The history of policing in Hong Kong is traced against the background of its general history, and current policing strategies are critiqued and suggestions for future strategies offered.
Modern Hong Kong is a unique city-state with significant economic power and a knowledgeable and sophisticated citizenry. In the past, the government's colonial roots dictated authoritarian control of a largely resistant and alien population. The police force, an extension and enforcer of government interests and policies of repression, operated according to a paramilitary model. Both the contemporary government and police force, however, are aware that current public expectations and needs require a shift from traditional policing styles. The support of the people is now viewed as an essential ingredient in the maintenance of a constructive social order. The creation of police community relations officers and neighborhood policing units are some initial steps in improving relations between the police and the community. Future strategies should extend cooperation between the police and educational and social service agencies involved in serving the community and improving citizens' quality of life. The police should take the lead in initiating such cooperation. The police, who are in touch with many of the symptoms of social disorganization, are in a strategic position to inform other public agencies of the existence of significant social problems. These agencies can then provide services that will strike at the sources of the dysfunctional symptoms encountered by police. The police must also encourage citizens themselves to organize and assume responsibility for the quality of the social environment in which they live. Eight bibliographical listings are provided.