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Hong Kong police chief says tackling ‘smears’, higher crime rate are top priorities, while brushing off talk of politicisation of force
- Speaking to the Post one year after taking command of the force, Commissioner of Police Chris Tang says high crime a ‘price to pay’ for last year’s unrest
- Police chief also defends his personal style, saying he does not ‘like picking fights, but I must tell people the truth’
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A year after taking over as Hong Kong’s police chief at the height of the anti-government protests of 2019, Chris Tang Ping-keung has identified tackling the “smearing” of the force and restoring its reputation as the biggest challenge ahead, besides dealing with a higher crime rate stemming from the social unrest.
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In a wide-ranging interview with the Post, the police commissioner also rejected any notion of the force being used for political persecution when pressed on concerns about a recent wave of opposition lawmakers being arrested over various offences.
“It’s all about the behaviour. I arrest you if you break the law, organise a rally despite our objection or get violent in the Legislative Council chamber,” Tang said. “Maybe, to a certain extent, it reflects the law-abiding consciousness of a particular group of believers.”
The 55-year-old veteran was sworn in as the head of Hong Kong’s 32,000-strong police force on November 19 last year.
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That was a time when morale had hit rock bottom and police were stretched to their limit tackling massive protests sparked by the government’s since-withdrawn extradition bill. Violence by radical protesters was at its peak and police themselves were accused of using excessive force and questionable tactics.
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