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.
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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.
The new designs are based on opinions collected from officers and management, as well as taking reference from special operations units from mainland China and overseas, according to Hung.
To provide better protection and convenience for officers, a lighter, more breathable knitted material was used for the new uniforms.
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A three-dimensional cutting was incorporated to allow for greater mobility. Hung noted that the regular auxiliary uniforms worn by Counter Terrorism Response Unit and Railway Response Team officers did not provide enough flexibility.
“Their work involves a lot of running and climbing, which requires much flexibility in their uniform,” Hung added.
Multipurpose pockets were added to the arm and leg areas for officers to store notebooks and backup ammunition.
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Padding was added to the shoulder, forearm and knee areas to provide more comfort. Hung said it was to prevent straining, especially for Airport Security Unit officers who each needed to carry an MP5 submachine gun weighing up to 3.1kg while on duty.
The current uniform for the Airport Security Unit has been in use for 25 years. Counter Terrorism Response Unit and Railway Response Team officers who formerly wore regular auxiliary uniforms, will now be wearing attire specific to their units.
Each unit now has its own uniform with a designated colour for better differentiation. While Airport Security Unit uniforms will retain their signature dark blue colour, those for the Counter Terrorism Response Unit and Railway Response Team will be light blue and light grey respectively.
The new uniforms would be in the trial stage in the coming two to three months, and Hung said the force would consult frontline officers and continue to improve the design.
Special unit officers would wear the new uniforms during security operations for the handover celebrations, she added.
Additional reporting by Christy Leung
