What does the CIB of the Hong Kong Police Force do?

Question

Can you ALSO please link relationship with the OCTB?

Answer 1

The Hong Kong Police Force has distinguished itself as

one of the oldest, yet most modern, police forces in the

world.

Formed in 1842 with a total strength of 35, the Force

evolved from an extremely broad-based role, embracing

such matters as fire-fighting, prisons and immigration, to

that of a traditional police service. As at May 1, 2008, the

Force had a strength of 27 437 of which 14 per cent

were women officers. It also had a backup of 4 683 civilian

staff.

The Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force was originally

formed in 1914 as a reserve to assist in times of natural

disaster or civil emergency. As at March 31, 2008, 3 842

volunteer citizens supported the regular force to perform

crowd control duties at public events and festivals. The

ability to assist during times of emergency is retained.

Police in Hong Kong operate within the traditional

constabulary concept of preserving life and property,

preventing and detecting crime and keeping the peace,

with a strong emphasis on enlisting community support. In

times of emergency the Force has a paramilitary capability.

Structure: The Force is commanded by the Commissioner

of Police who is assisted by two deputy Commissioners.

One deputy Commissioner supervises all operational

matters and the other is responsible for the direction and

coordination of the management of the Force, including

personnel, training and management services.

The Force Headquarters is made up of five

departments: Operations; Crime and Security; Personnel

and Training; Management Services; and Finance,

Administration and Planning. For day-to-day policing, the

Force is organised into six regions: Hong Kong Island,

Kowloon East, Kowloon West, New Territories North, New

Territories South and Marine. The Regions are largely

autonomous in their day-to-day operation and

management matters, and each has its own headquarters

which comprises administration and operation wings, and

traffic and criminal investigation units. Each region is

divided into districts and divisions and in a few cases subdivisions.

Currently there are 23 districts.

The policing of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the

main towns of the New Territories follows a similar pattern.

Responsibility for law and order on the underground

railway system, which runs through several police districts,

is vested in the Mass Transit Railway District.

The Marine Region, with a fleet of 149 launches and

craft, patrols some 1 651 square kilometres of waters

within Hong Kong including the busy harbour and 261

outlying islands. This involves the control of some 13 000

local craft, pleasure boats and ferries and a maritime

population of 3 100. Shore patrols are regularly mounted to

maintain contact with inhabitants of small islands and

isolated communities.

In addition to normal policing functions, the Marine

Police fleet is also responsible for maintaining effective law

and order within Hong Kong waters with particular

emphasis on countering illegal immigration and smuggling

at sea. Marine Region is also one of the main agencies in

the Hong Kong search and rescue organisation geared

towards maritime operations both within and outside Hong

Kong waters.

Marine Region has developed a new, two-part

operational strategy called Versatile Maritime Policing

Response (VMPR) which has come into operation in phase

since 2007, providing an improved police service at

reduced cost with an enhanced Command and Control

System and faster craft offering a more flexible policing

response.

Operations: Force operational matters are coordinated by

the Operations Department, which comprises two wings, a

traffic headquarters and six regions. The department is

charged with the formulation and implementation of

policies, the monitoring of activities and the efficient

deployment of personnel and resources.

The Operations Wing coordinates counter terrorism,

internal security, anti-illegal immigration measures, bomb

disposal commitments and contingency planning for

natural disasters and is also responsible for the Police Dog

Unit.

The Police Tactical Unit (PTU) has an establishment

of six companies (1 020 officers). The PTU provides an

immediate manpower reserve for use in any emergency.

PTU companies are attached to all land Regions and are

available for internal security, crowd management, anticrime

operations and disaster response duties throughout

Hong Kong. The PTU also provides up-to-date instruction

and training in internal security and crowd management

techniques for a wide cross-section of Force members.

The Anti-Illegal Immigration Control Centre is

responsible for collecting intelligence and monitoring

operations in respect of illegal immigrants from the

Mainland, Vietnam and South Asian countries.

The Support Wing oversees the execution and staffing

of operational support matters, including the formulation of

operational policies for both the regular and auxiliary

forces. It is also responsible for the various licensing

functions of the Force. The coordination of all public

relations activities is arranged through the Police Public

Relations Branch.

The Traffic Headquarters is responsible for

formulating Force priorities, policies and procedures on

traffic matters, coordinates their implementation and

monitors their effects. It processes all traffic prosecutions

and collects and maintains traffic-related data. The Traffic

Headquarters offers advice on traffic management matters,

monitors local traffic schemes and new major infrastructure

projects. It also formulates, supports and monitors road

safety educational and enforcement programmes.

The Transport Division is responsible for the

management and deployment of the Force vehicle fleet of

approximately 2 500 vehicles, the driver establishment

and the acquisition of new police vehicles. It also

administers all policy matters relating to police transport

requirements.

Crime and Security: The Crime and Security Department

is responsible for the Force policy regarding the

investigation of crimes and matters of a security nature.

Crime Wing consists of a number of operational bureaux

and specialized units. The operational bureaux deal with

specific areas of criminal activity whereas the specialized

units provide support services to operational units in the

Force and deal with policy matters on various issues

including child abuse, domestic violence and witness

protection. Security Wing provides VIP protection and

security co-ordination, including counter-terrorism and

related training.

The Organised Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB)

investigates major organised and serious crime involving

all types of activities such as theft/smuggling of vehicles,

human smuggling, firearms, vice, debt collection,

syndicated gambling and extortion. It also investigates triad

societies and their hierarchies with particular emphasis on

their involvement in organised crime.

The Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB) is the Force’s

central coordinating body for intelligence on crime and

criminality which, after analysis and assessment, is

disseminated to crime investigation units as required. In

addition, the CIB works closely with the OCTB and other

Crime Wing bureaux in tackling triad and organised crime

syndicates. To strengthen the criminal intelligence

capability within the Force, the Bureau also organises

related training courses and seminars for investigators.

The Commercial Crime Bureau investigates serious

commercial and business fraud, computer-related crimes,

the forgery of monetary instruments, identity documents

and payment cards, and the counterfeiting of currency and

coins. It liaises very closely with international law

enforcement agencies on exchange of intelligence and in

actioning requests for investigation from other jurisdictions

alleging criminal conduct in relation to commercial

transactions.

The Narcotics Bureau investigates serious drug cases

such as importation and manufacture of illicit drugs, and

gathers intelligence in relation to major drug activities. It

also conducts investigations in partnership with overseas

law enforcement agencies whenever there is a Hong Kong

connection to international drug trafficking. The Bureau is

also responsible for financial investigations arising out of

the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance,

Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance and the United

Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance.

The Liaison Bureau coordinates all police-related

inquiries from overseas police organisations and local

consular officials. It also maintains close liaison with the

mainland Public Security Bureaus, the Police Liaison Office

of the Central People's Government and Macao Police. As

a sub-bureau of the China National Central Bureau China,

it represents the Force in the International Criminal Police

Organization (ICPO). Liaison Bureau is also responsible for

handling all overseas jurisdictions requests for Mutual

Legal Assistance to Hong Kong and on the arrest and

extradition of fugitives.

The Support Group is made up of units which provide

a technical and professional service to support criminal

investigation, including the Criminal Records Bureau, the

Identification Bureau, the Forensic Firearms Examination

Bureau, the Major Incident Investigation and Disaster

Support System Unit, the Witness Protection Unit and the

Child Protection Policy Unit. Besides, the Crime Prevention

Bureau also provides advisory security services to the

Government, commerce and industry, and the public in

general. The Group also fulfils a liaison responsibility for

the Forensic Pathology Service and the Forensic Science

Division of the Government Laboratory.

Day-to-day regional police operations are coordinated

at the four regional command and control centres which

are computer-assisted. They serve as information centres,

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