Hong Kong Police Crime Rate on the Rise, Force Declines to Disclose Detail Figures

Riot police deploy pepper spray toward journalists on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China as protesters gathered for a rally against the new National Security Law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Dale De La Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

Evidence that crime committed by Hong Kong police has become more prevalent. There are even cases of such criminal activities which took place during the execution of their official duties.

The latest figures from the Hong Kong Police Force indicate that in 2022 there were 42 permanent police officers arrested for suspected crimes. However, when being asked for more details, such as what specific crimes were involved, whether they were suspended from duty, found guilty/sentenced or not, or if there was an internal penalty imposed and the like, the reply is simply “there is no such record filed within the Force” to all the requested figures.

One case involves a suspected burglary inside a victim’s residence during official duty. Early in April, a break-in case was reported by the owner of a luxury villa in Sheung Shui. The owner first reported a loss worth HK$730,000 (US$93,000) of personal belongings, including cash, watches, and jewelry, among others. Officers arrived at the scene to investigate after receiving the call for help. After the officers left, the owner found an iPad had disappeared. Through the “Find My” function inherent in the device, he was able to identify the Fanling residence of one of the officers investigating his break-in case a few days earlier.

Officers from the Tai Po Regional Crime Unit went the next day to the suspected officer’s residence to search but to no avail. However, a security guard there reported finding one iPad in the courtyard. Moreover, one gold necklace and one gold wrist chain were found in the suspect’s residence totaling HK$20,000 (US$2,550). After follow-up, it was found these items belonged to the deceased wife of the owner of another break-in case reported last December 2022. The owner thought they were all items taken away by the burglar(s) at the time. A 29-year-old police officer was arrested on suspicion of stealing and is also suspended from duty.

Officer Attempted Stealing of Mobile Phone from a Roadside Drunkie

Another case of crime by police officers involves a 56-year-old off-duty policeman. At midnight on April 8, this officer was found attempting to steal the mobile phone of a roadside drunk. He was caught at the scene by the Special Task Unit officers and was arrested for attempted theft, and was later suspended from duty.

In addition, on May 21, 2022, a policewoman was accused of stealing an item from a fashion shop in Tsim Sha Tsui. She was accused of stealing a Prada hat worth HK$5,670 (US$720). The trial started last month, and she denied all such theft acts. According to the shop manager’s testimony, as soon as the defendant was caught on site, she pleaded “to be given a second chance.”

Plain Clothes Officer Committed Offence While on Duty

Another similar case involving one 53-year-old officer committing a crime “while on duty” has been duly sentenced recently. The officer was accused, in May 2022, of deliberately pointing a mobile phone intolerably close to a 33-year-old lady Y’s mini-skirt and was only stopped by other passers-by. During the subsequent investigation, he was found to possess two video clips. One lasts 66 seconds with closeups of the lady’s thighs, and the other 61 seconds clip has closeup shots of the chest of another 38-year-old lady, both taken during the on-duty hours of the officer.

The defendant admitted acting indecently in public, as well as loitering, causing other people’s distress, and was sentenced to four weeks imprisonment.

The magistrate in charge commented that the case was a serious incident. The accused had completely betrayed the trust the public has in the police force.

Off-Duty Officer Suspected of Sexual Miss Conduct

Another recent offense case circulating in public involves a 31-year-old surnamed Luk, a member of the West Kowloon Emergency Unit (EU). While off duty in March, Luk was suspected of obtaining the convenience of illegal sexual intercourse through the use of drugs. According to the information available, on March 15, one 28-year-old male surnamed Au accompanied a mainland Chinese male to the Kowloon Hotel. The mainland Chinese was suspected of being given GHB (gamma-butyrolactone) and was sexually assaulted. It was claimed that Luk went there later and committed the assault too. Subsequent police investigations believed Luk and Au knew each other and were permanent “friends with benefits (FWB).”

Moreover, Au was later investigated for another similar case involving the death of a victim, which made this case of Luk receive even more attention from the public.

Cases of PCs in Money Laundering, Speeding Causing Fatality

There are also recent ongoing and/or finished cases involving HK police. A more serious case is about a police officer utilizing various bank accounts to facilitate suspected money laundering between 2019 to 2021 for a total of more than HK$6.24 million (US$800,000). A 29-year-old police officer Kwong Kar-kit was accused, during the said one-and-a-half year, of manipulating the accounts with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), ZA Bank Ltd. (a virtual bank), and two with Bank of China (BOC), to obtain benefits from criminal gains, and was charged with six counts of money laundering. He is granted bail and the case is adjourned until May 30.

Another case of high severity involves an off-duty officer. In 2018, the officer was driving along Tai Po Highway at a speed of 130 to 150 km/h (81 to 93 mph), resulting in a head-on collision and the death of a motorcyclist while changing lanes at that high speed. The accused was found guilty of dangerous driving, causing the death of other people, and was sentenced to 33 months in jail and with his driving license suspended for five years. In addition, he has to take a course to improve his driving technique.

The Epoch Times tried to reach the Police for inquiries on how many officers were arrested due to criminal offenses between 2017/18 and 2022/23. It replied that in 2022 there were a total of 42 permanent police officers arrested. On the questions about the number of persons suspended during the same period or whether it is compulsory to be suspended after being charged with criminal offenses, there has been no reply from the police force until press time.

When the Epoch Times asked the number of police officers suspected of committing crimes on or off duty (regardless of whether they were found guilty or not) from 2017/18 to 2022/23, the police said they do not archive any such figures.

Cases of Discipline in 2022/23 Exceed Previous Two Years

However, according to inquiries from LegCo members on expenses of “2022/23 Budget,” the police department replied that during 2022 (until Dec. 31, 2022), 16 people were discharged from duty, “dismissed and forced retirement,” 55 people were given “other penalties,” such as demotion, seriously condemned, condemned, fined, verbal warning and written warning and the like. And there are 148 people subject to “simplified disciplinary actions,” which include verbal warnings, written warnings, and admonitions.

The above “discharged from duty” figure doubled in 2020/21. In 2021/22, 23 people suffered the same fate. In the “other penalties” category, so far, it has exceeded both 2020/21 (34) and 2021/22 (21). On the “simplified disciplinary actions,” there were 109 and 79 in the last two years.

Police Do Not Keep Figures of Officers That Committed Crime

The Epoch Times refers to the details obtained from the Civil Service Bureau’s report to LegCo of 2013 and prior. With the finer subdivision on what the civil servants’ penalties on hand, it made one more approach to the police department on how many police officers are sanctioned on criminal offenses (regardless of whether found guilty or not) from 2017/18 to 2022/23, and requested data on punishment categories, including verbal warning, written warning, condemnation, condemnation plus fine, severe censure, severe condemnation plus fine, demotion, forced retirement, discharge of a duty or other categories. But so far, the reply from the police is it does not archive any such relevant data.

According to the document supplied to LegCo by the Civil Service Bureau, there is also a clear subdivision of civil servants’ criminal offenses and the related discharge of duty details. The Epoch Times inquired about the number of police officers who committed criminal crimes and were ultimately found guilty from 2017/18 to 2022/23. However, the police department replied, “no such figures are available.”

Reiterates Emphasis on Officers’ Behavior After Repeated Offenses

In response to the Epoch Times inquiry on whether the department has other codes of behavior, apart from the strict penalty clauses, to the officers to help reduce their chance of criminal offenses, the Police replied that since May 2020, it had established one “Integrity Audit Action Group,” with the aim at investigating in suspicion of actions breaching disciplinary code, or even breaching the law; to realize potential risks in daily work proceedings, and to improve it; as well as enhancing supervision of officer’s conduct and improve the system of integrity in general.

The department pointed out that with the group up and running, it expects the integrity of the police force would be further enhanced to intensify its integrity culture and avoid indiscreet behavior, to maintain the confidence of the public toward the force.