Influencing Police Performance

This assignment content comprises a collection of research studies and articles related to factors affecting police officers' participation and performance, particularly in the context of management development programs and distance education. The sources include doctoral theses, research projects, journal articles, and online resources that explore various aspects such as morale, perception of police reforms, satisfaction with police services, and effectiveness of police performance. The studies investigate the impact of factors like leadership, job satisfaction, and training on police officers' behavior and outcomes.

Running Head: Dissertation Thesis
Research Report: Investigate factors affecting the effectiveness of police performance in Hong
Kong

Dissertation Thesis
Abstract
This research report reflects the results of a study that has been undertaken on the
various factors influencing the performance of the police force in Hong Kong. The police
force is one of the key authorities that have been entrusted with the duty of providing
protection and safety to the society against any criminal or antisocial activities. However,
there are various advantages and disadvantages of working as a policeman in the civil
society. This is because there are various adverse forces in the society and community that act
as barriers or hindrances to the normal functioning of the police force. The research has
endeavoured to find out these major influences that act as deterrents to the seamless
functioning of the police force in Hong Kong. The methodology of the study consisted of a
literature review procedure that delved into various sources of information such as authentic
websites, journals, reports, etc. for gathering essential information which the analysis of the
study was based upon. The study also included a primary research process that was
undertaken on 100 policemen in different districts and localities of Hong Kong. They were
administered with interview questionnaires such that qualitative information can be collected
from them on the various challenges they face in their professions on a daily basis. Finally,
the findings of the literature review were compared with that of the qualitative interview
results and the existing research gaps have been identified. Based on the conclusions of the
study, the plausible recommendations have been offered to the police force personnel such
that they can offer even better social security and protection to the people by trying to
mitigate the major challenging factors that might prevent them from performing as per their
capabilities and expectations of the public.
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Dissertation Thesis
Acknowledgements
I hereby acknowledge that the said research thesis is solely my own creation and has
not been copied or abridged from any other source. I would like to thank my professors,
colleagues, family members and the Hong Kong police force for their assistance in this
project. It would not have been possible for me to undertake the research and finish it
successfully, without their extensive support and encouragement.
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Dissertation Thesis
Table of Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................................1
Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................2
Chapter One- Introduction.........................................................................................................5
The Problem...........................................................................................................................5
the functions of police personnel...........................................................................................5
Rationale of the study.............................................................................................................6
Significance of the study........................................................................................................7
Objectives of the study...........................................................................................................7
Chapter Two- Literature Review...............................................................................................8
Introduction............................................................................................................................8
Research questions...............................................................................................................16
Chapter Three- Methodology...................................................................................................17
Research Approach..............................................................................................................17
Data collection methods.......................................................................................................18
Qualitative data collection................................................................................................18
Quantitative data collection..............................................................................................19
sample..................................................................................................................................20
research instrument..............................................................................................................21
Data analysis methods..........................................................................................................23
limitations.............................................................................................................................24
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Dissertation Thesis
Chapter Four- Findings............................................................................................................25
Qualitative Research Findings:............................................................................................25
Quantitative Research Findings:..........................................................................................28
Chapter Five- Discussion.........................................................................................................43
Chapter Six- Conclusions.........................................................................................................46
Reference..................................................................................................................................49
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Dissertation Thesis
Chapter One- Introduction
THE PROBLEM
The problem that the said research addressed encompassed the various factors that
influenced the effectiveness of the performance of the police force in Hong Kong. The main
purpose behind the development of the police force by the government is to ensure there is
social law and order within the society (Li & Sun, 2015). The police force is entrusted with
the responsibility of tackling various situations within the society such as crimes, violence,
acts of theft, burglary, terrorist activities, sexual harassment against women and a host of
other activities. The traffic police are in charge of establishing law and order related to the
flow of traffic within the city such that there are no unnecessary traffic jams and accidents
due to the non-observance of driving rules and guidelines. But, on many occasions the
policemen and policewomen are not able to perform their duties effectively because of
various factors such as lack of proper infrastructure, management, scarcity of modern
equipment and political biases. The police personnel are trained and developed with the oath
to dedicate their lives to the welfare and protection of the society at all costs. But, on various
occasions they are not able to stay true to their promises. Some of these factors are induced
by the social and political system of the country while the others depend on the personal
ethics and honesty of the police personnel (Clarence, 2010).
THE FUNCTIONS OF POLICE PERSONNEL
The Hong Kong police can be considered as the gatekeepers of the entire criminal
justice infrastructure and they are also the main commanding agents in the domain of
ensuring social stability, performing restoration of order and controlling the various problems
in the society(Wong, 2010).They are also entrusted with the powers related to criminal law
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Dissertation Thesis
by the government and they are also empowered to play the role of crime fighters such that
they are able to successfully suppress the various criminal activities. The police personnel are
also empowered to enforce the various laws and protocols related to the compliance(Chan &
Chan, 2012).They have the power to stop and search any person if they suspect something
illegal. They can question any person regarding any act of offence or crime and undertake a
thorough search on any person that they suspect to be associated with an anti-social or illegal
act. According to Section 49 of Public Order ordinance, any police personnel from the Hong
Kong police department might ask a person to furnish his or her identity proof for the purpose
of inspection. If that person is not able to produce the required ID proofs, then the police have
the authority to impose a fine of around $10,000 or recommend an imprisonment of that
person for a minimum period of 6 months. Thus, the primary function of the Hong Kong
police force is to maintain law and order in the country and play the role of a peacekeeper in
the society and intervene in any situation that might pose threat to the safety, security and
sustainability of the society(Law Teacher, 2018).
RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
The rationale behind conducting the research study has been to understand the role
played by the Hong Kong police force in protecting the social law and order of the nation
over the years. It is necessary to understand that the reason that the common people are safe
and secure today inside and outside their homes is due to the pivotal role played by the police
personnel in tackling various challenges and ensuring that they offer their ethics, dedication
and sincerity in upkeep of the overall social security and stability. But, there are many
occasions where the police personnel have displayed inefficiency to successfully deal with
various cases of crime or other forms of violence in the society. The research has been
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Dissertation Thesis
undertaken in order to delve deeper into these loopholes that have made the job of the police
unsatisfactory at times. The identification of the problem areas would help the police
department and the government of Hong Kong in devising quick and prudent strategies such
that the police personnel are adequately backed up and supported with the necessary
requirements that could be strategic power or material equipment such as modern weapons
and ammunition to curb the occurrence of various unlawful activities.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research study has been executed for examining the roles played by the police
personnel of the Hong Kong police department in ensuring the observance of law and order
in the society. In course of the research study, it was observed that there are many situations
where the police personnel have not been able to showcase or demonstrate their expected
level of competence. This is because of various factors that restrict them on many cases from
playing the expected role in solving the case by identifying and arresting the convicts as per
the rules and regulations pertaining to the penal codes. These factors are in the form of lack
of adequate leadership and management on certain occasions, scarcity of modern state-of-the-
art equipment and technology to fight criminal and terrorists that use highly advanced
categories of weapons and ammunition. Often the police personnel are not able to take the
necessary actions due to the pressure of various political parties. Hence, the research has been
conducted with the intent of revealing the major challenges that act as barriers to the
functioning of the police units within the country along with the various positive outcomes
that the society has gained from the presence of the police force.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The research has the following objectives that it endeavoured to achieve:
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Dissertation Thesis
 To identify the current state of effectiveness of the police force in Hong Kong in
terms how active and successful they are in handling emergency situations
 To determine the major barriers restricting the actions and operations of the police
force in Hong Kong
 To find out the areas where there are needs of improvement in the current police
actions infrastructure and systems in Hong Kong
 To identify the impact of the political, social, economic and legal factors on the police
performance in Hong Kong
Chapter Two- Literature Review
INTRODUCTION
The police personnel provide different functions which ensure social and economic
growth and protection of the public safety and security in a nation where the citizens could
live in a peaceful and disciplined environment. The effectiveness of their performance
depends on several factors. These factors have been analyzed with the help of different
sources of information which are collected to extract the needful information and resources
regarding the factors affecting the effectiveness of police performance and the study have
been conducted in the context of Hong Kong. The resources have been collected from the
context of several nations and also on Hong Kong so that the findings could be used to enrich
the knowledge and to increase the quality of the study.
According to Tengpongsthorn (2017), there are various factors which are responsible
for the performance of the police works. From the research on this ground there are two
factors which are mainly the motivators and hygiene factors found to be having positive
impacts on the performances of the work of the police. The effectiveness of the police work
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Dissertation Thesis
performance gets positively impacted if the motivation factors and hygiene factors. The
conditions in which the police personnel work, the adequacy of the equipment and job
satisfaction are the major factors towards increasing the performance of the police personnel.
It is found that lack of modern equipment and imbalance of workforce and manpower could
hinder the effectiveness of the working performance of the police personnel. It is very
important to understand the factors which are really important to increase the performance of
the police personnel as they provide services towards enhancement of safety, security, peace,
discipline, regulations and protection of common properties of the public. The functions
being performed by the police personnel are meant for the increase in growth of the social
and economic development of the countries. Each police personnel could contribute to the
effectiveness with which the entire police system of the countries could become reliable and
effectives (Tengpongsthorn, 2017).
In the opinion of Mboroki (2012), there are certain political, social and economic
factors which exert influence on the effectiveness of the performances of the police
personnel. The pressure of the political leaders or the factors sometimes intervene the job
performance of the police. The political influence is very common. There are certain
situations when the public themselves start intervening into the jobs of the police and that
makes difficult for the police to take their actions. For example, in case of entertainment
place the public intervention gets highly increased and to establish discipline and security to
the celebrities the police personnel have to come up certain strict regulations and control in
such places. Sometimes the actions of the police personnel get influenced or impacted either
positively or negatively by the economic factors. The context and contents of the policies
towards the jobs of police also influence their performance effectiveness. There could be
many confusions if the policy contexts and contents are not fully communicated to the police
personnel in clear terms and they are made aware of the changes in the policies. The
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Dissertation Thesis
administration of the working of the policy contents has to be established so that the working
of the police personnel could be channelized in the right direction (Mboroki, 2012).
According to Adorjan and Lee (2016) the correct assessment of the police
performance in Hong Kong can be made through the feedbacks from the general public that
are facing various issues daily in their lives where they require the services of the police in
one way or the other. The researcher conducted a focus group study on the public for
collecting the feedbacks that have helped in understanding the overall perception of the
public regarding the effectiveness of police performance. The observations indicated that the
majority of the public are generally happy with the effectiveness of the police in handling
crimes, but they were apprehensive and gave mixed reviews in the domain of police
effectiveness in public order policing and stop and search performed by the police on most of
the occasions. The article also reflects the importance of the police-citizen relationship that is
instrumental in creating an ambience of mutual trust that ensures that the citizens trust the
police personnel and their strategies and vice versa. The research necessitates the existence of
a warm relationship between the police and the citizens such that they can cooperate with
each other and help one another in times of need. Thus, it can be said that the overall
performance of the police in Hong Kong is appreciated by the majority of the citizens but
there are certain areas where there needs to be more effectiveness from the side of the police
personnel and the overall infrastructure of the entire police system (Adorjan & Lee, 2016).
In the opinion of Robinson and Tilley (2009), the investigations related to the volume
crime incidents and the related processes of attrition are important domains for understanding
the essence of police performance. The research has been conducted on more than 3000
incidents involving motor vehicle and burglary where many participants have been
interviewed and data were recorded in the form of documentary to arrive at the major factors
those are associated with detection. The results of the study have depicted that the
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Dissertation Thesis
performance of the police improved when there were substantial leads available at the crime
scene where the offender was caught immediately or at later stages when the offenders were
caught. Hence, the availability or non-availability of sufficient leads affects the police
performance in different situations (Robinson & Tilley, 2009).
In the opinion of Pimton (2001), the police duty encompasses the overseeing of the
activities at the entertainment places like the clubs and dance bars. The public administration
law requires that these places must function according to the ethical and legal guidelines such
that no illegal and unsolicited activities are conducted in such places. In many of the
entertainment places there are random incidents of crime and illegal activities. There are
many cases of sexual harassment on women, brawls, even murders in many entertainment
places that are investigated by the police department. In some of the cases, the police
personnel are not allowed to conduct a true and fair analysis of the incident and they are even
discouraged not to proceed on some of the cases if they involve some influential people like a
politician, or an influential person in the society. These persons use their power and position
to hamper the normal police investigations such that the police department cannot proceed on
such cases and must close the case. This often occurs due to some of the corrupted police
personnel also that are ready to accept bribes for not proceeding with such cases. Therefore,
the political and social corruption can be considered as one of the major causes of hindrance
of the police activities (Pimton, 2001).
According to Lee and Yun (2014), the participation of the police force in some cases
also depends in some of the cases where they must work in conjunction with private
investigators. In many criminal cases the client gives the responsibility of doing the
investigation for a crime on some private detectives. The police department also must play its
own role. Therefore, there is the need to work together to find clues and evidences that could
help to solve the case. In such situations, the police personnel need to cooperate with the
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Dissertation Thesis
private investigators and vice-versa. This might have some advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages are that the cooperation might help the case to be solved earlier than
expected. However, for such prompt and fast results, it is expected that there should be
effective understanding between the two parties. But, often the private investigators might
create hindrances in the normal performance of the police personnel and this often leads to
conflicts between the two parties that could be costly for the case. The police personnel often
want to follow their own techniques and processes whereas the private investigators might
think that some of the other processes might be better. Thus, private investigation often
creates problems for the police department to function according to its own strategies (Lee &
Yun, 2014).
In the opinion of Jack (2005), the modern-day police organizations have their own
development programs such that they can encourage and attract young talent towards the
lucrative and respectable job of being police personnel. Serving the society and the
community is one of the most respectable career choices that can be possible for a young and
enthusiastic graduate. Hence, the Queensland Police Department attracts new talents that are
dedicated in serving the society and community in a way that will help the people belonging
to different communities feel secure and safe in the society. In order to encourage the new
joiners and for the purpose of motivating them to educate themselves in police training by
imparting theoretical and practical knowledge the department has been conducting a
management development program for police officers. In this respect the role of management
education is important in transferring the police services from being vocational training to
professional courses. This training and development program is also important for the
experienced police personnel within the police department. The Management Development
Program that is being undertaken by the Queensland Police Service department for the Police
Service Officers also and that has helped them acquire enhanced skills and knowledge in the
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Dissertation Thesis
ways to tackle various situations and to be equipped with the desired resources to combat
diverse types of crimes or other anti-social activities. Thus, having a management education
program for the police personnel seeks to enhance their performance manifold and can be
considered as a positive intervention in their daily activities (Jack, 2005).
In the observation of Kabia (2013), the police reforms are essential in the society and
community such that the present infrastructure of the police services can be enhanced and
that they can be enhanced in technology and techniques. As for example, the police personnel
are entrusted with the duty of serving the society and the community under various forms of
challenges and unfavourable circumstances. Hence, they should have the access to modern
weapons, technologies and knowledge about modern combat technologies that will help them
achieve better responses from their performances of various tasks related to the upkeep of the
safety and security of the society from any form of crime and other illegal activities. In
Kenya Police Service there is the need for improving the entire system by integrating the use
of modern technologies and methods of fighting crimes. The reforms will consist of
recruitment, training and development, legal structure, service terms, etc. The modern crimes
are rising and therefore the police department needs the state of the art technologies and
knowhow in handling various crimes and illegal activities going on in the society. Therefore,
reforming the entire police structure and system is a mandate that every police department
must consider from time to time such that it is possible for the personnel to upgrade their
knowledge, skills, experiences and at the same time increase the efficiency with which the
police department can address the various emergency situations (Kabia, 2013).
According to Spottiswoode (2018), the efficiency of the police force is one of the
prime determinants of success of police force. Efficiency of a police force can be measured in
several ways such as the technical efficiency and the ways in which the works are done. The
technical efficiency of the police force ensures that the highest possible level of services is
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Dissertation Thesis
offered to the society with the resources that are available to them. The effectiveness of the
police force represents the right services that are delivered to the right clients at the right time
and at the right place. This efficiency of the police force is impacted by the government’s
several policies which empower the police force to act upon various cases occurring within
the society. The government’s role is pivotal in ensuring the effectiveness with which the
police force can work within the society. If the government is strict about controlling crime
and other illegal activities, then it must provide the appropriate support and infrastructure to
the police department so that they can ensure safety and security of the society at all costs.
But, on many occasions, some of the corrupted government officials, use their power and
authority through coercion and undue influence through which they try to intervene in
various police cases. This naturally limits the functioning of the police department and they
cannot freely conduct their activities with freedom and authority (Spottiswoode, 2018).
The information that is available from the website of Takshila (2018), discusses about
the various problems that might be faced by the police force in India. One of the major
problems that might be faced by the police force is the over-burdening of tasks and duties that
is primarily observed at the lower ranks such as the constables. Often, they are forced to work
for a continuous period of 14-16 hours for seven days in a week. This naturally impacts their
performance. The weapons that are provided to the lower-ranked police officials such as the
constables, are obsolete and they cannot be matched with the much-advanced weaponry that
are used by the criminals and anti-social elements. The training programs that have been
developed for the police often violate the human rights as many of them are extremely
challenging for the police personnel and inhuman also at some time. Many a time same police
personnel are made to work on cases of crime investigation and law and order situations. This
is illogical and unscientific as this puts extreme burden on the police personnel to cater to
both types of services. Crime and anti-social acts have been criminalized and as a result of
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Dissertation Thesis
this the police department is not able to function with freedom, autonomy and ethics as in
many cases they are coerced and forced to release criminals unethically on the request of
some influential persons in the society or politicians. There exists dual command at the levels
of state and district that have often created coordination problems amongst the police
personnel and the civil servants. This leads to situations of ego clash and personal differences
that are difficult to be resolved (Takshila Online, 2018).
In the opinion of Cappitelli (2016), there are several reasons that the modern police
forces are often handicapped in facing urgent situations such as terrorist activities or large-
scale social unrest. The methods of policing observed in many of the developed and
developing nations are still not up to the mark in terms of the technology used to combat such
contingent situations. The urban terrorists have access to far more advanced weaponry and
ammunitions, improvised explosive devices and guerrilla warfare strategies that they deploy,
and the modern police force is no match with them when it comes to the techniques and
technologies used combined by the terrorists. Unlike the army and the special commandos
that are much highly trained, the investment by the governments behind the development of
the police infrastructure and facilities is limited and this is the reason behind the police force
not being so much effective as the army or the specialized units. Hence, in order to ensure
that the police are better-equipped to face the various scenarios of terrorism and other large
scale social unrests it is obligatory for the governments in the said countries to ensure that the
police personnel are given more rights and empowerment to act on their own and to be able
to indulge in activities that are legal and ethically right without the fear of being supressed by
influential people in the society. Only, then the trust and confidence of the people will
increase on the police department and their capabilities and the society will be more
supportive and sympathetic towards the police personnel (Cappitelli, 2016).
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Dissertation Thesis
According to Webster (2016), with the change of time, there has been significant
changes in the domains of crime, communities as well as the social values of the people
residing within the different communities. The police personnel need to change their
strategies and technologies accordingly to match up with the changing demands of the society
in terms of the modernization of the various forms of crimes and other anti-social activities
within the modern society. At such a juncture it is imperative that the police personnel be
provided with all the requisite resources such that they can combat effectively in such
situations. Therefore, the resource prioritization is one of the prime functions of the modern
police commissioners as they need to identify the areas where there is the need for the most
focus and thereby the investments should made on those areas as priorities. In England &
Wales there are various challenges that are faced by the police from time to time such as
changing government rules and legislations that makes it extremely difficult for the police
department to stay focused on their activities. The other major problem that affects the police
performance in the UK is the widening of the scope of the police activities as a result of
which the expectation of the public regarding the police services has also increased manifold
and this is creating additional burden of expectancy on the police department without the lack
of proper resources and technology to effectively take care of all those domains (Webster,
2018).
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research will seek answers to the following questions:
 What are the major areas of functioning for the police department in Hong Kong?
 What are the primary authorities that influence the operations of the police department
in Hong Kong?
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Dissertation Thesis
 What is the general perception of the public about the police effectiveness in Hong
Kong?
 What are the major barriers to normal functioning of the police personnel in Hong
Kong?
 To what extent to the barriers impact the effectiveness of the police activities within
Hong Kong?
 What necessary steps should be taken in future by the government to enhance the
police effectiveness in Hong Kong?
Chapter Three- Methodology
RESEARCH APPROACH
The said research study has undertaken the shape of an exploratory study that sought
to gather data from various primary and secondary sources for conducting the analysis and
arriving at effective interpretations of the research. The first phase of the research study
consisted of a comprehensive literature review that has been conducted about the numerous
factors affecting police performance in general and in respect of Hong Kong. Since there are
not too many available resources on the topic of the major factors affecting the effectiveness
of police performance in Hong Kong, the review of the literatures has been based on the data
pertaining to the factors influencing police performance across various parts of the world.
Various authentic sources of information such as journals, reports, publications and websites
have been studied for the purpose of gathering substantial evidence and knowledge upon
which the research has been based. The study across several countries with respect to the
various challenges faced by the modern police personnel has helped to offer key insights on
the major reasons due to which the police department across several countries often cannot
perform to the level expected of them.
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Dissertation Thesis
The exploration of the key issues that are being faced by the police personnel all
around the world have depicted a realistic picture regarding the limitations of the police
personnel as public service providers. These significant issues are worth consideration by the
governments of several countries around the world, including Hong Kong, that also suffers
from some of the factors as revealed in the extensive literature study. It has been possible to
learn from the review of the various sources of literature that there are many drawbacks in the
modern police system that exists in Hong Kong likewise in other major developed and
developing nations around the world. These factors are the key hindrances to the flourish and
authority that the police department personnel are ought to be empowered with. The various
societal and political causes have restrained the capacity of the police officers in Hong Kong
as they have in other parts of the world and these key issues that have been identified have
restricted the freedom of action and authority of decision-making by the police personnel.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Qualitative data collection
The data collection of the research has been conducted on the basis of the qualitative
approach. It refers to the strategy where the researcher collects data that are non-numeric in
nature as for example they do not represent any quantitative measure that can be formed into
numbers. The said methodology of the research can consist of various forms of data
collection strategies. Qualitative data can be collected through primary as well as secondary
data collection methods. In primary data collection approach, the researcher might use
various methods of qualitative data collection such as interviews, focus groups, etc. The
interview process is one of the most popular methods of qualitative data collection process.
The interviews can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured. In structured
questionnaires the same questions are asked to all the respondents, in semi-structured
questionnaires some of the questions asked to all the respondents are common while the
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Dissertation Thesis
others are uncommon. The unstructured questionnaires are those that are uncommon and
unique for all the respondents.
For this particular research study, the researcher has used the structured questionnaire
that was the same for all the respondents. The researcher has selected participants from the
police department of Hong Kong that work in different ranks. They have been offered with
interview questionnaires consisting of open-ended questions. The open-ended questions were
based on the opinions of the police personnel as to what they think are the major factors that
affect their operations within the police department. There were other questions such as those
on the opinions of the police personnel on the current strengths and weaknesses of the police
department in terms of the technology, infrastructure and policies framed by the government
for the police department in Hong Kong. The respondents were free to put forward their
personalized feedbacks and opinions and this was one of the major strengths of the research
as the qualitative data collection made it possible to gather the exclusive and non-
manipulated responses of the participants. Thus, it can be said that the success of the research
can be attributed a lot on the qualitative data collection procedure that helped to collect the
valuable and straightforward responses of the respondents (Sutton & Austin, 2015) (Gill,
Stewart, Treasure, & Chadwick, 2008).
Quantitative data collection
Quantitative data collection represents the accumulation of data in quantitative format
that is numeric in nature. It helps in undertaking a quantitative analysis of the data that helps
in depicting the results in terms of several numeric. It is one of the most effective methods of
data collection that can be conducted in various methods, one of which is the survey method.
Surveys are conducted on the research participants that are selected from the population. The
surveys are generally questionnaires that consist of closed-ended questions (Mora, 2010). The
closed-ended questions are the ones that consist of various options for a single question that
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Dissertation Thesis
are generally provided in the form of rating scales such as the 5-point Likert scale. These
scales have various options to choose from in terms of their magnitude (Rhodes, 2014). The
respondents can only choose one option for a single question. In this way, all the responses
are collected from all the respondents in the survey and the final result is analysed with the
help of various software such that the results can be depicted in the form of graphs and charts.
In respect of this research study the survey questionnaires were used for the purpose
of gathering data in quantitative form from people in the society that belonged to various
social classes and communities living in Hong Kong. As for example, the survey
questionnaires were administered to the people in order to gather their feedbacks on the
effectiveness of the police force. The questionnaires were based on closed-ended questions
that were designed to ask the most relevant information to the respondents such that their
effective feedbacks can be gathered that would help in the quantitative analysis of the data.
The researcher has designed the questionnaires based on some scales like few of the
questions were based on the 5-point Likert Scale while there were others too that were also
based on multiple options. The respondents needed to select only one option from each of the
questions. Ultimately the responses have been analysed quantitatively in order to arrive at the
major findings from the study in terms of whether the majority of the people were happy with
the effectiveness of services by the police department.
SAMPLE
The sample in a primary research refers to the portion of the target population that a
research study seeks to address to and consider for achieving the expected results from the
research study. The sampling is one of the key methodologies in a research study and
therefore it should be conducted with prudence and diligence such that the researcher is able
to select the right participants for the research study. The sampling for this particular research
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Dissertation Thesis
study has been conducted in two phases. In the first phase of the primary data collection
approach, the sample for the qualitative interview has been selected by the researcher. The
sample respondents for the qualitative research consisted of 5 police personnel working in
different ranks of the Hong Kong police department. They were selected randomly with the
application of the random sampling procedure. They belonged to the different departments of
the department and had diverse experience and knowledge in the police service sector in the
country (Chaudron & Carlier, 2014).
For the second primary research that was conducted on the basis of quantitative
research approach survey questionnaires have been administered to around 50 respondents
that were the normal civilians. They were selected on the basis of random sampling and were
from a large age bracket consisting of people from around 21 years to 60 years of age. Hence,
it can be said that the researcher has included the views and perspectives of people belonging
to diverse age groups in his research study and therefore the findings from the quantitative
research can be considered as credible and therefore can be relied upon in determining the
general observations of the people of Hong Kong regarding the effectiveness of the police
services.
The sample participants were categorized into the police personnel working in the
Hong Kong police department those were considered for the purpose of the interview and
then the common civilians that are the people that can be the best judge and critique for
analysing the effectiveness of the police performance and the various strengths and weakness
of the Hong Kong police department that have been perceived by them.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The research instrument refers to the tool that is used by a researcher for the purpose
of collecting the primary data from the various respondents. It is the device that enables the
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Dissertation Thesis
researcher to collect qualitative as well as quantitative data depending on the objectives of his
research. In case of the qualitative data collection the most widely used instruments are the
interview questionnaires (Wyse, 2014). They are the instruments that contain open-ended
questions where the respondents have the liberty to offer their own feedbacks and this is
significant for the research study as the respondents are able to feel free to offer their opinion
and suggestions that might be different from the information and knowledge that is gathered
from the various sources of literature (Sincero, 2013). The success of a research study is
dependent to a great extent on the wise use of the research instrument. For this particular
research, the researcher has administered the interview questionnaires on the police personnel
that have been selected as participants of the qualitative primary data collection phase of the
research study.
The research instrument that is quite popular in the domain of quantitative research
study such as quantitative primary data collection is the survey questionnaire. It consists of
various closed-ended questions that are forwarded to the respondents that have been selected
on the basis of the requirement of the research. The survey is a data collection process where
there are several questions that have multiple choice answers that the respondents must select.
However, for each question, the respondents can choose only one option. These questions can
be based on certain scales also which have several rankings that depict the relative rankings
of the responses. The advantage of a survey is that it enables the researcher to guide the
responses of the participants within the fixed choices that the researcher wishes to focus upon
in the said research study. In respect of this research it can be said that the quantitative
research instrument administered is the survey questionnaire that has been forwarded to 50
civilians on a random basis that belonged to a wide age range and from different classes and
communities within the society.
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Dissertation Thesis
DATA ANALYSIS METHODS
The analysis of the data that have been collected in a research study is one of the most
important phases of a research work. This is the stage where all the collected data is gathered
and arranged such that effective analysis can be conducted on the data. The data analysis can
be conducted on the qualitative data as well as on the quantitative data than has been
collected as a part of the research. In this exploratory research work consisting of mixed
methodology of data collection and analysis, the procedures of data analysis have been
conducted in two phases.
First, the qualitative data that has been gathered from the interview process has been
analysed with the help of a qualitative approach. It refers to the process where the qualitative
information has been gathered from the police personnel working in the Hong Kong police
department. At first the responses offered by the respondents have been studied and evaluated
in detail for arriving at the major points of similarities upon which a conclusive analysis can
be conducted with the depiction of credible and dependable results. For this, the researcher
has undergone a thorough scrutiny of the responses given by the participants of the
qualitative interview process. The focus was to gather and arrange the responses under
separate headings depicting the major points that the research study wished to seek answers
to. This was achieved after a careful and diligent reading of all the responses and making
notes immediately such that the key features of such responses can be recorded from the
responses of each of the 5 respondents. After the determination of the similarities in
responses, the researcher also identified the discrepancies that existed in the responses of the
participants as they also offered key inputs to the research.
In the next phase of the data analysis, the researcher conducted the analysis on the
quantitative data collected from the surveys conducted upon the 50 civilians belonging to
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Dissertation Thesis
diverse demographic groups based on age, occupation, income, gender, social class, etc. In
the survey the respondents were asked various questions based on multiple options. The
respondents selected only one option for one question that they considered to be the most
relevant and appropriate to their logic and thoughts. The researcher ensured that all the 50
survey questionnaires were fully completed before undertaking the analysis. This was done to
ensure that all the respondents were able to offer their feedbacks based on each question and
they select one option mandatorily for each of the questions. The responses regarding each of
the questions in respect of all the respondents were recorded in MS Excel spreadsheet. Then
analysis was conducted for each of the questions by using the numeric responses to each one
of the questions. They were depicted in the form of charts and graphs such that a more
comprehensive analysis of the data is possible. The depiction of the results into bars and
charts have facilitated the findings of the quantitative data analysis based upon which the
interpretations have been offered.
LIMITATIONS
A research study might have some limitations that can be of various forms. As for
example, there can be limitations related to budget, time, research approach and various other
factors that can act as certain barriers to the research study. But, these limitations are a
common part of any research study that the researcher needs to consider in his research work.
As for example, the limitations of this research study were the time limit and the budget
constraints due to which it had to be conducted on a very small sample of respondents. The
other limitation of the research was that it depended mainly on the primary data rather than
secondary data. In primary data the research becomes more dependent on the personal
choices and discretions of the respondents that might not always be true and authentic. The
responses from many of the participants can be manipulative. Hence, the credibility of the
data and the findings of the research can often be questioned. Had the research been
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Dissertation Thesis
conducted on the basis of secondary data also that includes reports from government sources,
corporate establishments or other secondary research studies, then the findings could have
been more credible and accountable.
Chapter Four- Findings
The findings from the primary data collection procedures have been discussed under
distinct sections such as the findings from the qualitative analysis and the quantitative
analysis.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS:
The qualitative interview has been conducted on 5 police officers serving the Hong
Kong police force under various departments. Their responses to the following questions
have been elucidated in this section.
Q.1 Departments in which the police personnel worked
The police personnel that have been chosen as the respondents in the qualitative
interview worked in different departments such as Operations & Support, Crime & Security,
Personnel & Training, Management Services and Finance, Administration & Planning.
Hence, the research considered the perspectives of the police personnel engaged in various
forms of operations within Hong Kong. This has added credibility and accountability to the
research findings.
Q.2 Experience of the police personnel
It was learnt from the interview that out of the 5 police personnel, 1 had experience of
3 years, 2 had experience over 5 years and 2 had experience of more than 15 years in their
respective departments. Therefore, it is evident that the research considered the perspectives
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Dissertation Thesis
of the police personnel having variety in experience and that has been significant for the
research study.
Q.3 Opinion of the police personnel on the modern police department infrastructure
The majority of the police personnel working in the different departments agreed that
thought there has been significant improvement in the police department infrastructure in the
last decade, yet there are many loopholes that need to be plugged such that the police officers
can offer much better services to the society in terms of offering more prompt responses and
better social security through the implementation of more advanced technologies in
weaponry, warfare tactics and crime scene investigation.
Q.4 Observations of the police personnel on the major forces acting against the police
department
It has been known from the respondents that some of the major factors that affect the
functioning of the police department are the lack of trust of the civilians on police action s
and intentions, political and social influence that hinders the ethical functioning of the police
force on many occasions, lack of adequate power, authority, empowerment and autonomy of
the police force that has to wait for the decision of the influential political parties and
influential persons from the society for the majority of the criminal cases. All these incidents
have tarnished the image of the police force and many of the people do not consider the
activities of the police officers to be fair and ethical and they are always in suspicion. This
has been the major drawback of the police force.
Q.5 The areas of strengths and weaknesses of the police department
The areas of strengths of the police department according to the personnel are the
modern techniques and procedures that the Hong Kong police utilizes to work on different
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Dissertation Thesis
cases of social security. The Hong Kong police force is a modern unit with modern
technologies and strategies with effective support from the government. This was countered
by some of the other personnel that opined that there are weaknesses in the areas of access to
modern technology and equipment, barriers to autonomy and open decision-making due to
undue influence on the actions of the force and lack of effective interventions from the
government to improve the situation.
Q.6 The future recommendations for improvement in the current infrastructure and
procedures
The major recommendations that have been made by the police officers can be
enumerated as follows:
 There needs to be significant development in the technology and equipment that are
being offered to the police personnel so that they can compete with the terrorists and
anti-social elements that have access to much advanced weapons and technologies.
 The training and development programs should be more focused on the modern
warfare techniques such as guerrilla warfare, better teamwork, knowledge of using
modern weapons and using the communication network effectively.
 The government should bestow more authority and empowerment on the police
department and offer them more support and backup so that the police department is
able to function without any undue influence of any influential person or political
parties.
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Dissertation Thesis
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS:
The findings of the survey have been showed with the help of charts and the response
table where the responses of the 50 respondents have been shown.
21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60
1. Age 12 20 10 6
21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 Above 60
12
20
10
6
2
1. Age
The above chart shows age of the respondents of the survey. There have been 12
respondents who belong to the age group of 21-30 years, 20 respondents belong to the age
group of 31-40 years, 10 respondents belong to the age group of 41-50 years, 6 respondents
belong to the age group of 51-60 years and 2 are above 60 years of age.
Male Female
2. Gender 29 21
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Dissertation Thesis
Male Female
29
21
2. Gender
The chart shows that there were 29 male respondents and 21 female respondents.
Service Business Self-employed
3. Occupation 24 14 12
Service Business Self-employed
24
14
12
3. Occupation
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Dissertation Thesis
The respondents of survey are from different occupational backgrounds like 24
respondents are from service background, 14 respondents are businessmen and 12
respondents are self-employed.
Hong Kong citizens Expats
4. Nationality 37 13
Hong Kong citizens Expats
37
13
4. Nationality
Out of 50 respondents in total there have been 37 respondents who are citizens of
Hong Kong and 13 respondents are expats.
High School Graduate Post-graduate
5. Qualification 15 27 8
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Dissertation Thesis
High School Graduate Post-graduate
15
27
8
5. Qualification
The chart above shows the qualification of the respondents. There have been 15
respondents who have education qualification of high school, 27 respondents are graduates
and 8 respondents have done post-graduation course.
Highly
agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Highly
disagree
6. The Hong Kong
police force is highly
efficient in its
operations
12 10 5 17 6
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Dissertation Thesis
Highly agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Highly
disagree
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
12
10
5
17
6
6. The Hong Kong police force is
highly efficient in its operations
The respondents have been asked whether the Hong Kong police force is efficient or
not at which the majority of the respondents have said that they disagree with their efficiency.
There have been 17 respondents who have disagreed that the Hong Kong Police force is
highly efficient in its operations, 6 respondents have highly disagreed and 5 have been neutral
at this. There have been 12 respondents who have agreed that the Hong Kong police force is
highly efficient and 12 respondents have highly agreed to this.
Yes No Maybe
7. Have you ever required the
services of the police in your life?
34 11 5
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Dissertation Thesis
Yes
No
Maybe
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
34
11
5
7. Have you ever required the
services of the police in your life?
The above chart depicts that majority of the respondents have said that they have
required the service of the police in their life. Out of 50 respondents 34 respondents have said
that they have ever required the services of the police in their life. 11 respondents have said
that they have ever needed the services of the police in their life till then and 5 respondents
have said may be they ever required the services of the police in their life.
Burglary Murder Accidents Other crimes
7.a. If yes, then what type of
incidents did those involve?
11 9 10 4
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Dissertation Thesis
Burglary
Murder
Accidents
Other
crimes
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
11
9
10
4
7.a. If yes, then what type of
incidents did those involve?
The chart above shows the types of accidents for which 34 respondents have taken the
services of the police in Hong Kong. Out of 34 respondents 11 respondents have taken the
police services for burglary, 10 respondents have taken the services of the police because of
accidents and 9 respondents have taken the services for murder cases. There have been
4respondents who have said that they have taken the help of the police services for some
other crime incidents.
Highly
agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Highly
disagree
8. Did the police
respond promptly in
such cases and offered
assistance?
9 12 4 7 2
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Dissertation Thesis
Highly agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Highly
disagree
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
9
12
4
7
2
8. Did the police respond promptly in
such cases and offered assistance?
The respondents have been asked whether the police have responded promptly in the
cases where the 34 respondents have said that they have taken the police services. Out of 34
respondents there have been 12 respondents who have agreed to the fact that the police
responded promptly in such cases and offered assistance. 9 respondents have highly agreed to
the fact and 4respondnets have been neutral at this. There have been 7 respondents who have
disagreed with the fact that the police responded promptly in such cases and offered
assistance and 2 respondents have also highly disagreed with the fact.
Promptness Ethical
operations
Skills and
technology
Empathy Autonomy
9. What according to
you is the major
strength of the police
force?
17 9 13 7 4
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Dissertation Thesis
Promptness
Ethical operations
Skills and technology
Empathy
Autonomy
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
17
9
13
7
4
9. What according to you is the major
strength of the police force?
The respondents have been asked the areas where they think the police force are
strong enough. The majority of the respondents have said that the promptness is the major
strength of the police force. Out of the 17 respondents have said that according to them
promptness is the major strength of the police force while 13 respondents have said that to
them skills and technology are the major strengths of the police force. There have been 9
respondents who have said that to them ethical operation is the major strength of the police
force and 7 respondents have said that to them empathy has been the major strength of the
police force. 4 respondents have said that to them empathy is major strengths of the police
force.
External
influence
Internal influence Others
10. What is the major perceived
drawback of the police force?
23 18 9
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Dissertation Thesis
External influence
Internal influence
Others
0 5 10 15 20 25
23
18
9
10. What is the major perceived
drawback of the police force?
The respondents have been asked about the perceived drawback of the police force at
which majority of them have said that external influence is the major drawback of the police
force. Out of the total respondents there have been 23 respondents who have said that
external influence is the major perceived drawback of the police force while 18 respondents
have said that the internal influence is the major perceived drawback of the police force.
Remaining 9 respondents have said that other factors are the major perceived drawback of the
police force.
Political
power and
authority
Corruption of
police
Lack of
modern
weaponry &
infrastructure
Lack of
effective
government
intervention
Mistrust on
the police
11. Which according to
you is the biggest threat
to police operations?
23 11 7 3 6
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Dissertation Thesis
Political power and authority
Corruption of police
Lack of modern weaponry & infrastructure
Lack of effective government intervention
Mistrust on the police
0 5 10 15 20 25
23
11
7
3
6
11. Which according to you is the
biggest threat to police operations?
The researcher has asked the respondents regarding their opinion about the biggest
threats to the police operations at which majority of the respondents have said that political
power and authority are the biggest threats to the police operations. Out of the total
respondents there have been 23 respondents who have said that political power and authority
are the biggest threats to the police operations while 11 respondents have said that corruption
and police is the biggest threat to the police operations. There have been 7 respondents who
said that according to them lack of modern weaponry & infrastructure have been the biggest
threats to the police operations. 3 respondents have said that lack of effective government
intervention is the biggest threat and remaining 6 respondents have said that mistrust on the
police has been the biggest threats to the police operations.
Yes No Maybe
12. Do you consider the Hong Kong
police to be one of the best in the
world?
16 25 9
38

Dissertation Thesis
Yes
No
Maybe
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
16
25
9
12. Do you consider the Hong Kong
police to be one of the best in the
world?
Out of 50 respondents there have been 16 respondents who have said that the Hong
Kong police to be one of the best in the world while this has not been supported by 25
respondents. Rest 9 respondents have said that may be the Hong Kong police to be one of the
best in the world.
Technology
&
equipment
State-of-the-
art
infrastructure
Effective
communicatio
n network
Prompt
response and
intervention
Physical
fitness and
tactics
12.a. If yes, then which
is the major reason for
such consideration?
4 3 4 3 2
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Dissertation Thesis
Technology & equipment
State-of-the-art infrastructure
Effective communication network
Prompt response and intervention
Physical fitness and tactics
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
4
3
4
3
2
12.a. If yes, then which is the major
reason for such consideration?
The respondents who have said that the Hong Kong police to be one of the best, have
been asked about the major reason for such consideration and it has been seen the
respondents have given their responses. Out of the 16 respondents 4 respondents have said
that technology and equipment is the major reason for such consideration while another 4
respondents have said that effective communication network has been the major reason.
There have been 3 respondents who have said that prompt response and intervention has been
the major reason while 2 respondents have said that physical fitness and tactics of the police
force is the major reason behind their consideration of the Hong Kong police to be one of the
best in the world.
Primitive
techniques
and
equipment
Lack of
professionalis
m of the police
Corruption
and unethical
actions
External
influence
like political
parties
Other
reasons
12.b. If no, then what is
the major influencing
factor for such
8 4 10 2 1
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Dissertation Thesis
decision?
Primitive techniques and equipment
Lack of professionalism of the police
Corruption and unethical actions
External influence like political parties
Other reasons
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
8
4
10
2
1
12.b. If no, then what is the major
influencing factor for such decision?
The respondents who have said that they do not consider the Hong Kong police to be
one of the best in the world, have been asked the reasons for their responses at which
majority of them have said that corruption and unethical actions have been the major
influencing factors for such decisions. Out of 25 respondents there have been 10 respondents
who have said that corruption and unethical actions have been the major influencing factors
for such decisions while 8 respondents have said that the major reasons to be the primitive
techniques and equipment. There have been 4 respondents who have said that lack of
professionalism of the police has been the major reason while 2 respondents have said that
external influence like political parties has been the reason and one respondent has said that
there are other reasons behind their consideration.
Free from
political
and social
influence
Access to
modern
weapons and
tactics
Bestowing
more
autonomy
and authority
Enhanced
rights and
empowermen
t
Faster
response to
exigencies
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Dissertation Thesis
13. What will be the
most important area of
improvement of the
police force?
19 18 9 3 1
Free from political and social influence
Access to modern weapons and tactics
Bestowing more autonomy and authority
Enhanced rights and empowerment
Faster response to exigencies
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
19
18
9
3
1
13. What will be the most important
area of improvement of the police
force?
The respondents have been asked to provide their feedback regarding the most
important area of improvement of the police force. Out of the total number of respondents
there have been 19 respondents who have said that the most important area of improvement
of the police force is the freedom from political and social influence. 18 respondents have
said that access to modern weapons and tactics are the most important area of improvement
of the police force. 9 respondents have said that bestowing more autonomy and authority
been the most important area of improvement of the police force and 3 respondents have said
that enhanced rights and empowerment have been the most important area of improvement.
The faster response of the exigencies has been the most important area for improvement of
the police force.
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Dissertation Thesis
Chapter Five- Discussion
Discussion of qualitative findings:
The key findings derived from the interview with the police officers working in
different departments of the Hong Kong police force revealed valuable insights about the
working of the police force in various areas such as several cases of crimes, social unrest,
accidents, etc. It was learnt that there are several limitations and advantages of the police
force in terms of their actions. The findings have helped to determine some of the key factors
affecting the police performance such as the political influences and coercion, corruption in
the social system, lack of effective training and development of the police officers, scarcity of
modern equipment and technology to combat exigencies and the lack of expected
intervention by the government in order to enhance the current infrastructure and extend
more financial and technical support to empower the Hong Kong police force even more such
that it can be more effective in resolving various social security issues and more importantly
influence the society in keeping their trust and faith on the ethical functioning of the police
department.
Discussion of quantitative findings:
This section deals with the discussion of the findings of the quantitative research. The
survey responses have been analysed and the discussion is based on the responses of the
respondents. From the responses of the respondents it has been seen that the respondents have
given some mixed feedback regarding the efficiency of the Hong Kong police force. It could
be seen that 34% of the respondents have disagreed that the Hong Kong police force is highly
efficient in its operations while 24% have agreed. This means that there is opportunity for the
Hong Kong police force to enhance their efficiency. There have been 50 respondents among
whom 34 respondents have said that they have needed the services of the police in their life.
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Dissertation Thesis
So it could be seen that 68% of the respondents have said that they needed the services of the
police so they could provide the feedback from their own experiences (McQuerrey, 2018). It
has been seen that mainly because of burglary, murder and accidents the services of the
police have been taken by the respondents. From the findings it could be said that majority of
the respondents have agreed with the fact that the police responded promptly in such cases
and offered assistance, 35% of 34 respondents have agreed and 26% respondents have highly
agreed to this (Griffiths, Murphy, & Tatz, 2015). But there have been some respondents who
have taken the services and assistance of the Hong Kong police and have provided the
feedback which shows that they are not that satisfied with the promptness in the service
delivery of the police. This is very important for the police department to know the
emergency incidents have to be taken care of on immediate basis. The services must be able
to serve the needs of the people who are in danger or unfortunate emergency situations and
the victims of mishaps (Goldstein & Susmilch, n.d.). The respondents have thrown light on
the areas where they think the Hong Kong police force has major strengths. 34% of the
respondents have said that to them promptness is the major strength of the police force while
26% of the respondents have said that to them skills and technology are the major strengths
of the police force. There have been other areas also where the respondents have said that the
police force is strong like empathy, ethical operations and autonomy.
It is seen that according to 46% of the respondents have said that according to them
the external influence is the major perceived drawback of the police force while 36% of the
respondents have said that the internal influence is the major perceived drawback of the
police force. So it could be said that there have been both some kinds of internal and external
influences which have been the major perceived drawback of the police force (Johnson,
2015). These influences sometimes hinder the operations and autonomy of the police force
and they could not take the necessary actions during the time of need. From the responses of
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Dissertation Thesis
the respondents it could be said that there have been 46% of the respondents who have
pointed out that the political power and authority are the biggest threats to the police
operations while 22% of the respondents have said that corruption and police is the biggest
threat to the police operations. Others have also said that lack of modern weaponry &
infrastructure, lack of effective government intervention and mistrust on the police are the
biggest threats to the police operations (Crabtree, Rios, & Revelo, 2014). So it could be seen
that the operations of the police get threatened by these factors and they could hinder the
effectiveness of the police operations. Out of the total respondents there have been 32% of
them who have said that the Hong Kong police to be one of the best in the world while 50%
of them have not supported this view. Out of 32% of the respondents who have said that the
Hong Kong police to be one of the best in the world have pointed out that the technology and
equipment, effective communication network, response and intervention, physical fitness and
tactics are the major reasons for such consideration (Covington, 2015).
Of those 50% of the respondents who have said that they do not believe that the Hong
Kong police to be one of the best in the world have pointed out some of the reasons behind
such consideration. They have said that unethical actions, corruption and unethical actions,
primitive techniques and equipment, lack of professionalism of the police, external influence
like political parties have been the major reasons behind such consideration. The areas which
are important for the improvement have also been identified by the respondents. It has been
seen that 36% of the respondents have said that access to modern weapons and tactics are the
most important area of improvement while 18% of the respondents have said that bestowing
more autonomy and authority been the most important area of improvement of the police
force. There have been some more areas like enhanced rights and empowerment and faster
response of the exigencies which are important for the overall improvement of the police
force.
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Dissertation Thesis
Chapter Six- Conclusions
In conclusion it can be re-instated that the police department is one of the most
effective and influential social security forces in respect of a nation. The civilians look up to
the police department and rely on them for their social safety and security. Therefore, the
police force should undertake a responsible approach and should engage in fair and ethical
services to the society. But, in due course of this research study it has been identified that
there are many loopholes in the functioning of the police personnel in the Hong Kong police
department. The police personnel do not often have the power, autonomy and authority to
take actions based on their own discretions as they are often crippled by the undue political
influence that restricts them to undertake legal and ethical proceedings in many of the cases.
This is one of the major reasons, behind lack of trust and faith of many civilians on the police
department of Hong Kong.
The findings have revealed that there are some advantages of the police force also as
perceived by some of the police officers such as availability of modern technologies,
infrastructure and support from the government. Hence, it can be said that there was a mixed
outcome of the results in relation to the effectiveness of the police force functioning in Hong
Kong. Some of the police officers believed that the police department has been effective
enough in combating various social safety and security issues, whereas there are many
civilians that have raised questions about the effectiveness and integrity of the police
personnel on various occasions.
The entire research has been conducted on different factors affecting the effectiveness
of police performance in Hong Kong. Several literature and sources of information have
been collected to develop the understanding on the operations and effectiveness of the police
force. The resources have been collected from the external sources and the findings of the
46

Dissertation Thesis
analysis have been linked with the findings of the primary research. The resources and
information are collected from different sources presenting the information of the police
operations and police force of all over the world. The research has been conducted with
efficiency and effectiveness so that the target audience could get the proper understanding on
the subject area of the topic. The main aim of the police force is to provide the citizens
ample safety and security and to eliminate the anti-social and illegitimate activities from the
country. The role played by the police force in Hong Kong has been analysed intricately in
this research. The role is quite significant and carries many expectations from the public. It is
very important to identify the needs of the citizens where they have certain expectations from
the police services and they want to have highly effective and efficient operations for the
safety and security of the citizens and overall discipline in the country. The police services
could be made more effective and improved with further reformation in the policies and the
system. The influences which are hindering the operations of the police should be controlled
and restricted. The fairness in the entire system would regenerate the trust and faith of the
citizens on the services of the police departments. The improvements are needed in the
operations and the strategies of the police force. The respondents have also said that there are
some areas where the improvement should be initiated so that the operations and the service
delivery of the police force of Hong Kong could be of outstanding nature.
Both the internal and external influences which affect the operations of the police
force have to be controlled. There should be faster responses to the exigencies. There should
enhanced rights and empowerment to improve the services of the police services. The police
should be given more access to the modern weapons and tactics so that they could provide
effective services to the citizens. The political and social influence on the operations of the
police force has to be controlled and there should be adequate autonomy so the emergency
47

Dissertation Thesis
situations could be handled. The police force should also ensure that the autonomy and power
are used for the good of the law and discipline.
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Dissertation Thesis
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