Barely Recruiting Hong Kong's Finest

The force is actively looking for applicants at home and abroad

The Hong Kong Police Force is still desperate for recruits, despite dangling very good salaries and benefits. It's now gotten to the point where the force has lowered its requirements to make it easier to get more applicants.

It happened last May, when height and weight minimums were scrapped. Previously men had to have a minimum height of 163cm and 50kg, and 152cm and 42kg for women. They could also wear corrective lenses.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung gave an update on the recruitment situation in the Legislative Council on January 10.

Tang gave an update at the Legislative Council

He said: "The Hong Kong Police Force has been adopting proactive recruitment strategies to attract high calibre candidates who have the competence to become a police officer, the affection for the Motherland and Hong Kong, and the passion to serve the public so that the force can continue to demonstrate its professional capability and maintain Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world."

While he says there has been no change in the language requirements of all police officers (should read, write and speak fluent Cantonese), the force has developed its own Chinese and English proficiency test "to suit the police officers' practical needs in communication and comprehension when performing their day-to-day duties".

What were the results?

On December 31, 2023, Tang says 87 applicants took the General Chinese Test, and 623 the General English Test, and 14 took both.

University recruitment poster in China

"The passing rates for the General Chinese Test and the General English Test were 49.4 percent, and 27.6 percent respectively," he said.

Those rates don't really bode well for the force or Hong Kong.

In addition, Tang says the force is recruiting applicants on the mainland, specifically looking for Hongkongers studying in China with 23 successfully hired, as well as students in overseas cities like London, Toronto and Sydney, where 40 who joined the HKPF.

"It is the HKPF's initial plan to resume publicity and recruitment campaigns overseas later this year," he said.

Good luck Mr Tang.