In late January, our colleagues in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau (EOD) of the Hong Kong Police Force were called out twice and carried out unprecedented operations in which two wartime bombs, weighing 1 000 pounds each, were defused in the space of five days. The AN-M65 bombs, used by the United States forces during World War II, were found separately over a couple of days on a construction site of the Shatin to Central Link in Wan Chai.

The Chief Secretary for Administration (CS), Mr Cheung Kin-chung, visited the EOD on February 2 to express his gratitude to the frontline bomb disposal experts and listened to their accounts of the risks and difficulties of the operations.

Mr Cheung said, "The explosives unearthed were powerful and could cause mass destruction if detonated. The task of defusing them was dangerous and arduous, and no mistake was allowed in the process." The EOD staff worked overnight in the cold and safely defused the two devices under unstable weather conditions in 26 and 24 hours respectively.

"Thanks to the professionalism of the police force and the co-operation of the community, we successfully resolved the crises that occurred in the city centre, with no casualties caused."

On February 3 , CS attended a passing-out parade at the Hong Kong Police College which saw 273 newly graduated police officers take their first strides to start a career in maintaining law and order and serving the public.

"Our police force, a top-notch professional team taking responsibility to combat crime and protect life and property, has safeguarded the stable development of Hong Kong and made it a safe place in which to live and work. Hong Kong has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the safest cities in the world," he stressed.

He added that according to the Rule of Law Index 2017 released by the World Justice Project in January, Hong Kong ranked the fourth out of 113 countries and regions worldwide in "Order and Security".

"This is largely attributable to the sterling efforts and immense contribution of our police force. They make Hong Kong proud," he said.