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Public Order

involving casualties and 18 per cent fewer accidents involving serious injuries or fatalities than in 2017.

Public Order Events

Hong Kong residents enjoy freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly, procession and demonstration. The police facilitate all lawful and peaceful public events fairly and impartially and strive to uphold public order and safety, seeking to strike a balance between facilitating public events and minimising the impact of these events on other members of the public. During the year, 11,880 public meetings and processions were held.

Public Relations

The Police Public Relations Branch (PPRB) works in partnership with the media and the community. It disseminates information about police activities to local and overseas medial round the clock and releases information on unforeseen incidents through an interactive electronic platform. The branch also helps the FCC plan and implement publicity campaigns.

The PPRB makes use of online platforms, including the police website, mobile application, YouTube channel, Facebook page and Instagram, to enhance policing and its ability to connect with the community.

The PPRB's Police Magazine, Police Report and Police Bulletin provide information on crime prevention measures and the work of individual police units. The branch also helps television broadcasters and film production companies produce dramas, documentaries and films related to police work, and offers advice and assistance on location filming. It publishes a fortnightly newspaper, OffBeat; the monthly Junior Police Call Newsletter; the quarterly Senior Police Call Newsletter and the annual Hong Kong Police Review.

Engaging the Community

The Junior Police Call (JPC) scheme and Police School Liaison Programme serve as bridges between the police and young people, while the Senior Police Call (SPC) scheme promotes crime prevention, fight crime and road safety messages among the elderly. Police Community Liaison Assistants are recruited to build long-term relationships with the non-ethnic-Chinese community.

JPC@Pat Heung, set up by the PPRB, serves JPC and SPC members, students, youth organisations and non-ethnic-Chinese residents. It promotes awareness of abiding by the law, instils positive values in the young and enhances their self-confidence and leadership skills through activities such as physical fitness training.

The police present Good Citizen Awards, which are sponsored by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, to recognise residents' assistance in fighting crime. In 2018, 79 people received the awards.

Planning and Development

In September, a new-generation Report Room was commissioned in Tseung Kwan O Police. Station, the first police station equipped with a padded temporary holding area inside a report

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