Latest news with #ChrisTangPing-keung
The Star
29-04-2025
- The Star
Hong Kong police to use drones for urban patrols later this year, source says
Drones will patrol areas with concentration of old tenement buildings, where scaffolding is common, in bid to prevent burglaries, insider says. — SCMP Hong Kong police will introduce drone patrols in urban areas in the second half of the year in a bid to prevent burglaries, the Post has learned. A source revealed that the drones would be used to patrol areas with a concentration of old tenement buildings, such as Yau Tsim Mong and Sham Shui Po districts in Kowloon. 'One of the purposes will be to tackle burglaries, targeting buildings covered with scaffolding,' the insider said. 'That's why the patrols will be launched in areas with more tenement buildings, as renovation works for ageing buildings require the use of scaffolding, and that is an easy spot for burglars.' The source added the force would also carry out trials of drone patrols at the city's border police district in the northern New Territories for security purposes. In December of last year, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung told lawmakers police would use drones for patrols should regulations allow it. The patrols would take place on set routes planned ahead of operations to avoid residential areas. Tang said during the meeting that police drones would feature flashing red and blue lights to 'show that they are on a mission', as well as display reflective labels or symbols for identification. The source said the drones were expected to fly around tenement buildings to monitor them for any suspicious people climbing scaffolding, but officers watching the drone footage would also be able to recognise authorised repair works. 'Officers can also have discussions with the owners of the building. If we see people climbing the scaffolding, we can ask them if they have repair works going on,' the insider explained. The source added that the urban drone patrol operations would comply with the city's privacy laws. The force has been using drones to broadcast messages in Sheung Sze Wan in Sai Kung and residential areas in Clear Water Bay to ask residents to remain vigilant against burglaries and report any suspicious activity in nearby bushland and forests since July of last year. The messages were broadcasted in Cantonese, English and Bahasa Indonesia. Police have also been using drones at remote sites to detect suspicious people hiding in rough terrain and at busy large-scale events to monitor crowds and traffic flows. A separate source said drones had already been deployed in seasonal anti-burglary patrols in some rural areas in the city. There were 1,220 burglary cases last year, a drop of 9.9% over the 1,354 cases in 2023 and the second-lowest figure since records began in 1969. The force said the detection rate of burglary cases last year stood at 38%, the second-highest since records began in 1977. Security minister Tang also revealed last year that about 800 members of the disciplined services were qualified to handle sophisticated drone operations, holding an advanced rating from the Civil Aviation Department. Drones are also used in daily police operations in mainland China. Shenzhen's Public Security Bureau said the city had 1,667 drone pilots working for authorities, conducting 149 air patrols each day on average last year. Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming, who assumed the top job on April 2, earlier revealed the force would study using robots and robot dogs to reduce manpower. He said the force was researching whether robots could be used to catch thieves, perform other types of work or go out on patrol. Several mainland provinces currently deploy robot dogs for policing purposes to enhance efficiency. Chow said the force was in discussion with mainland authorities to explore how robot dogs could be deployed. The United States also uses robot dogs for policing. – South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
14-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong visa relaxation sparks surge of Vietnamese visitors
Nearly 5,000 Vietnamese visitors were granted 'multiple-entry' visas to Hong Kong in the 16 months following the relaxation of entry rules, more than 15 times the total recorded in the preceding five years, according to the city's security minister. Advertisement Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung informed lawmakers at a Legislative Council security panel meeting on Monday that the total number of such visas granted to applicants from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar had also increased from 50 in the five years before the relaxation of criteria to 110, from the time the criteria was eased from last October until this February. The Hong Kong government eased the application criteria for multiple-entry visas for visitors from some of the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2023 and 2024. This allows individuals with a history of trouble-free travel to various countries to encourage them to visit the city. Previously, the criteria for such visas depended on the applicant's frequency of visits to Hong Kong and their adherence to the law during their stays. Generally, applicants were required to have made three or more visits to Hong Kong in the past 12 months Advertisement Authorities also extended the validity period for these multiple-entry visas for Asean countries from two to three years, with each permitted stay remaining at a maximum of 14 days. 'We believe that the relaxed criteria have strengthened the exchanges between Hong Kong and these Asean countries,' Tang said.
South China Morning Post
02-04-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong rescue team pulls survivor from rubble of Myanmar earthquake
A Hong Kong rescue team, alongside mainland counterparts, found a survivor in the rubble of a Mandalay hotel in Myanmar on Wednesday. Advertisement Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that a 52-year-old man was rescued from a hotel on 65th Street in Mandalay by the city's rescue team, in collaboration with the Chinese rescue force. 'I am happy, moved and proud to hear the news, and I sincerely thank every member of the national team and the SAR rescue team for their hard work,' Tang wrote in a social media post. The Hong Kong rescue team continued to search overnight for several days even though the 'golden time' for rescuing people had passed, he added. The first 72 hours after an earthquake are typically regarded as the 'golden window' for finding victims buried alive under rubble. The chances of survival without a water source decline rapidly after this period. Advertisement Cheu Yu-kok, the commander of the city's search and rescue team, called the latest development 'very encouraging'.
South China Morning Post
19-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong passes its first cybersecurity bill covering critical infrastructure
Hong Kong's legislature has approved the city's first bill targeted at cybersecurity for computer systems needed for critical infrastructure, with operators facing fines of up to HK$5 million (US$643,444) for failing to keep them up to date. Advertisement The Legislative Council on Wednesday passed the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (Computer System) Bill amid a spate of cyberattacks against essential service providers. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said authorities would start setting up a commissioner's office and shortlisting affected operators by June, with a target for the legislation to come into effect on January 1, 2026. The bill covers infrastructure in eight areas deemed crucial to the normal functioning of society – the energy, information technology, banking, communications, maritime, healthcare services, and land and air transport sectors. Other infrastructure operators maintaining critical social and economic activities, such as those managing major sports and performance venues, as well as research and development parks, were also included. Advertisement 'The purpose of the bill is to establish legal requirements for organisations designated as critical infrastructure operators, to ensure they take appropriate measures to protect their computer systems and reduce the impact of their operations on society and residents' daily lives in the event of a cyberattack,' Tang said.
South China Morning Post
13-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
Raise alert on risk of Asian cross-border scams
Regional cooperation is key to combating the rapid growth of phone fraud and organised cross-border crime. Evidence of that includes the recent rescue of six Hongkongers from a forced-labour scam farm in Myanmar. Advertisement Twenty-five of 28 Hongkongers detained in Southeast Asian countries in scams since 2024 have now been released. These and other rescues are testament to the joint efforts of government officials and police from the mainland, Thailand and Myanmar, as well as Hong Kong, in freeing detainees. The Security Bureau has pledged to save the three Hong Kong residents still on its case list as soon as possible. In January, local authorities set up a six-member task force of security, police and immigration officials, with a direct line of communication to Thai authorities in Bangkok. Advertisement Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung flew to Thailand to help coordinate rescue work, announcing last week that the latest group of six had been freed.
