39
Stop and search power of Police
Following is a question by the Hon Roger Luk Koon-hoo and a reply by the acting Secretary for Security, Mr Ken Woodhouse, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Will the Administration inform this Council of the effectiveness (in quantitative terms) of "stop and search" operations on the street by the police officers in achieving their intended purposes and whether the checks and balances currently in place have been effective in preventing police officers from abusing their authority in this regard?
Reply:
Mr President,
In 1994, police officers exercised their power to stop a person on 1,300,000 occasions. This figure includes stop and search, roadblock operations, and stop and question (which does not involve search). As a result of these operations, some 10,000 wanted or missing persons, together with some 30,000 illegal immigrants were located. In quantitative terms, on roughly one out of every thirty occasions, the Police achieved a successful result.
In addition to this quantitative measure of effectiveness, an active and visible police presence on the streets and public places, particularly in crime black spots. together with their authority to stop and search, acts as a deterrent.
The Police Force is, of course, conscious of the need to balance the protection of, and respect for, personal freedom, privacy and dignity, with the maintenance of law and order. A comprehensive set of guidelines and procedures on the conduct of stop and search operations is set out in Police General Orders, the Force Procedures Manual and the relevant Headquarters Order. Any complaint against the abuse of authority will be thoroughly investigated. If the complaint is substantiated, the police officer at fault will be liable to disciplinary actions or even criminal proceedings.
Of the 3.090 complaints received by the Complaints Against Police Office last year, only 19 were related to stop and search. From these figures, the problem of abuse does not appear to be serious. We will, however, keep the situation and the existing guidelines under review.
End/Wednesday. May 24, 1995