LCQ14: Police conduct joint exercises with different departments
22.4.2020

Following is a question by the Hon Claudia Mo and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (April 22): Question: Chi Ma Wan Correctional Institution and the adjacent Chi Sun Correctional Institution ceased operation in 2010. I have learnt that the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Correctional Services Department (CSD) parked a number of their vehicles in the vicinity of the aforesaid correctional institutions on the 5th of last month. In reply to my enquiry, HKPF confirmed that it had conducted a joint response exercise together with CSD at the aforesaid location on that day. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the following information on the aforesaid two correctional institutions since they ceased operation in 2010: (a) the government department(s) responsible for the management of them, and the amount of expenditure and manpower involved each year; (b) whether they have been on loan to government departments or public and private organisations; if so, set out, by date in a table, the following information: (i) the name of the government department or public and private organisation, (ii) the reason for the loan, and (iii) the number of persons using the premises; (c) whether they have been used for law enforcement purposes (such as detention of arrestees); if so, set out, by date in a table, the following information: (i) the name of the law enforcement agency, (ii) the purpose of use, and (iii) the number of persons involved; and (d) whether they have been used to store the vehicles, ammunition or accoutrements of the HKPF; (2) of the details of the aforesaid joint response exercise, including (i) the purpose and (ii) the respective numbers of officers deployed by various government departments to participate in the exercise; and (3) of the respective numbers of joint response exercises that the HKPF co-ordinated and joined in each of the past five years, and set out the following information by date: (i) the location, (ii) the purpose, and (iii) the respective numbers of officers deployed by various government departments to participate in the exercise? Reply: President, Law and order is the bedrock of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Our disciplined services have been discharging their duties, striving for excellence, maintaining the law and order, upholding justice and serving members of the public. My reply to Hon Claudia Mo's question is as follows: (1) & (2) On March 5, the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) and the Correctional Services Department (CSD) conducted a joint exercise at Chi Ma Wan Correctional Institution (CMWCI) and Chi Sun Correctional Institution (CSCI). The joint exercise is a regular training, aiming to enhance the readiness and capabilities of the Police and the CSD in handling emergency situations together. Section 10 of the Police Force Ordinance (Cap 232) stipulates that the duties of the police force include taking lawful measures for preserving the public peace, preventing and detecting crimes and offences, as well as preventing injury to life and property, etc. To strengthen police officers' abilities in responding to highly volatile situations, the Police will regularly arrange trainings at different locations and conduct joint exercises to test and strengthen the responsiveness and co-ordination capabilities of different departments, as well as accessing the effectiveness of relevant contingency plans. CMWCI and CSCI ceased operation in 2010. The CSD uses the two vacant institutions for internal scenario-based training, tactical exercises and contingency training, etc. The management of the two correctional institutions is part of the routine management work of Tong Fuk Correctional Institution, and the CSD does not maintain a breakdown of the relevant manpower and expenditure. In the past five years (2015-2019), CMWCI and CSCI had been on loan by the CSD to other disciplined services (the Police and the Customs and Excise Department) on 24 occasions for operational and training purposes, details of which are at Annex. The CSD does not keep a record of the number of participating personnel in other disciplined services in those occasions. Apart from the above-mentioned purposes, the two institutions have not been used for other purposes or as warehouses for storing supplies. (3) In the past five years (2015-2019), the Police conducted a total of 402 counter-terrorism and major incident contingency exercises, most of which were joint exercises with the participation of other government departments and public organisations. These large-scale joint exercises usually include handling of major incidents, intelligence gathering and analysis, as well as simulation of serial terrorist attacks. These exercises aim to test the responsiveness and contingency plans of participating government departments and organisations, enhancing their co-ordination and responsiveness in light of the experience gained, as well as heightening public vigilance through relevant education and publicity efforts. The Police do not maintain the breakdown requested in the question other than the number of exercises.