Description
After the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, the Hong Kong Police Force was localised gradually. In 1989, Mr. Li Kwan-ha became the first ethnic Chinese officer to be appointed as Commissioner of Police.
Since the establishment of the Hong Kong Police Force in 1844, the senior officers had been mostly British. The arrangements for Hong Kong’s reunification with the motherland became clear after 1984. It was agreed between Britain and China that the Force should be under the command of the Chinese in Hong Kong after the handover in 1997.
In the early 1960s, many young Chinese joined the Force as Probationary Inspectors. By the mid-1980s, many of these officers had risen through the management level and were gradually promoted to the senior management of the Force. In 1995, the recruitment of expatriate inspectors officially came to an end. The career development and prospects of local Chinese police officers have continued to improve.
Mr. Li Kwan-ha joined the Force as a Probationary Sub-Inspector in 1957 at the age of 20. He was sent to the United Kingdom for further studies in 1968. He was promoted to Superintendent in 1971, Assistant Commissioner in 1979, and Commissioner in 1989.
During his 37 years of service in the Force, Mr. Li Kwan-ha set a number of “Chinese firsts” including being the first ethnic Chinese to be Senior Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner. Mr. Li retired in 1994 and passed away on 23 January 2017.
