Two more years as top cop for Siu

Police commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee will serve another two years, despite reaching the retirement age of 57 on April 2.

Granting Siu an extension of service "is to facilitate a smooth transition of the senior management of the police force," a government spokesman said.

Siu was originally set to retire on April 1, a day before he turns 57 - the standard retirement age for directorate-ranked police officers. He will now serve until April 1, 2025.

He joined the force in 1988 as an inspector. Upon promotion to senior superintendent in 2007, he served as the deputy commander of Kwai Tsing District, and district commander of Airport District.

In 2013, he was promoted to chief superintendent and took over the command of the Kowloon City District and later assumed the post of chief superintendent, human resources branch, and personnel wing.

In January 2017, Siu was promoted to the assistant commissioner rank and was further promoted as the senior assistant commissioner in November 2018, taking up the post of director of operations.

He was appointed deputy commissioner of police (operations) in 2019.

In June 2021, Siu was appointed by the State Council as police commissioner upon nominations by then chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

He succeeded Chris Tang Ping-keung, who was appointed secretary for security - a position he still holds under Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.

Just a week after Siu became chief, a 28-year-old police constable was stabbed by Vitasoy merchandiser Leung Kin-fai on July 1, 2021.

The constable was stationed outside department store Sogo in Causeway Bay as police stepped up security across the city on the second day the national security law came into effect and on the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover.

The officer who sustained shoulder injuries was once in critical condition, but has recovered since.

Leung took his own life by stabbing himself in the chest with the same knife on the spot.

Siu rushed to Causeway Bay within an hour after the stabbing, later calling the incident a "lone-wolf terrorist attack."

Ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit for the handover anniversary last year, the force, headed by Siu, launched heavy security across the city.

Core security areas were set up in places Xi visited and passed, with drones banned across the city.

Police were on the highest alert in Wan Chai as many roads connecting to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre - where the inauguration and anniversary ceremony was held - were sealed off, as well as the Island Eastern Corridor toward Wan Chai north. They also set up barricades and stopped passing cars.

Before Siu and Tang, former police commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung had his tenure extended for one year when he reached the age of 57 in 2018.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com