Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said on Sunday that reinforcement works at Wang Fuk Court will resume tomorrow with stringent new security protocols, following the suspension of the project over a suspected HK$90,000 jewelry theft.
The remarks came after police arrested three construction workers on Thursday on suspicion of stealing jewelry while they were carrying out reinforcement works at the site.
Chow said the authorities will deploy additional police manpower to strengthen control in the vicinity of Wang Fuk Court.
Workers will be provided with lockers to store their personal belongings, and are now prohibited from bringing more than HK$500 in cash into the building.
Furthermore, before workers enter any unit, police officers will conduct a preliminary inspection to record any valuables left out. Officers will also remain stationed inside the flat throughout the duration of the works.
Upon leaving, workers will be subject to a body search, utilizing equipment such as metal detectors, to ensure no items are unlawfully removed from the premises.
Chow said authorities are conducting a review into whether the theft involved any oversight, stressing that disciplinary action will not be ruled out if negligence is discovered.
Additionally, police have received 81 reports from Wang Fuk Court residents expressing concern about the security of their units, with one of these reports involving the suspected fraudulent use of a credit card.
Chow advised residents who may have left credit cards in their units during the reinforcement period to contact their banks immediately to suspend the accounts and request replacement cards.
