TNAG-0735-FCO40-939-Policy-objective-for-the-developing-of-Hong-Kong-in-the-1980-1978 — Page 177

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POL

THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE

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We were all extremely concerned at the state

of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force following the events

of last October/November.

Though general resentment

at ICAC operations, and the fear of a group of

prosecution for past offences, were the immediate

cause, there was obviously more to it than that.

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At my request the Home Office made available a

most experienced team led by Mr Crane, one of H M Inspectors of Constabulary, and a thorough investigation of the organisation and administration of Police

followed conducted jointly with the Commissioner and his staff and the Security Branch of the Central

Government Secretariat. In broad terms the conclusion

was that professionally the Force was working on the

right lines; but that intense preoccupation with the fight against crime and the rapid expansion, redeployment and reorganisation of the Force in recent years to combat

crime, has had a double-edged effect. Success against

crime, and in achieving an improved relationship with the

public, has been remarkable. But it has been to some

extent at the expense of administration, man-management, personnel relations and welfare, which had implications

for discipline and control.

Simultaneously subjected to the

twin pressures of combatting a crime wave and the weeding

out of corruption, the Force, with the knowledge of

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hindsight, was somewhat/ under-administered.