Eight task forces prepared for any potential handover attack

Eight police task forces have been preparing for the approaching 25th handover anniversary celebrations since early last year to guard against lone-wolf attacks, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee revealed.

In an interview with The Standard's sister publication Sing Tao Daily, the 56-year-old police chief said the task forces led by deputy police commissioner for operations Albert Yuen Yuk-kin have been collaborating on security efforts for the handover celebrations.

He said the force will deploy all possible manpower on July 1 to ensure people can enjoy the events in a safe environment.

Based on experiences overseas, he said, the risk of a terrorist attack is much higher on a major date such as the handover anniversary, when a new administration term will also start.

Siu said the force is well prepared, including having armor such as six China-made "saber-toothed" vehicles to replace ones that had been used for years.

Asked how the force can prevent lone-wolf attacks like one incident on July 1 last year when a man stabbed a policeman in the chest in Causeway Bay, Siu said his colleagues will stay vigilant at all times.

He said plainclothes officers will also be patrolling across the city, stopping and searching anyone they find suspicious.

Siu said the force has conducted 18 anti-terrorism drills over the past year.

Some were conducted in shopping malls and MTR stations, with security guards and MTR staff participating in the drills.

The operations strengthened public knowledge of anti-terrorism efforts and taught people how they could help and support police.

Looking back, Siu said the city has gone through many ups and downs over the past 25 years, including the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003, the anti-fugitive bill unrest in 2019 and the continuing Covid pandemic.

But all hurdles have been overcome.

Hong Kong last year recorded 64,428 crimes - down 27 percent on 1991's 88,659. Among them, violent crime was down 51 percent, murder 75 percent, robbery 98 percent and burglary 89 percent.

But the number of scams and frauds have risen nearly 12 times over, which Siu said was a result of internet and IT development.

He said officers are highly concerned about scams, with some fraudsters posing as mainland police.

And over 8,000 officers have used the Beat App, which can scan Hong Kong ID cards and has shortened stop-and-search operations from up to five minutes to around one minute.

He said another application of technology was the use of e-fine tickets for illegal parking, reducing chances of human error than handwritten ones.

He thanked officers for taking active roles in anti-pandemic work, which included helping transport patients and also the dead.

Siu cited the latest public opinion survey showing police scored 52.3 out of 100. He described that as a satisfactory level, being the highest since anti-fugitive protests broke out in June 2019.

He hopes to attract more youngsters to join the police force while also lowering crime prevalence through an influx of new blood.

The force has suffered from a brain drain since a "retirement wave" in 2017, he said, adding it occurred amid competition from other disciplined forces, which were also actively recruiting officers to support the establishment of new infrastructure.

Despite that, the number of university participants in the Police Mentorship Program has been rising in recent years, and the figure reached 293 this year - the highest in five years.

Siu added that the force has been renewing its recruitment strategy, such as introducing five officers as "recruitment ambassadors" to promote and organize the Recruitment and Exercise Assessment Day this month.

"University students who used to hold biased views against the police force changed their impressions of us after meeting with officers," he said. "They promised to tell their fellows the truth."

He added that there are many positions in the force in calling on youngsters to sign up and serve society.

Siu shared his thoughts on youth crime, saying: "Even one case is considered too many."

Although the number of youngster-related crimes has decreased significantly in the first quarter this year, he added, many were fooled into crime.

He cited the case of a 15-year-old girl sentenced to 17.5 years in prison due to smuggling drugs to drive home his point.

He said police are collaborating with the Education Bureau and others to produce a series of short videos to consolidate youngsters' legal awareness. The videos will be distributed in schools to "save as many students as possible."