CYPHER/CATA
ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 234
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
18 MARCH 1969
CONFIDENTIAL TELEGRAM 234 OF 18 MARCH.
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TOP COPY
YOUR TELEGRAM 172: HONG KONG POLICE AND AUXILIARY POLICE FORCES.
THE HONG KONG POLICE WAS FORMED ON 30TH APRIL 1841 ALTHOUGH THE
CE FORCE ORDINANCE WAS NOT ENACTED UNTIL 1844. THE AUXILIARY
POLICE FORCE WAS FORMED IN 1914 AND WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED THE HONG
KONG POLICE RESERVE. IT WAS DISBANDED IN 1919 BUT RE-FORMED IN THE
EARLY 1920S. IN 1941 A SPECIAL CONSTABULARY WAS FORMED BUT THIS
WAS A SEPARATE ORGANISATION FROM THE HONG KONG POLICE RESERVE.
THESE TWO BODIES WERE AMALGAMATED IN 1957 TO FORM THE PRESENT HONG
KONG AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE.
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2. GENERALLY THE PRESENT RATES OF PAY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ADEQUATE
AND HAVE NOT GIVEN RISE TO DISSATISFACTION WITHIN THE FORCE.
HOWEVER IN THE CASE OF THE RANK AND FILE A LARGE PROPORTION OF THEIR
INCOME IS PAID IN THE FORM OF A NON-PENSIONABLE ALLOWANCE. THE
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HAS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THE INTEGRATION OF
THIS ALLOWANCE INTO BASIC PAY AND THIS IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSID-
ERATION. RECRUITMENT IS GENERALLY SATISFACTORY.
3. SOME CORRUPTION EXISTS IN THE HONG KONG POLICE, AS IT MUST DO IN
ANY POLICE FORCE OF THIS SIZE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF
'SOCIAL' LEGISLATION CE.G. GAMBLING AND TRAFFIC) BUT GENERALLY
NOT IN CONNECTION WITH ACTION AGAINST CRIME PROPERLY SO CALLED. THE
EXTENT OF CORRUPTION IN THE POLICE, AS INDEED OUTSIDE, IS DIFFICULT
TO ASCERTAIN. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF 'INFORMATION', MOST OF IT
UNRELIABLE AND FROM TAINTED SOURCES, AND A GREAT DEAL OF CYNICAL
TALK AMONG CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SEMICOLON BUT VERY LITTLE
ADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE CAN BE OBTAINED, AND MUCH OF WHAT THERE IS DOES
NOT PROVE CREDIBLE TO THE COURTS.
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4. I REALISE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH QUESTIONS BY
ANY MEMBER WHO MAY ATTEMPT TO USE AN OCCASION OF HONOUR AS AN OPPORT- UNITY TO ATTACK THE REPUTATION OF THE POLICE BUT I HOPE IT WILL BE
POSSIBLE TO DEAL FIRMLY WITH ANY SUCH ATTEMPTS.
SIRD TRENCH
44 Kong
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GOVERNOR
"Toy || Š
1 Bale I File
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31
1 9 MAR 1909
SENT AND RCD 1996Z 18/3
HKK 14/8
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