Police-Public Projects in Hong Kong: An Evaluation

Abstract

This article examines police-public projects in Hong Kong, focusing on the ability of the Hong Kong Police Force (the Force) to work with the public in policing the society. The work is described in terms of the evolution of community relations in Hong Kong, the structural arrangements for the practice of a community relations strategy, and the major community-based programmes. The performance of the strategy is evaluated and the constraints on the relevant policy initiatives are identified. The Force is shown to have broken the communication barrier with the public to harmonise police-public relationships and to cooperate with local communities in combating and preventing crime. But its capacity to work with people remains limited, as it has been less successful in building mutual trust with community members to enlist active public support for police operations.