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On par for retirement
 Fore!: RC KE T.K. Chan takes five to warm up a 9-iron |
Veteran crime-buster Chan Tit-kin relinquishes his final post as Kowloon East Regional Commander on January 26, to grab his clubs and head for the golfing green.
The avid swinger has spent 26 of his 35-year Force career in Crime formations and recently spoke to OffBeat offering his reflections on some of the more interesting chapters of the 'T.K.' tenure.
The former chairman of both the Local Inspectors' Association and the Police Golfing Society, Mr Chan joined the Force in 1964 and said that since, "Everyday has been a special day".
"I am married to two things," he says with a smile. "My wife and the Force." Joining the then Criminal Investigation Department just after the 1967 riots, he said he'd since witnessed a wealth of developments in the Police, including the weeding out of corruption.
"I was at Crime Headquarters, the Detective Training School, then I moved to what was then called the Triad Society Bureau before going out to the Districts like Tsuen Wan and the then Yau Ma Tei which has since become Yau Tsim District.
"And it was in a very odd position when I was there in about 1977-78 as the head of CID. The Independent Commission Against Corruption had only just been formed and the formation had well over 100 officers under interdiction over the notorious 'Fruit Market' drugs case. Some committed suicide, some were dismissed and some were allowed to retire."
Promoted to Superintendent and transferred to the then Kowloon Regional HQ, Mr Chan recalled an armed robbery on his first day there, in which one of the culprits was shot. However, the weapon turned out to be fake.
"The robber recovered and served his sentence and about 13 years later I dealt with a kidnapping case of a solicitor. One of the culprits arrested remembered me straight away. He turned out to be the same guy who was shot.
"I didn't even recognise him as he'd almost doubled his previous size," Mr Chan recalled.
 Acting CP Peter Wong presents a retirement gift to Mr Chan |
He served as Deputy Commandant of the Police Training School before taking over the Organised Crime and Triad Group (which in those days included the Criminal Intelligence Bureau) amid a plague of armed robberies and luxury car thefts in the early 90's.
It was during this time that one of his strongest memories evolved - that of Yip Kai-foon's string of goldsmith robberies and the changes to Police policy which Mr Chan said they helped bring about.
After the flurries of gunfire exchange, a regulation revamp upgraded Force ammunition and firearms training, he said.
"It is cases like these which strike me the most - the co-operation between units was really so great and I really felt like I was a member of a really big family."
Other improvements over the years have been the Force's relationship with the public and co-operation with other law-enforcement agencies around the world, particularly the Mainland.
"The Force has changed a lot - our attitude is not confrontational but understanding. Before it was tackling crime, now we're a service provider. And I think what will seriously impact crime in the coming years will be the closeness of co-operation between Hong Kong and police in our neighbourhood."
The hard slog through the ranks has paid off in many ways for T.K., with commendations and overseas assignments. His numerous plaudits include a commendation from former Governor Sir Edward Youde in 1984 for his investigation of a kidnapping case which involved explosives and firearms. "I don't know what would've happened if I had not joined the Force. Perhaps I would have tried a few other jobs and then gone on to join the Force anyway!"
However, after helping cut crime it's time to drive golf balls down the fairway as he goes on pre-retirement leave at the end of the month.