Maintenance of law and order was one of the most formidable tasks facing the Hong Kong authorities after 1841. Piracy menaced trade and every junk ran the risk of capture, and there were carefully planned attacks on selected vessels regularly. On land, robbery and burglary were commonplace.
Gambling houses and opium dens continued to flourish and were controlled by triad societies.
In view of this situation, soldiers were recruited as police in the early years.
In 1844, the Police Force was set up while a District Watch Force was also formed in 1866 to patrol the streets at night.
Moreover, the British forces in Hong Kong played a major role in maintaining law and order.
Various kinds of punishment including sentencing to death, imprisonment, deportation, flogging and parading around the city were employed to deter people from committing crimes.
Credit : History Museum of HK.
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