Woman - An Equal Force

The percentage of women in the HKP is one of the highest among major police forces. Kimmy Koh was appointed first woman sub-inspector in 1949; two years later, the first intake of nine women constables smartly marched onto the parade ground at Wong Chuk Hang.

When women were first recruited, they were regarded as a quaint novelty. No more. Naturally, there are areas like protection of women and children where a female in uniform can cope better than a man. Apart from that, a police officer is a police officer, regardless of gender. In forensic laboratories and on launches far from land, women serve on equal basis with male comrades.

In times of crisis, like the great exodus from China in 1962, women played a crucial role. During that period when tens of thousands of people swarmed over the shallow Shenzhen River, every one of the 273 women in the force was rushed to the frontier. They helped calm the panic and helped in stemming the human tidal waves.

It was the same in the torrid summer of 1967 when women police stood firm against rioting mobs. Their presence brought calm to situations that were potentially explosive.

That first infusion of women in 1951 quickly proved its worth. Out on the streets, they soon stopped being a novelty and became a necessity.

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