Applications for Hong Kong police jump after some entry requirements eased last year
- Monthly applications have risen on average by 55 to 90 per cent depending on position, security chief Chris Tang tells lawmakers
- Since last May, candidates for all ranks are no longer subject to any height and weight thresholds and can wear glasses or contact lenses during eye tests
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Wednesday said monthly applications for all entry positions in the force, including auxiliary officers, had risen on average by 55 to 90 per cent after some physical restrictions were removed last May.
“The Hong Kong Police Force will continue to keep in view its manpower needs, implement an effective mechanism for overall manpower planning and assessment of the future manpower situation, and regularly review its staff establishment to meet the community’s demand for the Hong Kong Police Force’s services,” Tang told lawmakers.
Since May 5, candidates for all ranks are no longer subject to any height and weight thresholds and can wear glasses or contact lenses during eye tests.
Applicants for constable also have the option of taking the force’s written test to prove their proficiency in Chinese and English, as opposed to relying on their public examination results.
The force also adjusted its physical fitness test separately last September in a bid to attract more candidates.
From May to December last year, the force received an average of 478 applications a month for inspector, 644 for constable and 283 for auxiliary police constable.
Compared with the eight months before the entry criteria were relaxed, the force recorded a 90 per cent increase in the average number of applicants per month for inspector positions. Applications for constable rose by 80 per cent and for auxiliary police constable by 55 per cent.