This year marks the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Police Force. In face of unprecedented social challenges, the Force is constantly making immense effort to bring the unrest under control. The new Commissioner of Police, Mr Tang Ping-keung, rises to challenges and has identified four major priorities as "Restore order; Improve competence; Empower officers; Gather support."
 

"It is my lifetime honour to assume the role as the Commissioner of Police and continue to contribute my service to maintain the law and order of Hong Kong together with my fellow colleagues. This comes with a sense of responsibility and commitment. The Force is facing unprecedented challenges as lawless rioters are ruthlessly attacking the rule of law. As the Commissioner of Police, I pledge to leverage on the knowledge and wisdom of 'Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty' acquired by the Force over the past 175 years to lead the Force. It is of utmost importance to deal with the current challenge and restore social order," the Commissioner said.

"It is the duty of the Police to fight crime and uphold law and order, with determination to end violence and bring criminals to justice. The prosperity and stability of Hong Kong is at stake, with rioters attempting to threaten the lives of police officers. But we must persevere, be fearless and give our all while we perform our duties to uphold law and order and quell the riots," he added.

Natural disasters are unpredictable. The Force, together with other government departments and organisations, adhere to standard mechanisms when handling catastrophes. The Commissioner pointed out that the Force was not fighting alone - as demonstrated during the passage of super typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. With effective cooperation among various parties, it was possible to restore social order within a short period of time.

Recently, radical protesters have adopted tactics very similar to those used by terrorists, including the use of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. Such threats cannot be ignored.

The Commissioner further explained, "The Force will regularly review and strengthen our resilience, enrich public knowledge of the risk of disasters and terrorist attacks, and reinforce communications between different government departments and stakeholders. This is to ensure society as a whole is well prepared for major incidents or terrorist attacks, take necessary precautions and be competent in handling emergencies."

The Commissioner thought that it was very important to render full support to frontline officers. He said, "The Force is at the forefront of law enforcement and safeguarding the society. Officers are under growing pressure in daily operations and their family members are facing threats at the same time. Our officers are our most important assets. We will strive to protect the safety of our officers and their family members, to ensure officers are free of worries at work, and secure the dignity in policing at the same time.

He promised to fight for additional manpower and continue to employ retired colleagues to take up appropriate roles in the Force so as to alleviate stress and concerns amongst officers. "I will also fight proactively for the welfare and protection that police officers are entitled to, and continue to improve the use of technology to minimise unnecessary work procedures and non-essential jobs."

Apart from operational arrangements, standing in solidarity and gathering support are also the key elements of building a good law enforcement environment.

He said, "Majority of the Hong Kong citizens are law-abiding and support the Force in law enforcement. We must restore social order and re-establish the sense of security in Hong Kong so that citizens will regain confidence to live in this city. Public recognition forms the basis of a good law enforcement environment, which is why the Force must continue to unite capabilities from all walks of life and bring together social trust and support."

"There is a difficult mission ahead. As long as we work closely together, we can definitely overcome the difficulties and challenges, restore stability to Hong Kong, and pave the way for new periods of prosperity," the Commissioner said.