Showing papers in "The Political Quarterly in 1982"

Who are the police

Abstract: THE POLICE The Hong Kong Police Force has distinguished itself as one of the oldest, yet most modern, police forces in the world. Formed in 1844, the Force evolved from an extremely broad-based role, embracing such matters as fire-fighting, prisons and immigration, to that of a traditional police service. As at April 30, 2016, the Force had a strength of 28 705, of which 15.9 per cent are women officers. It also has a backup of 4 253 civilian staff. The Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (HKAPF) was originally formed in 1914 as a reserve to assist in times of natural disaster or civil emergency. As at April 30, 2016, the HKAPF comprises 3 380 volunteer citizens. The role of the Auxiliary Police has changed over time to keep pace with the changing environment. It is now a trained manpower reserve in support of the regular Force and is deployed in accordance with prevailing operational priorities as determined by the Commissioner of Police. Police in Hong Kong operate within the traditional constabulary concept of preserving life and property, preventing and detecting crime and keeping the peace, with a strong emphasis on enlisting community support. In times of emergency, the Force has a paramilitary capability. Structure: The Force is commanded by the Commissioner of Police who is assisted by two Deputy Commissioners. One Deputy Commissioner supervises all operational matters and the other is responsible for the direction and coordination of the management of the Force, including personnel, training and management services. The Force Headquarters is made up of five Territories South and Marine. The Regions are largely autonomous in their day-today operation and management matters, and each has its own headquarters which comprises administration and operations wings, and traffic and criminal investigation units. Each Region is divided into Districts and Divisions and in a few cases, Subdivisions. Currently there are 23 Districts. The policing of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the main towns of the New Territories follows a similar pattern. Responsibility for law and order on the railway system, which runs through several Police Districts, is vested in the Railway District. The Marine Police, with a fleet of 124 police craft, patrols some 1 651 km 2 of waters within Hong Kong and 261 outlying islands. By adopting the Versatile Maritime Policing Response (VMPR) strategy, which integrates technologically advanced surveillance and radar systems and deployment of high performance craft, the …