LCQ5: Recruitment of police officers

Following is a concern by the Hon Edmund Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (January 10):

Concern:

On May 5 in 2015, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) unwinded the entry requirements for hire cops constables, probationary inspectors and auxiliary authorities constables, consisting of the elimination of the minimum height and weight requirements and the intro of the Recruit Police Constable Written Examination (Written Examination) to offer candidates who do not have Level 2 or above in English Language and Chinese Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination or comparable an alternative method to satisfy the language efficiency requirements. In this connection, will the Government notify this Council:

(1) of the particular varieties of candidates for hire cops constables, probationary inspectors and auxiliary authorities constables every month given that the relaxation of the aforementioned entry requirements and, amongst them, the particular varieties of candidates who were needed to go to the Written Examination and those who had a pass;

(2) whether, after the elimination of the height and weight requirements, it has actually observed a decrease in the physical conditioning of the students trained at the Hong Kong Police College as compared to previous students; if so, whether HKPF will make changes to the physical training programs to boost the physical efficiency of the students; and

(3) as it has been reported that HKPF has just recently sent out 2 delegations to Beijing and Shanghai to perform recruitment activities to get applications from Hong Kong trainees in the Mainland who have an interest in signing up with the Police Force, of the reaction to the recruitment; whether HKPF will think about sending out personnel to abroad areas to perform recruitment; if so, of the information?

Reply:

President,

The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has actually been embracing proactive recruitment methods to bring in high calibre prospects who have the skills to end up being a policeman, the love for the Motherland and Hong Kong, and the enthusiasm to serve the general public, so that the Force can continue to show its expert ability and preserve Hong Kong as one of the best cities worldwide.

The HKPF frequently evaluates its recruitment policy to guarantee that the entry requirements are updated while the HKPF’s competitiveness in the personnels market is preserved. Considering that the style of gas mask has actually been enhanced to allow spectacled cops officers to utilize it, frontline officers can now bring out their responsibilities with their eyeglasses without impacting their functional physical fitness. After evaluating many of the posts in the HKPF, it is validated that authorities officers who require to use eyeglasses or contact lenses can release their tasks without jeopardizing their functional efficiency.

With impact from May 5, 2023, the HKPF has actually changed the entry requirements. For the positions of cops constable (consisting of auxiliary cops constable) and probationary inspector, the minimum height and weight requirements have actually been eliminated to line up with other disciplined services. Candidates are likewise permitted to pass the visual skill test with using eyeglasses or contact lenses, while the requirement for colour understanding test stays the same. For the position of cops constable (consisting of auxiliary authorities constable), candidates might select to sit for a Recruit Police Constable Written Examination (Written Examination) freshly presented by the HKPF.

After speaking with the HKPF, my reply to different parts of the concern is as follows:

(1) There is no modification in the language efficiency requirements for the recruitment of all policemans. Candidates obtaining the position of cops constable (consisting of auxiliary authorities constable) need to have Level 2 or above in Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), or comparable, and need to have the ability to check out and compose Chinese and speak proficient Cantonese. To offer authorities constable (consisting of auxiliary authorities constable) candidates with an extra methods to fulfill the language efficiency requirements, the Written Examination was presented on May 5, 2023. Benchmarked versus Level 2 in Chinese Language and English Language in the HKDSEE, the Written Examination has actually integrated more custom-made evaluation material to fit the authorities officers’ useful requirements in interaction and understanding when performing their everyday responsibilities.

For the position of probationary inspector, no change has actually been made to the language efficiency requirements. Candidates are needed to obtain Level 1 in the 2 language documents (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the Common Recruitment Examination; or Level 2 or above in Chinese and English in the HKDSEE or HKCEE, or equivalent. Candidates ought to likewise have the ability to check out and compose Chinese and speak proficient Cantonese.

As at December 31, 2023, the varieties of prospects sitting for the General Chinese Test and General English Test in the Written Examination were 87 and 623 respectively. Amongst them, 14 prospects took both tests. The death rates for the General Chinese Test and General English Test were 49.4 percent (43 prospects) and 27.6 percent (172 prospects) respectively.

After the modification of the entry requirements in May 2023, the month-to-month typical varieties of candidates for the positions of authorities constable, probationary inspector and auxiliary cops constable in the 8 months that followed were 644, 478 and 283 respectively, representing a substantial boost of more than 80 percent, 90 percent and 55 percent over those in the 8 months prior to the modification. The month-to-month varieties of candidates for cops constable, probationary inspector and auxiliary cops constable in 2023 are at Annex.

(2) Notwithstanding the elimination of the minimum height and weight requirements, the choice and training requirements of the HKPF, and the requirements for fitness and expert abilities of policeman stay the same. All candidates for the positions of authorities constable (consisting of auxiliary cops constable) and probationary inspector should pass the Physical Fitness Test to guarantee they are physically capable for the task before they are hired. All employees would go through training at the Hong Kong Police College, where they need to go through physical advancement training and pass the Final Examination (consisting of understanding in policing, foot drill, fitness and weapons managing) before finishing and serving the general public as a member of the HKPF.

(3) Apart from regional promotion and recruitment projects, the HKPF has actually introduced the Police University Recruitment Express (Mainland) considering that November 2022 in view of the increasing variety of Hong Kong trainees studying in the Mainland in the last few years, which intends to hire them and assist in early start of structure training upon their graduation and go back to Hong Kong. Beijing and Shanghai, the HKPF sent out delegations to Wuhan, Guangdong, Fujian and Chengdu to provide recruitment talks, supply recruitment associated details and carry out on-site choice procedures for Hong Kong trainees studying in universities thereat. An overall of 2 898 Hong Kong trainees studying in the Mainland took part in the activities, among which 852 trainees used and took part in the on-site choice procedures. In overall, 266, 551 and 35 applications for the positions of probationary inspector, authorities constable and auxiliary authorities constable were gotten respectively. As at December 31, 2023, 23 candidates have actually signed up with the HKPF as cops constables through the Police University Recruitment Express (Mainland), whilst 746 candidates remain in different phases of the recruitment procedure.

In addition, the HKPF has actually been carrying out promotion and recruitment projects in abroad cities, such as London, Toronto and Sydney. Because 2018, the HKPF has actually extended the Police Mentorship Programme (PMP) to consist of Hong Kong trainees from abroad universities, with a view to boosting their understanding of policing work and motivating them to sign up with the HKPF upon graduation. Given that the launch of the PMP, 281 abroad trainees have actually taken part and 40 of them have actually signed up with the HKPF. In the previous 12 months, the HKPF has actually hired 93 graduates from abroad universities. With relaxation of travel constraints and social distancing steps after the pandemic, the HKPF will gradually resume the abroad recruitment project to bring in high calibre prospects to end up being law enforcement officer and facilitate their involvement in the recruitment procedure. It is the HKPF’s preliminary strategy to resume promotion and recruitment projects overseas later on this year.

The HKPF will continue to keep in view its workforce requires, carry out an efficient system for total workforce preparation and evaluation of the future workforce circumstance, and routinely examine its personnel facility to satisfy the neighborhood’s need for the HKPF’s services.

Thank you, President.

Ends/Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Released at HKT 15:20

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