Hong Kong police have denied that they are putting “too much effort” into safeguarding national security amid an increase in the city’s crime rate, driven largely by a leap in fraud cases.
Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu said at a press conference on Tuesday that enforcing the national security law was “one of the major task[s] of the police force,” calling national security the “most important issue that every place has to look into.”
Siu’s comment came as the police force rounded up crime statistics of the past year. There was a 10.6 per cent increase in the overall crime rate compared to 2021, with a total of 70,048 crimes committed in 2022, 5,620 more than in the previous 12 months.
The leap in deception cases was largely behind the climb. There were 27,923 deception cases compared to 19,249 in 2021, an increase of 45.1 per cent.
They included online shopping, employment, investment and phone scams, Siu said, with victims losing a total of around HK$4.8 billion.
Deception accounted for almost 40 per cent of all crimes reported. Excluding fraud, the police chief said, the total number of crime reports actually fell by 3,054.
Asked by a reporter if the police were too focused on national security concerns and neglecting other issues, Siu said “whether we have paid too much efforts on [national security], I wouldn’t agree that we have.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (National Security) Edwina Lau said there were “local extremists… hidden in the community.”
“[People] continue to disseminate seditious and false information on different platforms to instigate others to break the law,” Lau said, adding that police “will need to remain vigilant.”
At the end of the press conference, which fell on Valentine’s Day, Siu gave reporters a box containing a dark and white chocolate. He explained that they were a reminder that people must “tell black from white” when faced with potential fraud.
‘Work focuses’
Siu said the police force had four “work focuses” in 2023, the top one being safeguarding national security.
“We have to guard against the threat of extreme violence of ‘homegrown’ terrorism that is going underground,” he said, adding that police would continue to gather intelligence and raise public awareness about reporting suspicious acts.
According to an anti-terrorism booklet published by the Security Bureau, “we must be prepared and stay alert” even if “[t]he threat of a terrorist attack on Hong Kong may be low.”
Police said they have arrested 236 people under the the national security law since it was enacted, with over 140 prosecutions made as of December 31, 2022. The legislation was imposed on the city by Beijing – bypassing local legislature – in June 2020 following months-long unrest over a controversial extradition bill that would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China.
The other three “work focuses” included ensuring public order, strengthening youth engagement and enhancing community engagement.
Homicides up, robberies and burglaries down
Meanwhile, the number of homicides and triad-related crimes both rose by over 30 per cent compared to 2021.
There were 30 homicides last year compared to 23 the year before. Among them, 15 cases involved family members, although domestic violence on the whole declined.
Triad-related crimes saw an increase of 666 cases to 2,554 last year, involving instances of deception, gambling, car theft and prostitution-related offences.
Robberies and burglaries fell overall. However, one bank robbery was recorded and three robberies of goldsmiths or watch shops, up from none and one, respectively, the previous year. Cases involving missing motor vehicles also rose sharply by over 40 per cent.
Siu added that while there was a 10 per cent drop in serious drug crimes, police confiscated more drugs in seizures compared to last year. The number of students arrested for serious drug crimes fell by 40 per cent, although 17 students aged 13 to 14 were arrested.
“With these types of cases, as everyone would agree, even one case is too many… [because] the penalty is extremely severe,” the police chief said.
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