Police say 2,000 people join its recruitment day

The Hong Kong Police Force said 2,000 people attended its first recruitment drive since 2019, held on Sunday at the Police College in Wong Chuk Hang.

Baron Chan, superintendent of the recruitment division, said the police force aimed to hire 1,500 officers this financial year.

He said in addition to the 2,000 who took part in the day’s activities, the force had also received around 1,700 applications beforehand.

Some participants who took part in Sunday’s recruitment day got a taste of police work through virtual reality training, and were introduced to the operations of the different divisions and the firearms they used.

Some applicants said they had the support of their friends, and hoped to improve the relationship between the force and the public, which soured during the anti-government protests of 2019.

Superintendent Chan noted there had been fewer applicants in 2019 as people realised how dangerous the job could be, but the number had picked up since last year.

The force said there were 12,000 applicants who wanted to join in each of the last two financial years.