In his foreword for the annual report, Commissioner Tang King-shing said: "we played host to the Olympic Torch Relay in May, followed by the Equestrian Events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games in August and September."

Speaking of the crime situation in 2008, Mr Tang pointed out that an overall crime rate of 1,123 cases per 100,000 residents and a 45.6 per cent detection rate continued to accurately reflect Hong Kong's status as one of the safest major cities in the world.

Looking ahead, Mr Tang further pointed out that 2009 would clearly be another busy and challenging year for the Force. He noted: "We will continuously monitor and review the impact of the global financial crisis, both locally and internationally, to ensure that the Force is well prepared to respond to developing law and order issues in a prudent and professional manner. The Force will also be heavily engaged in facilitating activities connected with a number of significant anniversaries of local and national interests as well as hosting the East Asian Games in December. Furthermore, we are committed to overseeing the successful implementation of a wide range of new legislation, including various initiatives related to road safety and the Independent Police Complaints Committee Ordinance."

Copies of the Review have been distributed to Formations.