Police step up intelligence gathering ahead of July 1
The Commissioner of Police, Raymond Siu, on Saturday said the force will “resolutely enforce the law” if anyone attempts to incite or commit illegal acts that undermine social peace and the security of Hong Kong and the nation. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Hong Kong Police College, Siu also noted that the force is stepping up online and offline intelligence gathering ahead of SAR Establishment Day on July 1. “If we are aware of any attempt to disrupt social peace, we shall certainly act quickly,” he told reporters after attending the ceremony. “We shall make appropriate deployments to maintain national security and also Hong Kong's public safety and order. We shall make sure there are sufficient numbers of officers on duty on July 1 to ensure that all celebrations are conducted in a safer and orderly manner,” he said. He added that "while society seems peaceful on the surface, there are still many ‘undercurrents’". “External forces or some anti-China rioters, who have fled Hong Kong, have attempted to smear the National Security Law via various means, or incite others to hate the central government and the SAR government, I call on the public to be careful.” Separately, Siu said there had been a significant rise in burglary cases in the city, with the number rising by 30 percent year-on-year to 604 in the first five months.  He said village houses were especially vulnerable with break-ins rising by 170 percent. He attributed the cases to increased travel and called on the public to lock doors and windows when going out. “Of course, we have also stepped up patrols - especially in areas where there are village houses,” he said. The number of the city's overall criminal cases, meanwhile, stood at 36,940 in the first five months of the year, increasing by three percent from the same period a year ago, according to Siu.