Policing Hong Kong 1842 1969

This volume explores Hong Kong policing history from 1842 to 1969 through the frontline stories of many police officers.

In this pioneering study, Sheilah Hamilton shows that, from the earliest days of British rule, the colonial administration introduced harsh legislation to control Chinese watchmen who were employed to protect the fledgling colony's property in the absence of an effective public police force. She examines the growth in different Hong Kong Government departments of what would now be regarded as 'hybrid' police and argues that the existence of such posts within the civil service resulted in greater social control of the local Chinese community at minimal extra expense. Amongst the topics of private security explored are: the impact of the few private security personnel engaged by local Chinese organizations such as the Nam Pak Hong, Tung Wah Hospital and Po Leung Kuk; the evolution of the District Watch Force from a force engaged in purely local security duties to an arm of the Hong Kong Government involved in non-security matters such as controversial sanitary inspections; and the unique system of village guards and scouts in the New Territories. A particular focus is the early maritime security problems and the internal security forces of Hong Kong's shipping companies. A final chapter compares the situation in Hong Kong and explores the similarities and differences with Shanghai during the period.

This book aims at providing an accessible introduction to and summary of the major themes of Hong Kong history that has been studied in the past decades. Each chapter also suggests a number of key historical figures and works that are essential for the understanding of a particular theme. However, the book is by no means merely a general survey of the recent studies of Hong Kong history; it tries to suggest that the best way to approach Hong Kong history is to put it firmly in its international context.

This book examines the development of women in the Hong Kong Police Force (HKP) over the past 68 years, beginning from the early colonial years when calls to include women in law enforcement first emerged, to the recruitment of the first female sub-inspector in 1949, and through to the current situation where policewomen constitute 15% of the total HKP establishment. What accounts for these developments and what do they tell us about organisational culture, gender and colonial policing? This interdisciplinary work is relevant to fields including women’s studies, gender studies, policing studies, criminology, colonial history, sociology, and organisational studies, and will appeal to academics, students and lay readers interested in the development of women in policing.

The HKP (Hong Kong Police),Asia‘s Finest is a battle-tested professional organization with strong leadership, competent staff, and deep culture. It is also a continuously learning and reforming agency in pursuit of organisational excellence. Policing in Hong Kong: History and Reform is the first and only book on the development of the Hong Kong

Offers an accessible overview of Hong Kong's legal system and guides first-year law students in legal research and methods.

Analyses the politics of policing in a range of regime types across East and Southeast Asia.