Riot police to guard all polling stations in protest-hit Hong Kong for first time – but will maintain ‘minimum presence’ to avoid sowing fear among voters in district council elections
- Force will be on ‘maximum reserve’ mode to thwart any disruptions or violence
- Almost all officers in the 31,000-strong force have to report for duty on election day on Sunday, according to senior police source
As Hong Kong gears up for a key election on Sunday amid the city’s ongoing protest crisis, all polling stations will be guarded by armed officers in riot gear for the first time in the history of local polls, the Post has learned.
A senior police source said that to enable such tight security, almost all officers in the 31,000-strong force, regardless of which division they are attached to, have to report for duty on election day, with 3,000 riot control officers and crime investigators on standby.
“On top of security guards, there are also armed police officers in riot control uniform and gear in every polling station. District officers will patrol their own area and handle any disturbance first,” the source said.
Another source said plain-clothes officers would be equipped with anti-stab vests and anti-slash neck protectors, in the wake of a series of attacks on police.
