The 28 Chiefs of Police in Hong Kong

From 1841 to 2009, there are 28 police chiefs in Hong Kong. The first three were actually chief magistrates whose mandate included police work. During the colonial administration 23 were British and 2 Chinese. The current chief, Tang King Shing, is the fourth one after the return of Hong Kong to China. Hui Kei On was the last and the first – the last of the colonial era and the first of Hong Kong SAR.

Chief Magistrate (總裁判司), whose mandate included police work

1.William Caine (威廉·堅恩) (1841-1844)
2.Haly (希利) (February 1844), acting
3.J. Bruce (布思) (March 1844), acting

Captain Superintendent of Police (警察司), Hong Kong Police Force formally established in 1844

4.Charles May (查理士·梅理) (1844-1862)
5.William Quin (昆賢) (1862-1867)
6.Walter Meredith Deane (田尼) (1867-1892), the longest-serving chief
7.Alexander Herman Adam Gordon (哥頓) (1892-1893)
8.Francis Henry May (梅含理) (1893-1901)
9.Francis Joseph Badeley (畢利) (1910-1913)
10.Charles McIlvaine Messer (馬斯德) (1913-1918)
11.Edward Dudley Corscaden Wolfe (胡樂甫) (1918-1929)

Inspector General of Police (警察總監), name of position changed in 1929

Edward Dudley Corscaden Wolfe (胡樂甫) (1929-1934)
12.Thomas Henry King (亨利) (1934-1938)

Commissioner of Police (香港警務處處長), name of position changed in 1938

Thomas Henry King (亨利) (1938-1940)
13.John Pennefather-Evans (俞允時) 1940-1941)

During Japanese occupation

Captain of the Hong Kong Kempeitai (gendarmerie) (野間憲之助) (1941-1945)

Commissioner of Police (香港警務處處長)

John Pennefather-Evans (俞允時) (1945)
14.C.H. Sansom (辛士誠) (1945-1946)
15.Duncan William MacIntosh (麥景陶) (1946-1953)
16.Arthur Crawford Maxwell (麥士維) (1953-1959)
17.Henry Wylde Edwards Heath (伊輔) (1959-1966)
18.Tyrer (戴磊華) (1966)
19.Edward Caston Eates (伊達善) (1967-1969)

Commissioner of Police (皇家香港警務處處長), the police force became the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1969

Edward Caston Eates (伊達善) (1969)
20.Charles Payne Sutcliffe (薛畿輔) (1969-1974)
21.Brian Francis Patrick Selvin (施禮榮) (1974-1979)
22.Robert Thomas Mitchell Henry (韓義理) (1979-1985)
23.Raymond Harry Anning (顏理國) (1985-1989), last British Commissioner
24.Li Kwan Ha (李君夏) (1989-1994), first Chinese Commissioner
25.Hui Ki On, Eddie (許淇安) (1994-1997)

Commissioner of Police (香港警務處處長), police force renamed Hong Kong Police after the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997

Hui Ki On, Eddie (許淇安) (1997-2001)
26.Tsang Yam Pui (曾蔭培) )2001-2003)
27.Lee Ming Kwai (李明逵) (2003-2007)
28.Tang King Shing (鄧竟成) (2007- )

Return to Hong Kong's First Police Chief