About 1,400 complaints were lodged against the Hong Kong police this year, an increase of about 3.8 percent compared to 2016, according to reports.
The figures were revealed by Chief Superintendent of Complaints Against Police Organisation Chung Gin-gwong during a meeting with the Independent Police Complaints Council on Tuesday, according to Apple Daily.
Speaking on Tuesday, Chung said most public complaints this year against officers belonged to the “minor allegation” category.
Such offenses — including the use of profanity, misconduct, having a poor attitude and neglect of duty — accounted for 85 percent of all cases.
Cases of beating, threatening and abuse of power, meanwhile, have decreased by 30 to 40 percent, respectively, he said.
“We also see that serious allegations [against the police] have shown a tendency of declining,” Chung explained. Complaints about fabricating evidence increased 4.2 percent to 25 cases.
Chung went on to say that not all allegations were substantiated. He said “misunderstandings” could sometimes be to blame.
“Receiving complaints does not necessarily mean that my colleagues have done anything wrong,” he said.
During the meeting, a spokesman from the Independent Police Complaints Council also mentioned that the body had so far investigated 168 of 172 complaints filed during the Umbrella Movement.
The image of Hong Kong’s police force has taken a hit since heavy-handed tactics, such as tear gas and batons, were used against unarmed and largely peaceful Umbrella Movement protesters in 2014.
The issue was again in the headlines this week, with the conviction on Monday of retired police superintendent Franklin Chu King-wai, who was found guilty of assaulting a passerby with his baton during an Occupy protest in Mong Kok.
