Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming announced that following years of effort, the college was granted degree-awarding status by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, making it the first government department in the SAR to achieve such accreditation.
The Commissioner made the announcement at the Hong Kong Police College passing-out parade today while celebrating the graduation of 28 probationary inspectors and 120 police constables entering the force and community service.
Commissioner Chow detailed the newly accredited program, titled the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Security and Criminal Investigation, is designed primarily for junior police officers without prior degree qualifications. The fully subsidized course takes approximately three to four years to complete.
The curriculum combines foundational instruction, standard criminal investigation training, practical assignments in frontline uniform patrol or criminal investigation, language studies, and a final capstone project. Expected to launch around the end of this year, the degree will qualify graduates to pursue master's-level studies, with further public briefings scheduled soon.
Regarding overall force recruitment, Chow noted that the police have successfully hired 30 probationary inspectors and 362 constables in the 2026–2027 financial year.
To build on this momentum, the police will launch recruitment initiatives throughout September and October.
The Local University Recruitment Express will visit 11 universities across Hong Kong, while recruitment teams will also travel to Jinan University in Guangzhou and Huaqiao University in Fujian to engage Hong Kong students studying in mainland China.
Furthermore, a new arrangement allows four-year university students to take the probationary inspector written examination in their second year; those who pass and meet all standards during their third year will receive conditional offers to facilitate early career planning prior to graduation.
