Remember the name Winnie Chiu. The 54-year-old Hongkonger is set to become the Hong Kong Police Force’s highest ranking female officer in its 173-year history this weekend, when she will be promoted from senior assistant commissioner to deputy commissioner.
The government announced yesterday that Chiu will succeed incumbent Deputy Commissioner (Management) Chau Kwok-leung, after he retires on Friday. Chiu will be joining the ranks of incumbent Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Alan Lau.
Chiu began her law enforcement career as an inspector in 1983. After serving in a wide range of posts spanning criminal intelligence, narcotics investigation, international liaison and training, in 2014, Chiu became the first female senior assistant police chief.
However, force insiders told SCMP that neither of the deputy commissioners are likely to become the next police chief as Senior Assistant Commissioner (Operations) Chris Tang is tipped to succeed Commissioner Stephen Lo.
The Junior Police Officers’ Association welcomed Chiu’s appointment, saying it believed she would continue to maintain good communication, cooperation and relationship with frontline officers.
Apple Daily, meanwhile, talked to some of Chiu’s colleagues, who described the deputy commissioner-to-be as a cautious person who seldom makes mistakes.
Sources told the SCMP that three other female police officers are tipped to take senior roles in the coming months, two of which are in the core team protecting Hong Kong’s first female CE Carrie Lam, meaning that a record high of four out of 21 top management positions on the force will be occupied by women. Too bad about the total lack of gender diversity in Lam’s cabinet, though.
