Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Wednesday said monthly applications for all entry positions in the force, including auxiliary officers, had risen on average by 55 to 90 per cent after some physical restrictions were removed last May.
“The Hong Kong Police Force will continue to keep in view its manpower needs, implement an effective mechanism for overall manpower planning and assessment of the future manpower situation, and regularly review its staff establishment to meet the community’s demand for the Hong Kong Police Force’s services,” Tang told lawmakers.
Hong Kong police accept 137 city students at mainland Chinese universities
Hong Kong police accept 137 city students at mainland Chinese universities
Since May 5, candidates for all ranks are no longer subject to any height and weight thresholds and can wear glasses or contact lenses during eye tests.
Applicants for constable also have the option of taking the force’s written test to prove their proficiency in Chinese and English, as opposed to relying on their public examination results.
The force also adjusted its physical fitness test separately last September in a bid to attract more candidates.
From May to December last year, the force received an average of 478 applications a month for inspector, 644 for constable and 283 for auxiliary police constable.
Compared with the eight months before the entry criteria were relaxed, the force recorded a 90 per cent increase in the average number of applicants per month for inspector positions. Applications for constable rose by 80 per cent and for auxiliary police constable by 55 per cent.
But Tang revealed that fewer than half of the candidates taking the force’s own language tests had passed them.
As of last year, only 49.4 per cent of 87 candidates taking the Chinese test had scored a passing mark. Only 27.6 per cent among 623 candidates who took the English test to fulfil the language proficiency requirement had managed to pass.
Designed as an equivalent to level 2 in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam, the English test has four sections from reading comprehension to spotting grammatical errors, a sample paper on the force’s website shows.
Applicants must have scored at least level 2 or above in five subjects, including Chinese and English, in the DSE, pass a Basic Law and national security law test as well as eyesight and physical fitness tests before they can proceed to further selection rounds.
Besides relaxing entry requirements, the force also conducted multiple recruitment drives in mainland China last year, targeting Hong Kong students studying there.
Hong Kong police ease recruitment criteria to boost flagging interest
Hong Kong police ease recruitment criteria to boost flagging interest
Tang said the recruitment exercises attracted 2,898 students, with 852 applying on site. Of these, 266 were for inspector, 551 for constable and 35 for auxiliary police constable.
By the end of last year, 23 had joined the force as constables. But Tang said more were at various stages of the selection process, without disclosing the number.
Ninety-three graduates outside Hong Kong have signed up through overseas recruitment campaigns.
Tang said the force would resume its overseas publicity and recruitment work as borders had reopened worldwide.
The force has faced manpower shortages having failed to meet its recruitment targets for several years, with 5,911 vacancies as of last March 31.
The starting monthly salary for a constable, the most junior rank, is about HK$28,000 (US$3,580). Inspectors earn about HK$50,000.