LCQ19: Manpower of Police
8.2.2023

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Priscilla Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (February 8): Question: At the meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Security held on May 3 last year, the Secretary for Security stated that the vacancy rate of the Police stood at 18 per cent. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the respective wastage of officers of various ranks in the Police in each of the past three years, together with the percentages of such numbers in the total numbers of officers in the relevant ranks; (2) of the recruitment targets and recruitment situation of the Police in each of the past three years; (3) of the measures put in place by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) to slow down the pace of wastage of officers of various ranks; and (4) of the new initiatives of HKPF to attract members of the public to join the Police? Reply: President, The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has been adopting proactive strategies and measures to recruit and retain talents in order to meet its operational needs and services. My reply to the Member's question is as follows: (1) Over the past three years, the wastage and percentages of the total strength at the relevant ranks of the HKPF are tabulated below: 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 Wastage Wastage rate Wastage Wastage rate Wastage Wastage rate Superintendent or above 55 11.98% 46 9.94% 30 6.94% Inspector 97 3.85% 95 3.75% 84 3.52% Rank and File 1161 4.39% 834 3.21% 692 2.76% Total 1313 4.46% 975 3.37% 806 2.89% *The reasons of wastage include retirement, resignation, completion of agreement and death etc. (2) Over the past three years, the recruitment targets and recruitment numbers of the HKPF are tabulated below: Ranks Recruitment targets and numbers each year 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 Recruitment targets Recruitment numbers Recruitment targets Recruitment numbers Recruitment targets Recruitment numbers Inspector 195 169 225 158 195 170 Police constable 1 620 705 1 620 596 1 350 484 *Police Constable and Inspector ranks are recruited via open recruitment; Sergeant, Station Sergeant, Senior Inspector of Police, Chief Inspector of Police and Gazetted Officer ranks are promoted internally. (3) The HKPF has formulated detailed human resources and strategic plans to strengthen its efforts on recruitment, staff training and career development etc. Vacancies will be filled through recruitment, promotion and various extension of service measures. The implementation of the option for officers to choose to retire at the raised retirement age (Option) by the Civil Service Bureau in July 2018 allows officers appointed to the civil service on or after June 1, 2000, but before June 1, 2015, and are appointed on permanent terms under the Civil Service Provident Fund Scheme, regardless of their ranks, to choose to retire at the raised retirement age. Regarding the HKPF, the retirement age of police officers taking the Option will be raised to 60. Moreover, to meet the operational needs and long-term manpower challenges, the HKPF launched the Continued Service of Police Officers Beyond Prescribed Retirement Age Scheme in April 2021, allowing all serving police officers at non-directorate level, who joined the Government before June 1, 2000, to extend their service up to the age of 60. The HKPF will be able to retain more than 17 000 police officers in the coming 10 odd years through the implementation of these two strategies for retention of human resources. (4) The HKPF has been adopting proactive recruitment strategies based on the human resources situation in the market to attract high calibre candidates who possess the competence to become a police officer. The HKPF has disseminated recruitment and publicity information through various social media platforms, and has organised regular recruitment activities and projects, such as the Police Recruitment Experience and Assessment Day, Auxiliary Police Recruitment Express, Police Recruitment On-air, Police Mobile Recruitment Station, Police Mentorship Programme, Auxiliary Undergraduate Scheme, Project ACHIEVE, Police Recruitment Buddies Scheme, and education and careers expo etc. To facilitate university students joining the HKPF, the HKPF organised the Police University Recruitment Express at 11 local institutes between September and October 2022. Moreover, to recruit Hong Kong students in the Mainland and facilitate their early return to Hong Kong for foundation training after graduation, the HKPF sent a delegation in November 2022 to conduct the first Police University Recruitment Express (Mainland) at Jinan University and Huaqiao University in Guangdong Province and Fujian Province respectively. Recruitment information was introduced and on-site recruitment selection procedures were conducted. The HKPF established the Police Recruitment Centre in October 2022 to provide the public with a channel to learn more about police work and obtain recruitment information. It will also facilitate applicants by providing them with face-to-face consultation and experience session for selection process. The newly established Police Recruitment Centre provides multiple services, including on-site interview, making written examination or interview appointment, eye-sight test, handgrip strength test, recruitment-related enquiry service, virtual reality simulated experience of shooting, etc. Besides, the recruitment centre will arrange regular recruitment talks and police-related thematic exhibitions. The HKPF will continue to monitor the human resources situation, implement effective mechanism to formulate holistic plans and assess future manpower needs, and regularly review officers' establishment in order to meet the service needs of the community.