Hong Kong police chief vows technology push with robot dogs, CCTV and drones
In an exclusive interview, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming told the Post that the force would have to make good use of technology in the modern era, but emphasised that automation would never replace human officers.
'Technology is something that we can ride on,' Chow said. 'We can make good use of it and see if we can save some manpower and enhance operational effectiveness, but it doesn't mean they can replace human beings.'
The police chief made digital policing one of his four strategic directions for the 27,000-strong force after taking office in April, succeeding Raymond Siu Chak-yee upon his retirement. Three months into his tenure, the force has been increasing the number of surveillance cameras installed across the city has started a trial of drone patrols.
Chow told the Post that police had procured a few robot dogs to explore how they could be used, with the force currently testing them by using them to conduct checks and patrols in detention cells at police stations.
'Even though now most of the detainees are aware of the CCTV, we still need some police to check the cells and to see if there's anything, maybe there are some blind spots,' he said.
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