The dissatisfaction rate in the latest poll increased from 8 per cent to 15 per cent.

Pollster Robert Chung Ting-Yiu said the figures were probably the result of media reports about a policeman involved in sexual assaults.

A constable was charged with raping a 19-year-old woman in the identity parade suite in Mong Kok police station last month. He is facing further charges over the alleged molestation of three other women. Commissioner of Police Tang King-shing has admitted the case had affected the force's integrity and reputation.

A police spokeswoman said the force had taken note of the survey figures and it would strive to improve to meet public expectations.

The university carried out 1,005 interviews in a random telephone survey between December 16 and 18.

There was a rebound after the satisfaction rating hit 61.4 per cent in March 2001, and a record high of 83.3 per cent was recorded in June last year.

But the figures dropped sharply in the first quarter of this year amid criticism of the way police had handled the investigation into the celebrity sex photos scandal involving Edison Chen Koon-hei.

The satisfaction rating with the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison was 56 per cent, a drop of 2 per cent on the previous survey in September.

The survey also revealed that three months after the new Legislative Council was formed, public satisfaction with the performance of lawmakers is in negative territory - meaning that the dissatisfaction rate is higher than the satisfaction rate.

Some 26 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the overall performance of Legco members, while 29 per cent were dissatisfied.

The survey had a response rate of 71.7 per cent and a maximum sampling error of 3 percentage points.