Police complaints fall, but serious allegations jump
HK01 · 3 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's Complaints Against Police Office received 1,353 reportable complaints in the first eight months of 2026, down about 5% from a year earlier, involving 1,731 complaint allegations, down 6%. Despite the overall decline, serious allegations rose to 95 cases, up 44% year on year, with assault making up 90 of them. HK01 reported that 87 of the 90 assault allegations, or 97%, arose from arrest operations. The Independent Police Complaints Council meeting also discussed the merger of Tin Sum Division into the Sha Tin and Ma On Shan divisions from August 30 and the possible effect on public access to police services.
Key Points
- The top three complaint categories were failure to investigate properly and thoroughly, impoliteness, and failure to act promptly or delays in taking action
- By allegation type, negligence of duty and misconduct, poor attitude or foul language dominated, accounting for 95% of all allegations.
- Serious allegations totalled 95 in the first eight months, including 90 assault cases, three abuse-of-authority cases, and one each of intimidation and fabrication of evidence.
- Of 1,675 allegations endorsed by the council, 49.1% were unsubstantiated because complainants did not assist, 20.6% were resolved informally, 16.9% were withdrawn, and 2.7% were proven
- Police said driving from Ma On Shan Police Station to Hin Keng Estate takes 17 minutes, exceeding the 15-minute response pledge, so Siu Lek Yuen Police Station has been reactivated as an operational base
Why It Matters
The data suggests that while the volume of complaints has eased, the mix of allegations has become more serious, especially around arrests, which is likely to keep scrutiny on frontline policing standards. The Sha Tin district reorganisation also matters to residents because response times, where statements are taken, and staffing distribution can directly affect day-to-day access to police services.