Raymond Siu Chak-yee, the commissioner of police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, gives an exclusive interview to China Daily in Wan Chai on Sept 30, 2022. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

More police officers, including new recruits, will be sent to mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as part of the Hong Kong Police Force’s multi-pronged effort to strengthen knowledge about national development and national security work.

Raymond Siu Chak-yee, the commissioner of police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, told China Daily of the plans in a recent interview.

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Once the pandemic situation has improved, the Police Force plans to send more employees to the GBA cities to join exchange programs, which will help the officers learn about national development and enhance the officers’ understanding and awareness of national security, Siu said.

Hong Kong police have regular contact with their mainland counterparts to exchange intelligence concerning cross-border crimes and have joint anti-crime and anti-smuggling operations with the China Coast Guard, said Raymond Siu Chak-yee, the commissioner of police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government

Siu said that Hong Kong police have much to learn from their mainland counterparts, particularly on technology, now that the Police Force has included using technology for policing in its Strategic Directions 2022-2024 framework.

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Hong Kong police have regular contact with their mainland counterparts to exchange intelligence concerning cross-border crimes and have joint anti-crime and anti-smuggling operations with the China Coast Guard, Siu added.

The Police Force and Tsinghua University also launched a 2.5-year part-time Executive Master of Public Administration program for officers in 2021, providing them with specialized and competency training. Siu was told by the first batch of participants that these courses are intensive and helpful.

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During the interview, Siu also warned that Hong Kong must remain on alert to deal with national security threats and thwart home-grown terrorism, as police have made arrests involving explosives, chemicals, and offensive weapons.

“The Counter-terrorism (CT) Reporting Hotline, 63-666-999”, which was set up on June 8 to encourage the public to provide intelligence on terrorism or violence-related crimes, received about 6,900 messages, or information, in its first three months, Siu said.

Some information provided by the public led to arrests involving chemicals used for manufacturing explosive and offensive weapons, pistol-like objects, electric stun guns, Siu added.

Siu pledged that the Force will strengthen its intelligence-gathering ability, enforcement, public education, and publicity to protect national security.

The Force will monitor social media daily to find posts that incite others to commit illegal acts. Police also call on the community to jointly fight terrorism by reporting suspicious cases, Siu said.

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The police also launched a public education campaign in June named “Safe Community Pledge”, in which a range of stakeholders of the chemical industry, including the retailers and suppliers of chemicals, logistics companies, as well as laboratories of universities, secondary schools, and private practitioners, were invited to participate.

The police organized various seminars for the participating units to help them stay alert, abide by the law, and report suspicious circumstances in a timely manner.