Scandals blamed for jump in complaints
A series of scandals surrounding police has been cited as a reason for the surge in complaints against officers in the first 11 months of this year.
The Complaints Against Police Office, a department in the force, said it had received 3,913 complaints by last month, up 60 per cent from the 2,449 cases recorded in the same period last year.
There were 1,963 complaints of officers neglecting their duties and 1,169 of misconduct. Another 501 referred to more serious allegations, including assault and fabrication of evidence.
Chief Superintendent Fan Sik-ming, who heads the office, said the force was very concerned and regional headquarters were ordered to study the trend. He said the figures showed that the public had confidence in the existing complaints mechanism, which was monitored by the Independent Police Complaints Council.
'The figures are also related to police image,' Fan said. 'When the force is plagued by negative publicity, complaints usually rise.'
