Since becoming the second local Commissioner in 1994, Mr Hui has smoothly steered the Force through one of its most challenging yet fruitful chapters, not to mention the mammoth historical significance of the 1997 Handover to Mainland sovereignty.

During his tenure he simultaneously garnered other historic titles such as being both the final CP of the Royal Hong Kong Police and the first one under the new Special Administrative Region Government. And all this while serving one of the longest ever tenures of any CP.

Despite all of these credits, he remains modest yet proud, not of his own personal standing during this exciting time of change, but of the people he commanded during it, the staff who were the catalyst of the work which saw the Force actually strengthen under the pressure.

"I am very proud to have commanded such a fine Force for so long. It has been a very important period in Hong Kong's time, and therefore the Force's," he said.

He described his tenure as having two distinct parts, the first three years concentrating on the Handover while the second half dealt with the economic crisis.

"With the Handover there were large manpower issues, particularly the departure of expatriate and other experienced officers. But the younger officers who took over did very well and I thank my predecessors for identifying and developing these officers quite early which allowed for the smooth transition," Mr Hui said.

"Meanwhile, we also had to make preparations for securing the Handover and for ensuring that under One Country-Two Systems we had a good relationship with our counterparts across the border. I went to Beijing and signed an agreement with authorities there stating that we would support each other."

Soon after the Handover, the economic crisis hit and the Enhanced Productivity Programme was one of its effects. Faced with the challenge of having to cut expenditure by five per cent over three years, Mr Hui set out some basic principals - the changes should bring no reduction in services to the public, no compulsory redundancies, and they should not, as far as possible, affect promotion prospects.

"So far with EPP One and Two we have managed to achieve these. I think in any high-profile job you would expect a lot of challenges. But getting through something like this is not the work of one person. I had help from many top people in the Force."

Mr Hui said as the initiatives came from the ground up, EPP implementation was made a lot easier, aided particularly by the garnering of staff views.

"If everything comes from the CP and is sent down through the ranks then there will be resistance. So I praise all the officers who worked on this highly-important issue and helped us pull through."

Coming into the job, one of the first things Mr Hui did was assume the chair of the Police Force Council, which he has since headed.

"I knew the importance of communication with staff, and I found this direct face-to-face approach very important and I have treasured their views. No doubt, this was the first pressing issue I faced in my appointment as CP."

With ever-increasing public expectations on how HK should be governed and policed, Mr Hui said Force cultural change in the 90s become very apparent. Through former Governor Chris Patten's 1994 commitment to developing a consumer-based culture in the civil service, the Force launched its service quality drive developing its vision statement of common purpose and values, and establishing Force-wide workshops such as Living-the-Values.

Public and staff opinion surveys were held to garner views on performance, and the Station Improvement Project was launched.

"All of these contributed to a better environment and improvements to morale. We have also encouraged healthy lifestyles and self learning, particularly the latter by granting loans and scholarships," Mr Hui said.

After a busy and fruitful 38 years, Mr Hui is now ready to put his feet up and do a little travelling on the Mainland.

"I would like to thank Force staff for their support and encouragement during my period as CP and I am really proud to have led such a fine Force, particularly through such an important and historical period of time. No matter what some critics may say, no one can deny that this Force is one of the world's best."

Force-wide respect: Departing CP Eddie Hui and scores of dedicated officers

A final inspection

The departure photo with senior officers

Eddie Hui conducts his final inspection of a Police parade

Bullet-proof dedication: A salute from the trusty Saxon armoured vehicle

Parting snap: A troop of reporters offer their goodbyes

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