Police Practice in Hong Kong and New York: A Comparative Analysis

Despite their geographic and national differences, there are remarkable similarities between the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The purpose of this study is to compare contemporary police practices in these two police organisations and thereby to obtain a better understanding of current policing issues in general. We offer this comparative assessment within the context of our descriptions of the overall organisation and operations of the HKPF and the NYPD. While we find some differences, these differences are eclipsed by the similarities between the two police forces in their hierarchical structure and their core police activities such as crime control, emergency response, order maintenance and community relations. We end the paper with a brief discussion of the implications of these structures and operations for policing in general.