Commissioner of Police (Hong Kong)

The Commissioner of Police heads the Hong Kong Police Force and, in accordance with Section 4 of the Police Force Ordinance, reports to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and the Security Bureau. As of June 2021, the current commissioner is Raymond Siu Chak-Yee, appointed by the State Council of China.[1]

Commissioner of Police
Incumbent
Raymond Siu
since 25 June 2021
Security Bureau
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerCentral People's Government
(via nomination by the Chief Executive)
Inaugural holderEddie Hui
Formation1 July 1997
WebsiteHong Kong Police Force
Commissioner of Police
Traditional Chinese警務處處長
Simplified Chinese警务处处长
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJǐngwùchù Chùzhǎng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGíng mouh chyu chyu jéung
JyutpingGing2 mou6 cyu3 cyu3 zoeng2

Officers in command

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Commissioners of Police currently are mandated to retire before they reach the age of 57, but may be extended upon exceptional circumstances.[2]

Early heads were often military officers or had previous policing experience in the United Kingdom or other British colonies.[citation needed] Many joined the Force in senior command postings before their promotions. Li is the only Commissioner to rise from lower ranks (as Probationary Sub-Inspector) and Hui joined as a probationary Inspector.[citation needed]

List of heads of Hong Kong Police Force
Portrait Name Took office Left office Length of Tenure Notes
Under British rule
Chief Magistrates and Chief of Police
  William Caine 30 April 1841 1844 Captain
George Thomas Haly Feb 1844 Captain; Acting Superintendent of Police and officer with the 41st Madras Native Infantry
John Bruce Mar 1844 Acting Superintendent of Police and officer with the 18th Royal Irish
Captain Superintendent of Police
Charles May 1844/45? 1860/62? Superintendent of A Division of the Metropolitan Police
  Edmund Haythorne 1860 1862 British Army officer
William Quinn 1862 1866/67? Member of Bombay Police and first police officer to head Hong Kong Police[3]
  Walter Meredith Deane 1866/67? 1892 Cadet Officer from Britain sent to head force[4]
Alexander H. Adam Gordon 1892 1893 Major-General; Superintendent of Victoria Gaol
Francis Henry May 1893 1901/02? Cadet Officer and the Assistant Colonial Secretary
Joseph Francis Badeley 1901/02? 1913 Cadet Officer and Colonial civil servant[5]
  Charles Messer 1913 1918 Cadet Officer and Colonial civil servant[6]
  Edward Dudley Corscaden Wolfe 1918 1930 Cadet Officer and Colonial civil servant[7]
Inspector General of Police
  Edward Dudley Corscaden Wolfe 1930 1934
Thomas Henry King 1934 1935/38? Cadet Officer and Colonial civil servant[8]
Commissioner of Police
Thomas Henry King 1935/38? 1940/41?
John Pennefather-Evans April 1940/1941? 25 December 1941 served in the police force of the Federated Malay States
Under Japanese Rule
Captain of the Hong Kong Kempeitai
  Kennosuke Noma 25 December 1941 18 January 1945 Executed as a war criminal in 1947
Under British rule
Commissioner of Police
Charles Henry Sansom 1945 1946 Colonel; British Military Administration
Duncan William McIntosh 1946 1954 former Deputy Commissioner of Police of Singapore
Arthur Crawford Maxwell 1953 1959 police officer in Malaya and Commissioner of Police of Sarawak in 1947-1949; Deputy Commissioner with Hong Kong Force in 1949[9]
Henry Heath April 1 1959 December 18 1966 Member of Hong Kong Force[10]
Edward Tyrer December 19 1966 July 21 1967 Member of Hong Kong Force[11]
Edward Eates July 22 1967 1969 joined force in 1963 as Assistant Commissioner following police service in Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Gambia[12]
Charles Payne Sutcliffe 1969 January 13 1974 previous served in Metropolitan Police, Tanganyika; joined Hong Kong Police as Assistant Commissioner in 1960
Brian Slevin January 14 1974 March 25 1979 formerly Deputy Commissioner[13]
Roy Henry March 25 1979 April 15 1985 joined force in 1973; previous colonial police officer in Malaysia and Commissioner of Police in Fiji
Raymon Anning 15 April 1985 1 December 1989 served with Metropolitan Police and other British forces; joined Hong Kong Police in 1983
Li Kwan-ha 2 December 1989 2 July 1994 joined force as Probationary Sub-Inspector in 1957
Eddie Hui 3 July 1994 30 June 1997 joined force as Probationary Inspector
Under Chinese rule
Commissioner of Police
Eddie Hui 1 July 1997 1 January 2001 3 years and 185 days
Tsang Yam-pui 2 January 2001 9 December 2003 2 years and 342 days
  Lee Ming-kwai 10 December 2003 15 January 2007 3 years and 37 days
  Tang King-shing 16 January 2007 10 January 2011 3 years and 360 days
  Andy Tsang 11 January 2011 3 May 2015 4 years and 113 days
  Stephen Lo 4 May 2015 18 November 2019 4 years and 199 days
  Chris Tang 19 November 2019 25 June 2021 1 year and 219 days
  Raymond Siu 25 June 2021 Incumbent 3 years and 159 days

References

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  1. ^ "China's State Council Appoints New Police Chief in Hong Kong". New York Times. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Features".
  3. ^ "Features".
  4. ^ "Features".
  5. ^ "Features".
  6. ^ "Features".
  7. ^ "Features".
  8. ^ "Features".
  9. ^ "Features".
  10. ^ "Features".
  11. ^ "Features".
  12. ^ "Ted Eates".
  13. ^ "Features".
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