The Independent Commission Against Corruption in Hong Kong held a joint meeting with the Police Complaints Division today (9th) to report on the previous year’s complaints. It was disclosed at the meeting that in the last fiscal year, a total of 1,783 new complaints were forwarded to the Police Complaints Division, representing an increase of approximately 10% compared to the previous year. Throughout the year, the Commission processed a total of 1,790 complaints involving a staggering 2,530 allegations, marking an overall increase of 9.7%. Categories such as “neglect of duty,” “misconduct/attitude issues/foul language,” and “physical assault” showed significant growth, with annual increases of 13%, 6%, and 17% respectively.
Before the public session of the meeting commenced today (9th), all members of the Commission and police representatives observed a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims of the tragic fire at the Hong Fook Gardens in Tai Po.
Among the 2,530 allegations processed by the Commission in the previous year, 309 cases were identified as requiring thorough investigation. Ultimately, 38 cases were confirmed to be substantiated, accounting for 12% of the total cases under investigation. It is worth noting that 30 cases were not initially reported but were later confirmed following investigation.
Despite the increase in the number of complaints received, the report also indicated that in the previous year, the Police took follow-up actions on only 68 cases out of the complaints processed by the Commission, representing a 14% decrease from the previous year.
Senior Police Superintendent Yu Wai Kit of the Police Complaints Division stated that from January to November of this year, the police received a total of 2,347 complaints that required follow-up, marking an increase of around 6% compared to the previous year. The main source of the increase in complaints stemmed from allegations related to duties in uniform, while complaints involving criminal investigations and traffic duties showed a decline. The complaints mainly focused on areas such as “failing to conduct thorough investigations correctly,” “lack of courtesy,” and “failure to take timely or delayed actions,” with 97% of complaints classified as minor in nature.
Yu revealed that in the current period, the Commission processed a total of 2,459 complaints, of which 46% could not be further investigated due to lack of cooperation from the complainants. Out of all the complaints processed, 39 cases were substantiated, accounting for 1.6% of the total.
Expressing concern over the inability to investigate nearly half of the cases, Commission member Chan Wing Tak raised the issue during the meeting. Yu explained that after receiving a complaint, the police make every effort to contact the complainant through various means, but often face challenges such as non-response or refusal to answer calls, resulting in the investigative process being stalled. Chairperson Wang Pui Sze emphasized during the meeting that lodging a complaint against the police is a civil right, but complainants also have a responsibility to provide their name and contact information.