K 19
Early in the Strike a Police Labour Bureau was formed and put in charge of Chief Detective Inspector J. Grant, Inspector Pincott and Lance Sergeant 51 Nolloth. It was conducted on the lines of a similar organization during the Strike of 1922, and was most successful. 25,000 coolies were collected and sent out to work. 170,000 tons of cargo were handled on behalf of one Company alone, the China Provident Loan and Mortgage Co., Ltd. Towards the end of July conditions had so far approached normal, that the Police Labour Bureau was dispensed with.
A special feature of the efforts of the Police to deal with crime and loafers was the inauguration of raids on a large scale in selected areas. Certain streets were entirely surrounded and a house to house search made. These raids were carried out at frequent intervals both in Victoria and Kowloon for about 2 months. It is considered that the remarkable decrease of serious crime during the latter half of the year was due to them. In addition to the larger operations a number of raids were made on particular houses by members of the Detective Staff.
A considerable amount of extra duty had to be performed by the members of the Force. For nearly two months the European Police did 8 hours street duty daily instead of 6. The Detective Staff, as is always the case in times of trouble, were particularly hard-worked, and made a splendid response. Police Picquets, in charge of European Sergeants, patrolled throughout the City for nearly two months.
In the New Territories, the Police in the Frontier Stations, particularly Ta Ku Ling and Sha Tau Kok had a trying time. For the first month or so, the Police were forbidden to reply when fired upon, but these orders were subsequently modified with good results.
Numerous outrages on the part of the Strikers and Chinese troops took place along the Frontier. At 7:30 a.m. on 13th August, 7 men who were painting the Railway Bridge at Lo Wu were taken prisoner by a Strike Picquet and removed to Canton. On 14th August at about 11 a.m. two Chinese who were carrying 4 baskets of fruit along the frontier road from Kau Tau Wai village to Sheung Shui were fired upon by Strikers when opposite Lo Fong Custom House. Two Chinese ran away, abandoning their load which the Strikers who came across the river seized. On Saturday, 15th August two junks were seized by the Strikers in British Waters, Sha Tau Kok District. A party of Police in a pulling boat in charge of L.S. 95 Knowles, who attempted to intervene, were heavily fired upon from the shore, and had to retire. The two junks were subsequently recovered with the aid of H.M.S. "Foxglove".
On Friday 17th August a Police pulling boat which was patrolling the Sham Chun River was fired upon from the Chinese side. On Thursday, 20th August a P.W.D. gang of coolies near Ta Ku Ling was fired upon and dispersed by Strikers and Chinese soldiers. The latter then crossed into British Territory and made off with a bicycle, the property of the P.W.D.