HK police put under close watch

By Teddy Ng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-22 08:46

HONG KONG -- Police officers in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be more closely monitored to ensure they do not engage in crime, the region's police commissioner said Wednesday.

In a meeting with legislators and the media, Commissioner Tang King-shing said the force is highly concerned with the conduct of police officers despite a significant improvement in crime figures.

The public's concerns were raised after officer Leung Lai-chung was charged with raping a 19-year-old woman inside a police station on Nov 24 as she was reporting the loss of her purse.

Leung, 24, has also been charged with molesting three other girls and women aged 16 to 21, and is alleged to have used the police database to identify potential victims.

Tang said an integrity management committee will be set up at police headquarters to coordinate and review policies on officers' conduct.

Also, such officers will also be appointed to each police district to implement policies on moral values, he said.

Middle managers will be asked to closely monitor the behavior of officers and maintain records of anything that might be considered "unusual", Tang said.

Prior to the introduction of the new measures, senior officers will ensure they in no way compromise their colleagues' human rights, he said.

It is possible that in the future anyone who applies to become a police officer will be asked to undergo a psychological assessment, Tang said.

"The (assault) incident jeopardized the reputation of the police force," he said.

Any officer who commits a crime will feel the full weight of the law, he said.

While the total number of reported crimes fell last year, to 78,469 from 80,796 in 2007, increases were reported in nine types of crime.

The number of murder cases doubled to 36, most of which involved family disputes, while the number of serious narcotics offenses rose 7 percent to 2,966.

Last year, police also arrested 70 people who had attempted to carry a combined 30 kg of drugs into Hong Kong from the mainland, he said.

Hong Kong police also arrested 1,528 mainland visitors last year, up from 1,415 in 2007. Most were arrested for forgery and robbery, he said.