Violent knife crime has not increased, despite recent attacks, says Chris Tang

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said the police’s anti-crime efforts have been effective as only 64 knife-related wounding cases were recorded in the first five months of this year, down from the same period in the past two years. 

Responding to lawmakers’ questions in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Tang said the annual number of knife-related wounding cases ranged between 176 and 243 over the past three years. 

He believed the situation of citizens wounding others with knives hadn't worsened. 

The cases were mostly related to disputes and domestic violence, and many occurred in districts with a higher flow of people, like Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po. 

Tang added Hong Kong saw more crimes in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in the last year primarily because of an increase in scams. He also said there were fewer traditional crimes last year during the Covid-19 era. 

Tang went on to say that police officers were less likely to go on patrol in shopping malls to avoid allegations that they were “enjoying the air-conditioning” instead of doing their job. 

He said police had strengthened patrol in malls and public transport interchanges by allocating traffic cops and marine police officers to those areas. 

Detectives would also be wearing vests labeled POLICE to show high-profile patrols. 

The government would continue to raise citizens’ anti-crime awareness, the security chief said as he called on property management staffers and cabbies to report suspicious encounters.