Hong Kong police’s elite squads to get new uniforms for better protection, easier identification during operations
- New uniforms for Airport Security Unit, Counter Terrorism Response Unit and Railway Response Team designed to allow for greater mobility, provide more comfort
- Identifying characteristics such as officers’ ID numbers and English abbreviation of unit name relocated to arm area for better visibility
To help members of the public identify duty officers dressed in full protective gear, the word “police” is emblazoned on the left chest area and collar of the new uniform. While the number of shoulder badges shows the officer’s rank, the unique identification number of each individual has been relocated to the arm area bearing the English abbreviation of the squad name in a white font.
“When special unit officers wear protective helmets and bulletproof vests, the shoulder badges are covered, making it difficult for citizens and fellow officers to [identify them]. We used white fonts and added the abbreviations of the officers’ unit on the new uniform to make their identity clear to the public,” said Chief Inspector Hung Yat-na of the Airport Security Unit.
During the social unrest in 2019 over a now-shelved extradition bill, the force faced criticism after members of the Special Tactical Squad, also known as Raptors, failed to display ID numbers on their uniforms – a move to prevent the personal data of officers and their family members from being exposed – when handling clashes with protesters.
Activists argued that officers not showing their ID numbers meant they could escape the possibility of being reported and reprimanded for any misdeeds in the field.
Police later wore operational call signs on their uniforms as the government said the tags were unique and could be used to identify individual officers at protests.
