No fanfare, no farewell dinner as Hong Kong police chief Stephen Lo makes a quiet exit amid protests
- Lo’s tenure saw crime rate fall to 48-year low, but trust in police has plummeted
- A 35-year career ends with unforgiving critics slamming his handling of 2019 protests
When Hong Kong police chief Stephen Lo Wai-chung agreed to remain in service for an extra year till November 18, he could not have imagined that his long career in law enforcement would end so disastrously.
He will be the first commissioner of police in 175 years to leave without ceremonial fanfare or a Mess Night, the traditional farewell dinner with senior officers and guests.
For a man who served 35 years, reaching the top of a 31,000-strong force long regarded as one of the finest in the world, it will be a quiet exit.
There is simply nothing worth celebrating at this moment, as the city is on the brink of a total breakdown
Increasingly violent anti-government protests, now in their sixth month, have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people. Unending accusations of brutality have been hurled at police, including allegations that people have been mistreated after arrest.