Groups working with refugees, asylum seekers and torture claimants have for the first time met high-ranking police officers to discuss how to deal with marginalised segments of the population.
Assistant police commissioner Peter Hunt led a team of about 40 from the force, including community relations officers and divisional commanders from areas, such as Yau Ma Tei, with high ethnic minority populations.
They met representatives of non-governmental organisations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre, Christian Action and International Social Services.
The meeting was arranged after discussions between Hunt and lawyer Michael Vidler, who is representing the family of Nepali street sleeper and former construction worker Dil Bahadur Limbu - shot dead on March 17 last year when he attacked a policeman. They first discussed the possibility a year ago.
Hunt, a founder of the force's working group on ethnic minorities, said the meeting, on Tuesday, demonstrated 'a lot of commonality' between all parties.
But he said many more consultations would be needed to look at how to implement suggestions made at the meeting, including cultural sensitivity training for frontline officers and placing contact officers specially trained in dealing with ethnic minorities in every police station.