POLICE MUSEUM
Group Photograph of Hong Kong Police Detectives in 1916 and Detective Badges
Featured Exhibits

Description

Since its formal establishment the Hong Kong Police Force has always had criminal investigation officers. Initially, these officers were part of the Uniform Branch rather than a dedicated department. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was not founded until 1923. Its offices were located in the then Police Headquarters (later known as the Central Police Station, and the revitalised “Tai Kwun” nowadays).

In the 1920s and 1930s, CID officers carried the Hong Kong Police Detective Badge, also known as the “undercover badge”. On the badge is the crown stamped “G.R.”. The first letter is usually the first letter of the monarch’s name: G stands for then George V, and R is for the Latin word “Rex (King)” or “Regina (Queen)”.

After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, the Mainland plunged into a rough and tumble amongst warlords. This caused a deterioration in law and order in the neighbouring provinces and an increase in crime that put Hong Kong in peril. This prompted the Hong Kong Police Force to establish the CID to cope with increasing crime and also to provide enhanced training for its officers. At the time, a number of senior detectives were sent for training to prestigious criminal investigation training institutions around the world, including Scotland Yard in Britain. Today, the Detective Training Centre, under the School of Specialised Learning of the Hong Kong Police College, is responsible for the detective training in the Force. The Centre was converted from the former Lei Muk Shue Police Station in 2014, and advanced technology such as three-dimensional (3D) penetration and interactive computerised scenario simulations have been introduced to assist in training.

CID officers were called different names at different times: from “undercover officers”, meaning officers who concealed their identities, to “plainclothes officers” because they wore civilian clothes on duty. Since the 1950s they had been called “miscellaneous officers” and their offices were called “miscellaneous rooms”. In the 1980s and 1990s they were called CIDs, the acronym for Criminal Investigation Department or Detectives, in English. These days, the official title of Crime Officers is “Detectives”.

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Photographs of the Old Water Police Station with the Old Rudder

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The First Plague Medal

In 1894, Hong Kong’s health and security were put to the test when bubonic plague broke

Special Constable Armband in World War II

The Special Constable system was introduced in 1886, when the Peace Preservation Ordinance was passed to allow

「The Tiger of Sheung Shui」

In the early days of Hong Kong, tigers were often found in the New Territories. Tiger hunting was one of the police duties.

Reserve Police Armband

World War I broke out in 1914. Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August of the same year.

The MacIntosh Collection

Duncan William MacIntosh became Commissioner of Police in 1946, shouldering the important responsibility

The MacIntosh Observation Posts (Forts) Model

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Former Female Searcher’s Badge, Passing-Out Photographs of the First Intake of Female Police Officers and Female Police Officers’ Equipment

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Dog Handler’s Arm Badge

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Old-Fashioned Telephone Switchboard for Use in 999 Emergency Communication Systems

Before World War II, there was no radio communication system between the Police Headquarters

Crime Scene Evidence Collection Kit in the Last Century

As early as the Zhou Dynasty in China in the 11th century B.C., fingerprints were already regarded as

Old Style Riot Helmets and Shields

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Old Style Traffic Police Helmet and Motorcycle with a Sidecar

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Bomb Disposal Vehicle and Bomb Suit in the 1970s

Bombs detonated during the many riots in Hong Kong before the 1970s caused deaths and injuries

Royal Hong Kong Police Cadet School's “Best All Round Cadet” Plaque

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Communication Equipment in Different Eras

To provide a prompt and effective service to 999 emergency callers,

Vietnamese Boat People’s Weapons and Coracle

Beginning in the mid-1970s, an influx of Vietnamese boat people disturbed

Photographs and Collection of Mr. Li Kwan-ha

After the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984

Bravery under a Hail of Bullets

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Police Badges of Past Generations

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Stockholm Challenge Award

Protective Gear for the Police Tactical Unit in 2005

The Force's 175th Anniversary Special Stamps and Open Day Tickets

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Operation TIDERIDER Medal

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