Diversity in the Public Services and How They Offer Equality of Service

Introduction
In this written report I will be focusing on the diversity of the Hong Kong police force as a public
services case study. In order to achieve the criteria, I will consider the methodology of the police
force in maintaining a diverse workforce and to provide my opinions on their methods. In addition,
I will also mention the efforts the police force in retaining recruits from ethnic minority
backgrounds.
Table Of Contents
1.0 Hong Kong Demographics
2.0 Hong Kong Police Diversity
3.0 Police Force Recruitment Tactics
4.0 Positive Discrimination
5.0 Hong Kong Racial Acceptance
6.0 Racial Profiling in the Hong Kong Police Force

1.0 HONG KONG DEMOGRAPHICS

Hong Kong is an internationally recognised city that inhabits a population of 7.188 million. It is
accredited all over the world as one of the worlds most international city. However, it may be a
surprise for many that the Special Administrative Region is actually made up of 94% Chinese ethnic
citizens. This means that Hong Kong only inhabits an expatriate population of 6%.
2.0 HONG KONG POLICE DIVERSITY
In order for Hong Kong to have a diversity in the police service the percentage of police officers
that are ethnic Chinese should reflect the population percentage (94%), and the ethnic minority
population should mean that percentage (6%) of the police force should be ethnic minorities (far
fewer than you would expect). This is so that officers can better understand the religions, beliefs
and cultures of their own ethnic groups and can more equally and faurly serve them. This is
beneficial for ensuring that all culures and religions are respected.
3.0 POLICE FORCE RECRUITMENT TACTICS
In the Hong Kong police force, use numerous strategies in their recruitment tactics, however they
are not always diverse with the process. Below are numerous activities that are carried out by the
Hong Kong police force:
Posters
When the Hong Kong police force demand new recruits, posters are placed outside (and around)
many government buildings and police stations. They do this in hopes that prospective police
officers or civil servants see the posters and apply for a job in the force.
Below are two separate police recruitment day posters, one from 2011 and one for this year (2016).
Each of the adverts exhibit of police officers standing and facing out to the audience. In figure 1
(from 2011), the advert shows a line of all ethnic Chinese officers. This image immidiately portrays
the fact that there was a lack of diversity within the police force and that they were not neccesarily

targeting that recruitment day towards any other ethnic groups. This poses as an issue with cultural
acceptance in the Hong Kong police. As mentioned above, 6% of the force should be from nonchinese ethnic backgrounds. However this is not reflected from the recruitment tactic in 2011 as
there is a lack of diversity promotion shown. This very different to the London Metropolitain
Police, where they ensure officers of numerous ethnicities are presented in most (if not all) of their
advertising materials.
On the contrary, on the current recruitment poster (2016) there happens to be an officer shown
which is from a non-chinese ethnic background. This portrays a better sense of cultural acceptance
from other ethnic groups and shows that they are seeking recruits of different ethnicities. The ratio
of non-ethnic chinese to ethnic-chinese officers on the poster is also more than accurate. This
shows that the Hong Kong police force has become aware of their lack of diversity and are taking
action. This becomes more like the recuruitment campains found in the Metropolitain Police,
however they still have yet to meet the level of diversity.
In addition to this, the posters below can only be found in Chinese and English. Although it may be
a requirement that all Hong Kong police officers have working proficiency in both English and
Cantonese, providing posters in other languages (that match the Hong Kong population) will make
different ethnic groups feel more welcomed in the police force and ultimately could make the Hong
Kong police more culturally diverse.
As seen on each of the posters, there is only one female officer on each. Although it is good that
there are female officers being shown and that it promotes female acceptance within the police
force, the ratios of men to women do not neccesarily match the ratio of males and females in the
Hong population. This may appear as a threat to some aspirational female officers as they may feel
less superior and included in an environment with far greater numbers of male co-workers (in
apposed to female). The metropolitain police manage to better balance the male to female ration (as
shown in figure 3 below.
Overall, the Hong Kong police force is improving their cultural diversity shown on their print
recrutiment materials, however the required level (to meet Hong Kong non-ethnic chinese
community percentage) of diversity is still unsatisfactory. The police force in Hong Kong are
beggining to include officers of other races in promotional shoots in order to promote an acceptance
of other cultures however without this being communicated on all forms of recruitment, it may not
be good enough to be able to hire the satisfactory amount of non-chinese officers. I would highly
reccomend that all posters from now on should include pictures of officers from different ethnic
groups. This is to ensure that consistency is present and no one feels neglected from apply for the
force (regardless of their ethnicity). In addition to this, some posters of single non-chinese officers
may be effective in residential areas that are highly populated with a specific non-chinese ethnic
group.
In regards to female inclusion in the police force, they should carry out the same measures. Posters
should always include female officers and posters with female-only officers can also be effective.
Adding onto this, more female officers need to be included on print material to better match the
ratio of male to female citizens in Hong Kong.

Figure 1: Police Recruitment Day Poster

Image Source: http://www.police.gov.hk/

Figure 2: Police Recruitment Day Poster

Image Source: http://www.police.gov.hk/

Figure 3: London Metropolitain Police Recruitment Poster

Image Source: http://www.police.gov.hk/

Websites
The Hong Kong police force have a section on their official website that is wholly dedicated to
recruitment. On this subsection, recruitment information such as vacancies, prerequisites and
interview information can easily be found.
Below is a screenshot of the main recuruitment page on the police recruitment section. As you can
immidiately see, the page can only be read in either Chinese or English. It is understandable that
recuruits must be proficient in both languages, however other ethnic groups (not chinese or english
speaking) may be more comfortable reading it in their own language and it may appear as less of a
threat.

On the page banner it can be seen that they have presented the same image of officers as the print
poster (2016). This shows a sense of cultural acceptance from other ethnic groups and shows that
they are seeking recruits of different ethnicities. This is effective for creating interest for nonchinese prospective officers. However the issue still stands that there are too few female officers
shown on the picture, which could potentially drive away female prospects.
I would reccomend the police in Hong Kong to offer their website in more languages than just
English and Chinese to generate interest from a wider pool of ethnicities. Also, I would highly
reccomend that they change their images on their website and put up images of more female
officers to increase recruitment from female citizens.

Figure 4: HK Police Recruitment Website

Image Source: http://www.police.gov.hk/
Recruitment Days
Each year the police force hold at least two recruitment events, one in summer and one in spring (as
shown on their 2015 spring press release (as shown below). In spring 2015, the Hong Kong police
force recieved approximately 1,300 applications from prospective Hong Kong police officers.
However there is a clear issue as there seems to be very few (or even no) non-chinese ethnic
applicants (as shown in the images below). This could very well reflect on the recruitment
campaign of the police force.
An issue is that photos from the year before are included on the press release. Should individuals
from other ethnic groups view the images on these documents, they may be reluctant to apply as

they would be afraid of the rejection (through using race as a deciding factor) and exclusion. I
would very much suggest for the police force to not use the actual event photos on the press release
but release photos displaying a range of ethnic groups to help recurint more non-chinese officers.
At the event (as shown in pictures) all of the banners, singns and instructions appear to be in purely
chinese writing. Although recruits are expected to have a good proficiency in the language,
providing instructions in just chinese could be offputting for prospective officers of other races.
Although the police force are doing a better job with their initial recruitment materials (including
images of officers from different ethnic backgrounds), more work needs to be done to draw these
groups to the police recruitment events. I would reccomend that the police force try their best to
accomodate as many people that make up the 6% non-chinese community to ensure that they avoid
any racial discrimination. I would also sugges that signs, presentations and instsructions and the
events are provided in more languages than just chinese. Finally I would comment that it may be
worth holding targeted recruitment days for specific ethnic groups to promote a better sense of
inclusion, potentially drawing more poeple towards joining the force.
It is also apparent that there are very few prospective female officers seen in any of the photos
below. The same measures should be followed in the sense that photos of previous events that dont
look very diverse should not be released for public view as this may have an effect on the number
of female applicants. As suggested above, all recruitment material (including press releases) should
appear appealing to all genders. Images of female recruits should be prioritised so that prospective
candidates are not lost.

Project Gemstone
Project Gemstone is a programme that provides non-ethnic chinese citizens a chance at entering a
job as a civil servant, such as a police officer. The programme provides a range of classes and
mentorships. The programme provide all students with the neccesary skills, language proficiencies
and knowledge to become a Hong Kong civil servant.
This is a very effective programme as it includes and intergrates other ethnic communities currently
living in Hong Kong in the police force. It provides a means of entry of citizens that do not
neccesarily have the full portfolio to meet the prerequisities.
Although the programme is effective, there are also some issues. Firstly, it becomes a concern of
diversity that non-chinese apsiring officers have to go through an entire progamme before being
considered as a potential police officer, when ethnic-chinese applicants are considered straight
away. It is understood that the ethnic-chinese individuals may have a better Canthonese proficiency,
however some local officers have the issue of not being able to speak a great deal of English. It is
not very fair, nor equal, that those who can speak English well but not Chinese have to undergo a
prolonged course whilst those who can speak Cantonese but not well in English can enter the force
with little effort. I would very much suggest for the police force to launch a similar course for those
candidates who do not present a great level of English proficiency to enable the process to be fair.
To date, the Hong Kong police have managed to achieve some progress in regards to becoming
more racially diverse. Firstly, they have implemented more English language to their recruitment
pages such as on their Facebook page, where previously the posts were predominantly only
Chinese. On their Facebook page, they also have displayed a wider variety of photos of non-ethnic
Chinese police officers on the job (as shown below). This portray that they are trying to reach to a
non-ethnic Chinese group through social media. In addition to this, much of the written instructions
and prerequisites of how to become a police officer has been better presented in recent years with
videos, diagrams and comprehensive text (all in English variations). The police website also
recommends alternative ways for those non-ethnic minorities looking to apply for a job in the
police, who are not completely qualified. The site provides links to courses at government
institutions and universities.

Figure 5: HK Police Recruitment Website

Image Source: http://www.police.gov.hk/

4.0 POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION

Positive discrimination is a recruitment strategy used in the UK which is basically a way for the
police to be picky in a positive way. What positive discrimination is a process that sets a target for

the amount of ethnic minorities (say 30 candidates). In this recruitment process the force must hire
30 ethnic minorities (if available) over any other candidates (local chinese-ethnic) regardless of
their skills, abilities and performance.
In terms of the advantages, I would say that it provides a good method to ensure the satisfactory
number of ethnic minorities are provided a job in the Police Force and increases the cultural
acceptance and diversity of the entire force.
On the contrary, there are also some concerns with this. It would be rather worrying at times that
police recruiters would pick candidates that may not have the skill set of others, yet they are being
picked because of their race. A trained and skilled police force is a safe police force.
However I would say that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in the sense that over time
more ethnic minorities will feel willing to join the force and some may have more skills than others.
Also cultural and religious understanding factors in as a huge part of police perfomance. Having
officers from a wide background ensures more understanding within the police service.
I would very much suggest Hong Kong to adopt the same strategy. Hong Kong would find it more
difficult to recruit ethnic minorities as right now there are very few in the force and not many are
willing to join as they feel neglected. This strategy should be implemented alonside targeted
campaigns for indivual ethnic groups.

5. HONG KONG RACIAL ACCEPTANCE

In 2009 a survey was carried out to measure the cultual and ethnic acceptance of police recruits that,
at the time, were taking part in their inagural police training. From this survey, a total of 1862
responses were taken in and some of the results were shocking. The survey questions included
numerous froms of acceptance. Below are some examples.

6.0 RACIAL PROFILING IN THE HONG KONG POLICE FORCE

It is stated in the Hong Kong basic law, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that
all citizens should be treated equally and fairly. This should apply to everyone regardless of their
nationality, race, and gender however, as it seems this is not always displayed in the Hong Kong
police force. Below are previous real life examples of this law and human right being violated by
the Hong Kong police force.

A typical example is Mr. Limbu's case. On 17 Mar 2009, a Nepalese man, Limbu was shot dead by
a police constable Hui Ka Ki on a hillside in Ho Man Tin. After 76 days of court hearings, the Jury
returned a verdict of lawful killing.

Many groups concerned with the rights of ethnic minorities argued that the courts decision was
biased and unfair to Limbu. They pointed out that the police spoke only Cantonese to Limbu before
shooting, but didnt ensure he understood their warnings. In addition, Limbu didnt carry any lethal
weapons or hold any hostages and did not present a threat to public safety. They questioned whether

the police fully followed the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law
Enforcement Officials. These principles instruct that law enforcement officials may use force and
firearms only when strictly necessary, particularly in the case of lethal weapons. However, the High
Court Judge ultimately dismissed the judicial review.
I believe that this is unfair treatment primarily due to a language barrier and a misunderstanding. It
is anything but fair that the officers had only communicated with him in Cantonese, without
knowing that he was able to understand the language or the commands given.

http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/70040/law-and-order-a-special-report-on-170-yearsof-hks-police-force.html
http://www.police.gov.hk/