Eighty citizens and seven organisations commended for helping Police fight crime (with photos)
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The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) held the “Good Citizen Award (GCA) Presentation Ceremony 2024” at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (February 23), to commend 80 citizens who have assisted the Force in fighting crime and upholding law and order. The Force also presented the Good Organisation Award to seven organisations in recognition of their efforts in supporting the Police’s publicity work on anti-deception and crime prevention, as well as crime detection.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, expressed his gratitude to the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC), the Fight Crime Committee (FCC) and various stakeholders for their vital support in carrying forward the GCA Scheme, so as to cultivating a culture of combating crime in the community. He believed that the spirit of good citizenship can be put into practice in everyone’s daily lives. He also appealed to all sectors of the community to be united, genuine and sincere in preventing and combating crime, so as to achieve synergy and weave a safety net for the community.
Also officiating at the ceremony, the Chairman of the HKGCC, Ms Agnes Chan, said that the “Good Organisation Award” recognises organisations that have been actively assisting the Police in preventing and combating crime, and commended those for their innovative approach to promote anti-scam messages. She emphasised that with the concerted efforts of the public, businesses and law enforcement agencies, a safe business environment can be established, thereby consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre. A member of the FCC, Ms Melody Kwok, stressed the importance of collaboration between the Police and the community. She hoped that members of the public would continue to demonstrate the spirit of good citizenship and help each other to make Hong Kong a better place to live in and work.
Eighty good citizens were recognised for assisting the Force in preventing or detecting crime, arresting criminals and saving lives. This year’s “Good Citizen of the Year Award” (GCYA) was presented to nine awardees, who were commended for their bravery during a No. 3 alarm fire broke out at a building on Jordan Road in Yau Ma Tei last year. The awardees volunteered to assist in evacuating residents trapped in the building.
Launched in 1973, the GCA Scheme is jointly organised by the HKPF and the FCC, with the support of the HKGCC. Each awardee is awarded a certificate and a cash prize of $3,000, while each GCYA recipient is awarded a plaque and a cash prize of $4,000. More than 4,700 citizens have been commended over the years.
The theme of this year’s scheme is “Good Citizen – Good Stories – Everywhere”, highlighting that the stories of good citizens can be found everywhere, just like clothing, food, housing and transport, which are part of our daily life. Echoing the theme, a new video series entitled “Hidden Good Citizen”, featuring the stories of four groups of GCA awardees was launched. Those awardees have also been invited to participate in the film.