folded up to the elbows when working indoors or in warmer weather. Retired headgear: Pith helmets, turbans and conical hats were worn (depending on the ethnicity of the officer) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Berets, peaked caps and bowler hats (for female officers) were introduced in
657-500: A conceptual plan for the reorganisation of the force, presenting his plan in July 1946. Although he was not to head the force after the war, his plans were both sound and progressive. Governor Sir Mark Young broadly supported them, and they were implemented under Commissioner Duncan Macintosh thereby generating the foundation of today's structure and philosophy. The proposals included equality in recruitment and promotion for local officers and
730-496: A major concern in the early 1970s when the Commissioner ordered investigations to break the culture of corruption, causing forty-odd officers to flee Hong Kong with more than HK$ 80 million cash (about HK$ 2 million each). More recently, the Hong Kong Police Force has faced extensive allegations of misconduct during the 2019 protests including excessive force, brutality, torture, and falsified evidence. In particular,
803-573: A plaited black, yellow and red lanyard for CP's Commendation, or red for Governor's. Mark Aitchison Young Sir Mark Aitchison Young GCMG KStJ ( Chinese : 楊慕琦 ; 30 June 1886 – 12 May 1974) was a British colonial administrator, who is best remembered for his service as the Governor of Hong Kong at the time of the Japanese invasion of the territory in 1941. Born in British India ,
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#1732833060540876-479: A policing authority in the new colony, empowering Captain William Caine to enforce Qing law in respect of local inhabitants and "British Police Law" for "non-natives". By October 1842, an organised police force (still under the direction of Caine who was also Chief Magistrate) was routinely bringing criminals before the courts for trial. Caine's role as head of the police force ended when its first Superintendent
949-424: A short-sleeved shirt can be worn with an open collar in warm weather. A waist-length dark blue windbreaker can also be worn over the shirt in cooler temperatures. Male officers typically wear a black peaked cap while female officers wear a black bowler hat with a red stripe. Dark-blue baseball caps may also be worn. Specialized unites wear either dark blue baseball caps or navy blue berets. HKPF officers do not wear
1022-399: A slide with a silver vertical line on the collar of the uniform, a black baton, and a red whistle or a black and white whistle on the front right pocket. The current Hong Kong Police uniform was implemented in 2005. Most front-line officers wear a light blue shirt and dark blue cargo trousers, while senior officers wear a white shirt. A long-sleeved shirt is worn with a black necktie, while
1095-412: A utility belt which holds a sidearm, extra ammunition, a handcuff , an extendable baton , a pepper spray , a Motorola radio with a connected remote speaker microphone attached to the shoulder and a body-mounted camera. While the HKPF had been following their past equipment procurement policies for Hong Kong’s British legacy, following the international arms trading embargo imposed after the passing of
1168-512: A white helmet. A blue baseball-style cap is worn when not riding. Rural Patrol Unit: Cargo shirt and trousers in olive green are worn with either a dark blue baseball-style cap or a navy blue beret. Cargo shirt and trousers in Disruptive Pattern Camouflage is also sometimes worn. Other specialized units: In some specialized units, a cargo shirt is worn in either olive green, dark blue, or disruptive pattern camouflage (depending on
1241-666: Is the primary law enforcement , investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong . Pursuant to the one country, two systems principle, the HKPF is officially independent of the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China , which under usual circumstances may not interfere with Hong Kong’s local law enforcement matters. All HKPF officers are employed as civil servants and therefore required to pledge allegiance to
1314-536: The British Army had operated the border patrol. The force played a prominent role in the process of the handover of sovereignty in 1997 and continues to perform ceremonial flag-raising on each anniversary. With the handover of sovereignty, the police force dropped the prefix "Royal" from its name. In the 2010s, the police force played a prominent role in relation to the 2014 Hong Kong protests and 2019–20 Hong Kong protests . Following Chris Tang 's appointment as
1387-740: The British Army with the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) during World War I from 1915. Young served as principal assistant colonial secretary of Ceylon (from 1923 to 1925 under Sir Cecil Clementi and Murchison Fletcher from 1925 to 1928), then as colonial secretary of Sierra Leone from 1928 to 1930. From 1930 to 1933, he served as chief secretary to the Government of the British Mandate of Palestine . From 5 August 1933 to March 1938, he served as governor and commander-in-chief of Barbados . From November 1937 to February 1938, he served in
1460-595: The Commissioner of Police in November 2019, the police force changed its motto from "We serve with pride and care", which had been used for more than 20 years, to "Serving Hong Kong with honour, duty and loyalty." The Economist suggested that this change would curry favour with the central government of China . In July 2022, as part of a process to remove colonial aspects from the force, foot drills changed from British style to Chinese People's Liberation Army style with
1533-626: The Hong Kong Basic Law . The HKPF consists of approximately 34,000 officers, including the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force , civil servants, and its Marine Region (3,000 officers and 143 vessels as of 2009). A police force has been serving Hong Kong since shortly after the island was established as a colony in 1841. On 30 April 1841, 12 weeks after the British landed in Hong Kong, Captain Charles Elliot established
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#17328330605401606-555: The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was created to give government wide-ranging powers to investigate corruption. At the turn of the 1980s, the Hong Kong Police Force began marketing itself as "Asia's Finest". The recruitment of Europeans to the force ceased in 1994, and in 1995 the Royal Hong Kong Police took responsibility for patrolling the boundary with China. Prior to 1995,
1679-485: The National Security Law in 2020, the HKPF had started importing firearms from Mainland China to refresh their inventory. Traffic Branch Motorcyclists: A heavy, bright, yellow and blue reflective jacket is worn. In warmer weather, a lightweight yellow reflective vest is an alternative. Black knee-high leather riding boots are also worn with navy blue riding trousers, along with protective gear such as gloves and
1752-807: The New Territories (an additional 356sq.miles of land) in 1898–99, created difficult, but surmountable problems. The fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 brought civil unrest, and the start of World War I in 1914 saw many European officers enlist and return to the United Kingdom . In the 1920s and 1930s, Hong Kong's general peace was punctuated by bouts of civil unrest sparked by labour disputes, instability in China and Japanese militarism. When war came again in 1941, an unknown number of police officers and reserves - Chinese, Indian, European and Eurasian - had their lives taken by
1825-720: The St Edward's Crown was used in the insignia, when it was replaced with the Bauhinia flower crest of the Hong Kong government. Pips were modified with the Bauhinia flower in the middle replacing the insignia from the Order of the Bath . The crest of the force was modified in 1997. The rank structure, organisation and insignia are similar to those used by the Metropolitan Police Service until
1898-605: The central government of China . With the passage of the Hong Kong national security law in mid-2020, the force established a National Security Department , charged with investigating and arresting offenders for NSL violations. Edwina Lau, Deputy Commissioner of Police (National Security), is tasked to head the unit. The department's number 2, Frederic Choi , was caught by colleagues during an anti-vice raid on an unlicensed massage parlour in April 2021. The police later cleared him of "wrongdoing" but he remains on leave. In November 2020,
1971-412: The vibrant growth in economic progress and its industrious, self-starting people were forming thousands of small street-level businesses all ripe for "protection." During this time, the police, along with members of departments like Public Works, Fire, Transport and others, all had their own distinct methods of earning illicit income to boost their meagre wages. Members of the police were offenders with
2044-502: The 18th. This was in part based on clear instruction by Churchill directly to Young, advising him that "Every Part of (Hong Kong) Island must be fought over and the enemy resisted with the utmost stubbornness. Every day that you are able to maintain your resistance you help the Allied cause all over the world." Young was a prisoner of war in Japanese hands from December 1941 to August 1945. He
2117-484: The 1970s and 1980s, large numbers of Vietnamese boat people arrived in Hong Kong, posing challenges first for marine police, secondly for officers who manned the dozens of camps in the territory and lastly for those who had to repatriate them. The force was granted the use of the title ‘royal’ in 1969 for its handling of the Hong Kong 1967 riots — renaming it the Royal Hong Kong Police Force . In 1974,
2190-466: The 2010s, the police force played a prominent role in handling the 2014 Hong Kong protests and 2019–20 Hong Kong protests . The Hong Kong Police Force has faced allegations of misconduct, including the use of excessive force, in both the 2014 protests and the 2019 protests , leading to several lawsuits filed in October 2019 against the HKPF for allegations of misconduct. A range of controversies involving
2263-521: The China Nationalist movement defied government regulations providing the pretext for the eruption of conflict with pro- Communist activists and sympathisers - serious disorder was suppressed by the force with assistance from the British military . In 1966, Communist groups fanned the flames of discontent: Riots broke out over a price rise on the Star Ferry . Following this, in the spring of 1967, at
History of the Hong Kong Police Force - Misplaced Pages Continue
2336-729: The Commandant General of the Royal Hong Kong Police. In 1961, the responsibility for immigration , customs, and excise duties passed out of the duties of the Hong Kong Police Force. Corruption emerged as a prominent issue in Hong Kong in the 1960s; the Hong Kong Police—as did almost every government department—experienced this and it peaked between 1962 and 1974, involving officers of all ranks and ethnicities. Motives and opportunities for corruption were many and varied, but mainly included poor pay and worries about China invading and abolishing pensions, while opportunities resulted from
2409-922: The Crime Department of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force in 1946 and focussed on preventing pro-KMT rightists and pro-CCP leftists from infiltrating the colony. Police officers enjoy remuneration far exceeding median incomes in the Special Administrative Region (HK$ 18,000 per month in 2019 ), the base rate for newly recruited police constables with minimal high school education being HK$ 24,110 per month and that for high school matriculants being HK$ 42,655. In addition, all officers enjoy extensive housing benefits , free medical and dental benefits (including coverage of family members), with substantial vacation, sick and maternity leave allowances exceeding statutory minimums. In addition, officers and their families enjoy substantial fringe benefits through
2482-454: The Government of Trinidad and Tobago . From 1938 to 1941, Young served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Tanganyika . With the war in Europe looming, Young restored confidence within the colony, which was apprehensive that it would be returned to Germany as part of peace negotiations. He also took the step of appointing Indian representatives to the territory's institutions. At the outbreak of
2555-414: The Hong Kong Police Force launched a hotline where residents can report breaches of the national security law that China imposed earlier in the year. In July 2022, for the flag raising ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the handover, the Hong Kong Police Force and all Hong Kong Disciplined Services, ceased to use the parade drills and English verbal commands inherited from their colonial past. Instead,
2628-634: The Japanese during both the main conflict and the occupation . From 1942 to 1945, Japan occupied Hong Kong and the HKPF was temporarily disbanded and replaced by Japanese Kempeitai , which was headquartered at the Legislative Council Building . After the war, the mechanism of government in Hong Kong was in shambles; no men or equipment, devastated buildings and important resources like intelligence files, fingerprints, criminal records and personnel documents all lost or destroyed. The Water Police had four barely serviceable launches. Nevertheless,
2701-549: The Public Relations Wing announced that it would monitor public opinion online and fight "fake news". The headgear worn during the 19th century varied according to ethnicity: European officers wore pith helmets , Sikh Indians wore turbans , and Chinese officers wore conical Asian hats . All of them, however, shared the same olive green tunics in winter - giving rise to the nickname, dai tau luk yee (big head, green coat). By 1900 dark blue had become standard, although
2774-698: The Punjab , and his second wife, Frances Mary, daughter of Sir Robert Eyles Egerton , also Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab. Sir Robert Egerton was nephew of Sir John Grey Egerton, 8th Baronet and the Reverend Sir Philip Grey Egerton, 9th Baronet . Young was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge , where he took first-class honours in Classics . He entered the Eastern Cadet Service and went to Ceylon in 1909. He served in
2847-578: The Second World War, Young swiftly disarmed and interned the colony's large German population. On 10 September 1941 Young was appointed Governor of Hong Kong . Japanese forces already occupied the Chinese mainland adjoining Hong Kong as part of their ongoing war with China, and early in Young's term Hong Kong came under the threat of Japanese invasion. At 08:00, 8 December 1941, several hours after Pearl Harbor
2920-457: The cessation of recruitment of European constables . Moreover, doubts about the willingness of the Hong Kong people to accept Indian officers who had worked, and often abused their authority under the Japanese administration (December 1941 until August 1945) forced authorities to wind down the Sikh contingent. Instead, Pakistani and Shandong Chinese were recruited as constables, and this went on until
2993-510: The city. On 30 April 1841, twelve weeks after the British had landed in Hong Kong, orders were given by Captain Charles Elliot to establish a police force in the new colony. The first chief of police was Captain William Caine , who also served as the Captain of the Chief Magistrate . The Hong Kong Police was officially established by the colonial government on 1 May 1844, and the duties of
History of the Hong Kong Police Force - Misplaced Pages Continue
3066-516: The colony's highest-ranking official, Young was mistreated by his captors. Japan was defeated and surrendered in September 1945 and the British regained control of the colony. Young resumed his duties as Governor of Hong Kong on 1 May 1946, after having spent some time recuperating in England. After returning, he proposed political reforms that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to directly choose
3139-611: The commander of the HKPF and reports directly to the Secretary for Security . The HKPF is divided into six primary departments: Operations & Support, Crime & Security, Personnel & Training, Management Services, Finance, Administration & Planning, and National Security . The Special Branch was established by the British Colonial Government of Hong Kong in 1934 originally as an anti-communist squad under MI5 with assistance from MI6 . The branch later joined
3212-450: The early '80s a combination of the ICAC, firm police management, better emoluments and an amnesty had succeeded in destroying the overall culture, removing powerful figures, educating against greed and increasing instances of accountability. In the 1970s and 1980s, large numbers of Vietnamese people arrived in Hong Kong, putting considerable strain on police resources – first for
3285-401: The early 1960s. The last European inspectorate officers joined in 1994. The first female inspector joined in 1949, followed by the first intake of Woman Police Constables in 1951 - currently about 14 percent of the force is female, being represented in all ranks between constable and assistant commissioner. In 1945, firefighting responsibilities passed to a separate fire brigade . The 1950s saw
3358-422: The early to mid-20th century. Baseball-style caps for some specialized units were also introduced in the early 21st century. Until 1998, all officers wore a black whistle lanyard over the left shoulder running under the epaulet with the double cord attached to a whistle tucked in to the left breast tunic pocket. Officers who had received a Commissioner of Police Commendation or HE Governor's Commendation were issued
3431-835: The ending of British rule, the basic khaki drill and navy blue uniforms of the colonial period remained in use. Up until about 2020, when a year-round blue uniform was adopted, the Hong Kong Police continued to wear two seasonal uniforms - a khaki drill summer uniform (tan for women officers) and a navy blue uniform for winter, with constables and sergeants wearing blue shirts and more senior staff wearing white ones. Hong Kong Police Force High Court District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The Hong Kong Police Force ( HKPF )
3504-491: The force retained after the liberation of Hong Kong from Japan and were given the letter designation of "J". Officers served pre-war were also reinstated into the force. The 1950s saw the commencement of Hong Kong's 40-year rise to global prominence, during which time the Hong Kong Police tackled many issues that have challenged Hong Kong's stability. Between 1949 and 1989 , Hong Kong experienced several huge waves of immigration from mainland China , most notably 1958–62 . In
3577-470: The force, began to pay dividends towards the latter part of the 19th century, and business prospered accordingly. Piracy on the seas was a constant challenge for the Water Police. Responsibility for the city's prisons passed out of the control of the police in 1879. The 1890s brought challenges, both operational and organisational - there were outbreaks of bubonic plague in 1893–94; whilst the annexation of
3650-424: The force. The Police Children's Education Trust and Police Education & Welfare Trust disburse funds by way of scholarships, bursaries and grants for education expenses and to assist officers with needy children or in financial difficulty. These funds were also the recipients of HK$ 10 million in 2017 from an undisclosed donor. Numerous associations of serving and retired police officers have been formed over
3723-459: The governorship in 1947. Young and his wife, Josephine Mary, had six children, including Sir Brian Young. Young, Sir William Robinson and Christopher Patten are the only governors not to have been honoured in Hong Kong after completing their post. This is probably because most of Young's time in Hong Kong was spent as prisoner of war, with only a brief period from 1946 to 1947 as governor. His brothers Gerard Mackworth Young (also director of
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#17328330605403796-405: The highest profile and took most opprobrium. It took the determined stance of Governor MacLehose , together with Commissioner Charles Payne Sutcliffe, to instigate the firmest of measures to eradicate syndicated corruption—and the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in 1974 was the prime one. After teething troubles, including a mass walkout by officers in 1977, by
3869-460: The magistrate and head of police were separated. At the time of its establishment, the police force consisted of thirty-two men. The ethnic composition of the inaugural force consisted of mixed Chinese, European nationals or Indians . Policemen from different ethnic groups were assigned a different alphabetical letter before their batch numbers: "A" for Europeans, "B" for Indians, "C" for Cantonese , and "D" for recruited from Shandong Province . "E"
3942-419: The marine police who intercepted them, then for the officers who processed them and manned the dozens of camps in the territory, and lastly for those who had to repatriate unsuccessful asylum applicants up until 1997. On 1 July 1997, when China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, the "Royal" prefix was removed from the force's title, changing it to "Hong Kong Police Force". The crest was also changed, replacing
4015-473: The mid-1970s. Up until 1997, uniforms and hats had distinctions according to their rank. For example, senior constable and sergeant ranks are plastic ranks on the sleeve of the uniform. Special Duties Unit , Marine Police, and the Counter-terrorism Response Unit have their ranks at the back of the helmet or vest. Inspector to senior superintendent ranks have an insignia on the collar of
4088-415: The police left the force's popularity plunging after 2014, but even more so after 2019. Following Chris Tang 's appointment as the Commissioner of Police in November 2019, the police force changed its motto from "We serve with pride and care", which had been used for more than 20 years, to "Serving Hong Kong with honour, duty and loyalty." The Economist suggested that this change would curry favour with
4161-519: The police were criticised for their failure to respond during the mob attack at the Yuen Long MTR station in July 2019. Several lawsuits were filed in October 2019 against the HKPF for failure to show identification during protests. In May 2023, the HKPF recommended that schools install CCTV cameras in school classrooms to enhance security. From 2019 to 2022, 24 to 42 police officers were arrested per year. The Commissioner of Police serves as
4234-496: The pro-Beijing Friends of Hong Kong Association, which consists of National People’s Congress delegates and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference national committee, in 2019, raised concern, as did a 2017 donation of HK$ 15 million, that fringe benefits may be inadequate. Two trust funds established by statute in 1967 augment the benefits enjoyed by members of
4307-399: The royal crown with a bauhinia emblem. In April 2012, the Hong Kong Police Force publicly confirmed a ten-year contractual agreement with the 3M Cogent company to develop the biometric arm of the organization. Live scan technology and biometric identification products feature in the arrangement, and will be utilized in 32 city police force branches and three immigration locations. In
4380-460: The situation presented an opportunity to "start from scratch" and after the 'British Military Administration', during which Colonel C.H. Sansom headed the force, Hong Kong was in a position to stand on its own feet again in May 1946. When Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941, the Commissioner of Police was John Pennefather-Evans , and through his wartime internment, he worked secretly to draft
4453-767: The son and grandson of senior members of the Indian Civil Service , Young followed in the steps of his two elder brothers and became a colonial administrator, serving in Ceylon, Sierra Leone, Palestine, before becoming Governor of Barbados and of Tanganyika . Young assumed the governorship of Hong Kong in 1941, three months before the outbreak of the Pacific War . During the Battle of Hong Kong , Young refused to capitulate on numerous occasions, before surrendering on Christmas Day, 1941 in order to avoid further bloodshed. Young then became
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#17328330605404526-430: The start of Hong Kong's forty-year rise to global eminence. Throughout this period, the Hong Kong Police had successfully tackled many issues that had challenged the city's stability. Between 1949 and 1989, for example, Hong Kong experienced several huge waves of immigration from mainland China, most notably the period from 1958 to 1962. The most serious challenge to the force has been civil disorder. In 1956, supporters of
4599-471: The statutorily entrenched Police Welfare Fund which has current assets exceeding HK$ 200 million. Attracting funds in excess of HK$ 50 million per annum, almost entirely donations, the fund trustee, the Commissioner of Police, has unfettered freedom to choose how the funds are to be expended. The Commissioner disburses the bulk of its annual expenditure in the form of cash grants to police officers and their families. A donation of HK$ 10 million by
4672-530: The style and headdress still varied according to the race of the police officer. The conical hat of Chinese personnel disappeared after the 1920s, and similar khaki drill (summer) and navy blue uniforms (winter) were worn by all personnel. Both Chinese and European officers wore the same black peaked caps with silver badges. The Sikhs however continued to be distinguished by red turbans. White tunics were worn by police bandsmen and senior officers for ceremonial occasions. While cap badges and other insignia changed with
4745-549: The time of the Cultural Revolution in China , left-wing workers instigated long and bloody riots. The Hong Kong Police lost ten men during the turmoil which saw a ten-month campaign of insurrection, bombing and murder . For its determined and successful efforts in suppressing this lengthy insurrection, the Hong Kong Police were granted the "Royal" prefix in 1969. Princess Alexandra was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II to become
4818-424: The uniform. Chief Inspectors have a wide black stripe fitted on their police hats. Superintendents also have a small white stripe fitted on the police hat. Senior Superintendents and Chief Superintendents have a wide white stripe on their hats, Assistant and Senior Assistant Commissioners have 1 row of silver oak leaves on the edge of their hats while Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner has 2 rows of silver oak leaves,
4891-433: The unit), along with matching cargo trousers, and a navy blue beret or a dark blue baseball-style cap. Ceremonial uniforms include either a white (similar to No.3 Warm weather ceremonial uniform ) or navy blue tunic (similar to the old winter uniform). Sword design was based on 1897 pattern British Army infantry officer's sword and used for formal occasions such as parade out or Legal Opening Day . They are fitted with
4964-500: The years. Currently, these include: The four serving officers' associations wield significant power, controlling half of the voting rights on the Police Force Council. Government consultations with Police Force staff are formally conducted through the council and the associations figure prominently at times of controversy. The HKPF continues to use ranks and insignia similar to those used in British police forces. Until 1997,
5037-664: The « goose step » of the People Liberation Army of the PRC was used. Officials stated that this was a way to "show patriotism to the motherland". For months, cadets and officers had practiced at Fanling Police College under the supervision of Chinese soldiers of the PLC stationed in Hong Kong. It was also noted that the bagpipers from the Hong Kong Police Band did not take part in any ongoing ceremony. In August 2022,
5110-608: Was appointed on 22 February 1844, Captain Haly of the 41st Madras Native Infantry . The formal establishment of the force was gazetted on 1 May 1844. During World War II, Japan occupied Hong Kong , and the Hong Kong Police Force was temporarily disbanded. Policing duties were assumed by the Japanese Kempeitai , with Chinese officers being forced to serve alongside and officers of other ethnicities sent to Stanley Prison . Some local Chinese were also recruited as police officers, which
5183-533: Was attacked , Hong Kong came under fire by Imperial Japanese Forces. The battle lasted for 17 days, and ended when Young surrendered the colony to the Japanese General Takashi Sakai on 25 December, known as the 'Black Christmas' by Hong Kong people, who were then subject to Japanese rule for the next 3 years and 8 months. Young rebuffed several attempts by General Maltby and others in the military to ask for terms and discuss surrender as early as
5256-720: Was initially held in the Peninsula Hotel and subsequently incarcerated in a prisoner of war camp in Stanley , on the southern shores of Hong Kong Island . Shortly thereafter, he was later transferred, with other high-ranking Allied captives, including General Maltby, to a series of POW camps in Shanghai, Taiwan, and Japan, then to a camp near the Chinese-Mongolian border, and finally to a location near Mukden (modern Shenyang ) Manchuria , until his liberation at war's end. Despite being
5329-661: Was later assigned to White Russians who arrived from Siberia after the Russian Civil War . For several decades, Hong Kong was a 'rough-and-tumble' port with a 'wild west' attitude to law and order. Consequently, many members of the force were equally rough individuals. As Hong Kong began to flourish and make its place in the world, Britain began to take a dim view of the government's lack of grip in both public and private sectors, and officials with strong values and Victorian concepts of management and discipline were sent to raise standards. Strong leadership, both of Hong Kong and of
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