On July 1, 2022, at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, a total of 112 police officers from the Police Flag Guard Formation and the Disciplined Forces Honor Guard appeared neatly in Chinese style march. As the national anthem plays, the national flag rises slowly. For this moment, the police officers have been training under the scorching sun and scorching heat for a long time.
A new chapter for the Hong Kong Police Force -
Transformed from British-style marching to Chinese-style marching
In late June, under a high temperature of more than 30 degrees, a flag guard team at the Hong Kong Police College was stepping up training to prepare for Hong Kong Prepare for the flag-raising ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the return to .
In the 25 years since Hong Kong’s return, the Hong Kong Police Force has been responsible for the flag-raising ceremonies to celebrate the return. What is different from previous years is that starting from July 1 this year, the Hong Kong Police Force will completely convert from the traditional Hong Kong-style foot drill to to Chinese-style foot drill.
Traditional Hong Kong-style footwork is developed on the basis of British footwork, while Chinese-style footwork is different from it in many ways.
In Hong Kong-style walking and Chinese-style walking, the stride length of each step is 75 centimeters. However, when marching in Hong Kong-style walking, the heel must touch the ground first. Chinese-style walking requires the whole foot to touch the ground when stepping, and the kick must be at a distance from the ground. at 25 cm.
Raise your gun, salute, and hold your head high. Kicks and steps, sonorous and powerful. Strict to the point of adjusting the details of the toes, training and learning are naturally not easy.
In 2021, The PLA Hong Kong Garrison began to provide Chinese foot drill and guard training for the five disciplinary forces in Hong Kong, and completed its first show in Hong Kong in April. From receiving all-Chinese foot drill training to conducting Chinese-style foot drills for the flag-raising ceremony , the Hong Kong Police Force is entering a new chapter in history.
Retired Chief Inspector Luk Hoi-hao of the Hong Kong Police Force:
"I think this is of great significance, because many years ago I was thinking, why do our disciplined forces still use British-style foot drills or Western-style foot drills, instead of one? The team uses Chinese foot drills. is gradually seeing changes. The "Flag Law " and the "National Anthem Law " have begun to appear. The "National Security Law" has begun to appear. We are beginning to see this change. "
In the past three years, in addition to foot drills, the Hong Kong Police Force has begun various innovations. In 2019, the motto of the Hong Kong Police Force was updated from "Service Oriented, Strive for Excellence" to "Loyalty and Courage, Caring for the Society".
Although the training process of Chinese foot exercises is difficult, the police officers have incorporated more new understandings into it.
Drill and firearms trainingPolice Station Sergeant Qiu Dexing:
"I personally feel very happy about the switch to Chinese foot drills.I believe that every police officer is like me, feeling more at ease inside and feeling closer to the motherland. ”
In addition to the changes in the way of waving and stepping, starting this year, the language of giving orders has also changed from English to Chinese. has the passwords of Cantonese and Mandarin . It combines Hong Kong characteristics and Chinese military tradition. It can be regarded as the next brand-new attempt of " one country, two systems ".
Hong Kong Police Force -
One of the oldest police forces in the world
The loud marches and clear and resonant passwords show the image of a group of police officers who hold their heads high and are tenacious, and also attract more aspiring young people to join the police force.
The Hong Kong Police Force is one of the oldest police forces in the world. When Hong Kong opened as a port in 1844, there was a rudimentary police force to maintain law and order.
78 years ago, the Hong Kong Police Force has undergone multiple reorganizations, upgrades, and reforms, and has gradually become a modern, service-oriented, localized professional force.
Former Hong Kong Police Chief Inspector Luk Hoi-ho:
"In fact, the police force is constantly improving, and has also transformed from a patrol team to a semi-military police force. It did not take long before it also won the title of 'Asia's Best Police Force' title. "
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong returned to the motherland, and the name " Royal Hong Kong Police " became history. The responsibilities of the new era were engraved on the badge of the Hong Kong Police along with the Bauhinia emblem.
Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Police Force has witnessed Hong Kong's world-renowned development and is committed to making Hong Kong one of the safest and most stable cities in the world. In the "World Competitiveness Report", the service reliability of the Hong Kong Police Force has been rising steadily, ranking among the top.
The last barrier to the security and stability of Hong Kong society
In 2019, the "black violence" incident pushed the Hong Kong police to the forefront of conflict and pressure, and also caused the police force to face unprecedented challenges. By the end of 2019, a total of 551 police officers had been injured while on duty. In the face of challenges, the police united as one to stop violence and chaos, safeguarding the last barrier to Hong Kong's social stability.
Former Hong Kong Police Chief Inspector Luk Haihao:
"They know they cannot lose, because the Hong Kong police are the last line of defense in Hong Kong. We can be injured, but after we are injured, we must bandage our wounds immediately and stand up again. Get up and return to the front line to fight.”
Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s CongressTan Huizhu:
“With the efforts of the SAR government and the police force, the social security situation has returned to stability. In the rule of law rating of an independent third-party organization , Hong Kong’s ranking in terms of rule of law and judicial independence has resumed its climb. "
In order to further promote Hong Kong's transformation from chaos to governance and prosperity, on June 30, 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress officially passed the "Hong Kong National Security Law." Pilot and ensure that Hong Kong can start again under the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong".
On July 1 of the same year, the Hong Kong Police Force established a National Security Division to combat behaviors and activities that endanger national security. As of May this year, the Hong Kong police have arrested a total of 186 people under the National Security Law, of which 115 have been prosecuted.
Staff expansion and equipment upgrades -
The new look of the Hong Kong Police Force
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the second year of the implementation of the "Hong Kong National Security Law". The Hong Kong Police Force has witnessed Hong Kong's transformation from chaos to prosperity and the start of a new era with a brand-new look. New article.
On the eve of July 1st, the Hong Kong Police Force ushered in the first uniform update since 2005. Airport Special Police , Anti-Terrorism Special Forces and Railway Response Force respectively put on dark blue, gray blue and light gray uniforms specially customized by the mainland.
html On June 24, the police force’s new equipment, the domestically produced armored vehicle "Sabertooth Tiger", was dispatched for patrol for the first time. In May this year, six new armored vehicles "Sabertooth Tiger" were officially delivered, replacing the "Ruiwu" armored vehicles that had been in service for more than 10 years.
As the fourth generation armored vehicle of the Hong Kong Police Force, not only all the glass of the "Sabertooth Tiger" is bulletproof, but the tires can also continue to drive after being shot, greatly enhancing the protection performance. At the same time, the entire vehicle is equipped with tear gas cannons, sound wave dispersors and a comprehensive infrared camera system. The vehicle body is also equipped with multiple shooting holes to improve its counterattack capabilities.
The latest addition is the newly purchased "XL" tactical bus purchased by the Hong Kong Police Force. The new car uses explosion-proof glass and tires, improves the windows to an opaque effect, and sets multiple surveillance lenses on the roof, which greatly enhances the defense capabilities. In addition, the new vehicle also has an emergency window that can launch tear gas canisters to meet operational needs.
Ling Zijie, director of the Anti-Terrorism Special Service Team:
"We now hope to have more communication with different special police departments in the mainland, so that we can improve each other in terms of equipment and tactics."
Equipment continues to be upgraded, and personnel are constantly updated. In order to cope with the manpower shortage, the Hong Kong Police Force has taken active measures to attract more fresh blood to join the force.
At the same time, the police recruitment standards are gradually relaxed. In 2020, the Hong Kong Police Force launched a number of strategies such as "Be ambitious and never be afraid of delay" and "Different You" to encourage people aged 30 or above and people from other industries to join the police force.
In April 2022, the Police Force relaxed restrictions again, abolishing the entry requirement that police officers, trainee inspectors and auxiliary police officers must have lived in Hong Kong for 7 years or more, and only required applicants to be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This means that "double-African" people who were born in Hong Kong but have lived in mainland China can also join the police force.
Former Hong Kong Police Chief Inspector Luk Hoi-ho:
"This is a good thing. First, we have a new group of new troops; second, being a permanent resident does not necessarily mean that you have the ability to be a police officer, but it only means that you are in Hong Kong. If you have lived for a long time, you may be familiar with the situation in Hong Kong, but I believe that many college students from the mainland who come to Hong Kong to study will not know anything about Hong Kong, their knowledge, their loyalty to the motherland, and their love for Hong Kong. Losing to us Hong Kong people as permanent residents, we should actually wave to this group of people. "
"Loyal, courageous and caring about society" - Under the guidance of the new slogan, the Hong Kong Police Force further expands social services. On Recruitment Day, the Domestic Conflict and Sexual Violence Policy Unit and the Missing Persons Unit were opened to the public for the first time.
Such a childish face is also the hope for the future of the Hong Kong Police Force. In organizations such as the Junior Police Call and the Hong Kong Youth Corps Association, batches of police reserve forces are taking shape.
The spirit of the police force is passed down from generation to generation. On the 25th anniversary of the handover, Hong Kong society has opened a new chapter, and the Hong Kong Police Force is also facing the future with a new look.
Editor: Ding Xiao
