History of Hong Kong Police
Encyclopedia
The Hong Kong Police has been serving Hong Kong
since it was established as a colony in 1841.
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 Chief Magistrate
.
The Hong Kong Police was officially established by the colonial government on 1 May 1844, and the duties of the magistrate and head of police were separated. At the time of its establishment the police force consisted of 32 men. It was a multi-racial force, including white officers, and constable
s of Indian
(mostly Sikh
s from Punjab), Chinese
and other origins. Policemen from different ethnic groups were assigned a different alphabetical letter before their batch numbers: "A" for Europeans, "B" for Indians, "C" for local Chinese who spoke Cantonese, and "D" for Chinese recruited from Shandong Province
. "E" was later assigned to White Russian
s who arrived from Siberia
after the Russian Civil War
.
The head-dress also varied according to ethnicity: the whites wore kepi
s, the Sikh Indians had uniform turban
s, and the Chinese wore a form of straw Conical Asian hat. All of them, however, shared the same green tunic
s in winter - giving rise to the nicknames, 'dai tau luk yee' (big head, green coat).
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 the force began to pay dividends towards the latter part of the 19th century, and business prospered accordingly. Piracy on the seas, a centuries old way of life for many dwellers on the coast of south China proved a thorn in the side of the Water Police from day one up until the early 1960s.
The 1890s brought challenges both operational and organisational - there were outbreaks of bubonic plague
in 1893-94; whilst the annexation of the New Territories
an additional 356sq.m. of land 1898-99 created difficult but surmountable problems.
in 1911 brought civil unrest and the start of WWI
in 1914 saw many European officers enlist and return to UK. 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 the Japanese during both the main conflict and the occupation
.
Post-war, the mechanism of government in Hong Kong was a shambles; no men, no equipment, devastated buildings and important resources like intelligence files, fingerprints, criminal records and personnel documents all lost or destroyed. The Water Police had 4 barely serviceable launches. Nevertheless, 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, the commissioner was John Pennefather-Evans, and through his war-time internment he worked secretly to draft 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 the formidable Commissioner Duncan MacIntosh thereby generating the foundations of today's structure and philosophy. The proposals included equality in recruitment and promotion for local officers and the cessation of recruitment of European constables. Moreover, doubts about the willingness of 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, Pakistan
i and Shandong
Chinese were recruited as constables and this went on until the early 1960s. The last European inspectorate officers joined in 1994. The first female inspector joined in 1949, followed by the first intake of WPCs in 1951 - currently about 14% of the force is female, holding all ranks between constable and assistant commissioner.
The 1950s saw the commencement of Hong Kong's 40 years rise to global eminence. Throughout this period the Hong Kong Police has successfully 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. The force also took over responsibility for manning the border from British forces in 1990-91. In the 1970s/80s large numbers of Vietnamese 'boat people' arrived in Hong Kong posing stiff challenges first for marine police who intercepted them, secondly for the officers who processed them and manned the dozens of camps in the territory and lastly for those who had to repatriate them before 1997.
The most serious challenge though has been civil disorder. In 1956 supporters of the China Nationalist movement defied government regulations to provide the pretext for the eruption of conflict with pro-Communist activists and sympathisers - serious disorder was suppressed by the force and British military. In 1966 Communist groups fanned the flames of riots which broke out over a price rise on the Star Ferry. Following this instance in spring 1967, at 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 10-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. HRH Princess Alexandra
was appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to become the Commandant General of the Royal Hong Kong Police. The prefix was dropped at midnight on 1 July 1997 when China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, and the force reverted to the title 'Hong Kong Police'.
Despite loyal and steadfast service and efficiency levels which have grown steadily over 160 years life has not always been rosy. No administration anywhere in the world has ever been free of corruption in varying forms and severity. The spectre of corruption became really prominent in Hong Kong in the 1960s, the Hong Kong Police - as did almost every government department - experienced this and it peaked between 1962–74, involving officers of all ranks and ethnicities. Reasons? Motives and opportunities were many and varied, but chiefly - 'motives' (poor pay and worries about Red China invading and abolishing pensions), and 'opportunities' (Hong Kong was enjoying vibrant economic progress and its industrious, self-starter 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 'et al.' all had their own distinct methods of earning illicit income to boost meagre wages. The police were the offenders with the highest profile and took most opprobrium. It took the determined stance of Governor MacLehose together with Commissioner 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 the early 1980s 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 accountability. It would be foolish to deny that there are no corrupt practices in any police force worldwide, but in 1974 Hong Kong set an example to the world and for over 30 years the police in Hong Kong have been as clean as any force in the world - if not cleaner.
Whilst 99% of the 35,000 police force is Hong Kong Chinese, the overall establishment reflects the cosmopolitan nature of Hong Kong. Whilst the recruitment of Europeans ceased in 1994, as of September 2009, there are 185 Europeans in the force from inspector to assistant commissioner, and a handful of officers with Indian, Pakistan
i, Thai
, Singaporean
and Malaysian heritage. Moreover, many Chinese officers have resided in countries such as Canada, USA, Australia and UK. New recruits have to satisfy basic academic and language requirements (read and write Chinese and speak fluent Cantonese) as well as be a permanent resident of the Hong Kong SAR.
Up until December 2004, when a year-round blue uniform was adopted the Hong Kong Police had two seasonal uniforms - a green/khaki (buff for women officers) summer uniform and a dark blue tunic for winter, with constables and sergeants wearing blue shirts and more senior staff wearing white ones.
Over the years, the proportion of Chinese staff within the Hong Kong Police, and the numbers of senior staff has increased, for many decades the senior leadership remained exclusively European, though this began to change in the 1970s, and from the first appointment in 1989, the Commissioner of Police (and his deputies) has been a local Chinese.
Responsibility for the prisons passed out of the control of the police in 1879, a separate fire brigade was formed in 1945, and the Hong Kong Police assumed responsibility for immigration and customs & excise duties until 1961 - although the boundary with mainland China is still manned by police and a very high percentage of smuggling interdicted at sea is carried out by marine police.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
since it was established as a colony in 1841.
19th Century
On 30 April 1841, 12 weeks after the BritishBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
had landed in Hong Kong, orders were given by Captain Charles Elliot
Charles Elliot
Sir Charles Elliot, KCB , was a British naval officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China...
to establish a police force in the new colony. The first chief of police was Captain William Caine, who also served as the Chief Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
.
The Hong Kong Police was officially established by the colonial government on 1 May 1844, and the duties of the magistrate and head of police were separated. At the time of its establishment the police force consisted of 32 men. It was a multi-racial force, including white officers, and constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
s of Indian
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
(mostly Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s from Punjab), Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and other origins. Policemen from different ethnic groups were assigned a different alphabetical letter before their batch numbers: "A" for Europeans, "B" for Indians, "C" for local Chinese who spoke Cantonese, and "D" for Chinese recruited from Shandong Province
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
. "E" was later assigned to White Russian
White Emigre
A white émigré was a Russian who emigrated from Russia in the wake of the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, and who was in opposition to the contemporary Russian political climate....
s who arrived from Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
after the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
The head-dress also varied according to ethnicity: the whites wore kepi
Kepi
The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a visor or peak . Etymologically, the word is a borrowing of the French képi, itself a respelling of the Alemannic Käppi: a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap"....
s, the Sikh Indians had uniform turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
s, and the Chinese wore a form of straw Conical Asian hat. All of them, however, shared the same green tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
s in winter - giving rise to the nicknames, 'dai tau luk yee' (big head, green coat).
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 the force began to pay dividends towards the latter part of the 19th century, and business prospered accordingly. Piracy on the seas, a centuries old way of life for many dwellers on the coast of south China proved a thorn in the side of the Water Police from day one up until the early 1960s.
The 1890s brought challenges both operational and organisational - there were outbreaks of bubonic plague
Third Pandemic
Third Pandemic is the designation of a major Bubonic plague pandemic that began in the Yunnan province in China in 1855. This episode of bubonic plague spread to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killed more than 12 million people in India and China alone...
in 1893-94; whilst the annexation of the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
an additional 356sq.m. of land 1898-99 created difficult but surmountable problems.
20th Century
The fall of the Qing dynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in 1911 brought civil unrest and the start of WWI
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914 saw many European officers enlist and return to UK. 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 the Japanese during both the main conflict and the occupation
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
.
Post-war, the mechanism of government in Hong Kong was a shambles; no men, no equipment, devastated buildings and important resources like intelligence files, fingerprints, criminal records and personnel documents all lost or destroyed. The Water Police had 4 barely serviceable launches. Nevertheless, 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, the commissioner was John Pennefather-Evans, and through his war-time internment he worked secretly to draft 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
Mark Aitchison Young
Sir Mark Aitchison Young, GCMG was a British administrator who became the Governor of Hong Kong during the years immediately before and after the Japanese occupation of the territory.-Early life, service in war:...
broadly supported them and they were implemented under the formidable Commissioner Duncan MacIntosh thereby generating the foundations of today's structure and philosophy. The proposals included equality in recruitment and promotion for local officers and the cessation of recruitment of European constables. Moreover, doubts about the willingness of 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, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i and Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
Chinese were recruited as constables and this went on until the early 1960s. The last European inspectorate officers joined in 1994. The first female inspector joined in 1949, followed by the first intake of WPCs in 1951 - currently about 14% of the force is female, holding all ranks between constable and assistant commissioner.
The 1950s saw the commencement of Hong Kong's 40 years rise to global eminence. Throughout this period the Hong Kong Police has successfully 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. The force also took over responsibility for manning the border from British forces in 1990-91. In the 1970s/80s large numbers of Vietnamese 'boat people' arrived in Hong Kong posing stiff challenges first for marine police who intercepted them, secondly for the officers who processed them and manned the dozens of camps in the territory and lastly for those who had to repatriate them before 1997.
The most serious challenge though has been civil disorder. In 1956 supporters of the China Nationalist movement defied government regulations to provide the pretext for the eruption of conflict with pro-Communist activists and sympathisers - serious disorder was suppressed by the force and British military. In 1966 Communist groups fanned the flames of riots which broke out over a price rise on the Star Ferry. Following this instance in spring 1967, at the time of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, left-wing workers instigated long and bloody riots. The Hong Kong Police lost ten men during the turmoil which saw a 10-month campaign of insurrection, bombing and murder
Hong Kong 1967 riots
The Hong Kong 1967 riots began in May 1967. They were caused by pro-communist leftists in Hong Kong, inspired by the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China , who turned a labour dispute into large scale demonstrations against British colonial rule. Demonstrators clashed violently...
. For its determined and successful efforts in suppressing this lengthy insurrection the Hong Kong Police were granted the "Royal" prefix in 1969. HRH Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
was appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to become the Commandant General of the Royal Hong Kong Police. The prefix was dropped at midnight on 1 July 1997 when China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, and the force reverted to the title 'Hong Kong Police'.
Despite loyal and steadfast service and efficiency levels which have grown steadily over 160 years life has not always been rosy. No administration anywhere in the world has ever been free of corruption in varying forms and severity. The spectre of corruption became really prominent in Hong Kong in the 1960s, the Hong Kong Police - as did almost every government department - experienced this and it peaked between 1962–74, involving officers of all ranks and ethnicities. Reasons? Motives and opportunities were many and varied, but chiefly - 'motives' (poor pay and worries about Red China invading and abolishing pensions), and 'opportunities' (Hong Kong was enjoying vibrant economic progress and its industrious, self-starter 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 'et al.' all had their own distinct methods of earning illicit income to boost meagre wages. The police were the offenders with the highest profile and took most opprobrium. It took the determined stance of Governor MacLehose together with Commissioner 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 the early 1980s 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 accountability. It would be foolish to deny that there are no corrupt practices in any police force worldwide, but in 1974 Hong Kong set an example to the world and for over 30 years the police in Hong Kong have been as clean as any force in the world - if not cleaner.
Whilst 99% of the 35,000 police force is Hong Kong Chinese, the overall establishment reflects the cosmopolitan nature of Hong Kong. Whilst the recruitment of Europeans ceased in 1994, as of September 2009, there are 185 Europeans in the force from inspector to assistant commissioner, and a handful of officers with Indian, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i, Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Singaporean
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysian heritage. Moreover, many Chinese officers have resided in countries such as Canada, USA, Australia and UK. New recruits have to satisfy basic academic and language requirements (read and write Chinese and speak fluent Cantonese) as well as be a permanent resident of the Hong Kong SAR.
Up until December 2004, when a year-round blue uniform was adopted the Hong Kong Police had two seasonal uniforms - a green/khaki (buff for women officers) summer uniform and a dark blue tunic for winter, with constables and sergeants wearing blue shirts and more senior staff wearing white ones.
Over the years, the proportion of Chinese staff within the Hong Kong Police, and the numbers of senior staff has increased, for many decades the senior leadership remained exclusively European, though this began to change in the 1970s, and from the first appointment in 1989, the Commissioner of Police (and his deputies) has been a local Chinese.
Responsibility for the prisons passed out of the control of the police in 1879, a separate fire brigade was formed in 1945, and the Hong Kong Police assumed responsibility for immigration and customs & excise duties until 1961 - although the boundary with mainland China is still manned by police and a very high percentage of smuggling interdicted at sea is carried out by marine police.