Frontline officer earns inspector role, targets CID
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago5 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Police College held its passing-out parade on September 12, graduating 127 trainees into operational policing, including 17 probationary inspectors and 110 recruit police constables. Among the new probationary inspectors was Lai Yuen-man (黎遠汶), a serving officer who joined the force in May 2016 and, after 10 years of frontline work and part-time study, advanced into the inspectorate.
Key Points
- Lai served in several frontline postings, including uniform patrol, report room duties, the Tactical Unit, the Police Tactical Unit and the New Territories North Emergency Unit
- He said he had wanted to sit the inspector examination since joining as a constable, but delayed because he lacked a degree and felt his language skills were not strong enough
- While working, Lai completed a bachelor’s degree in 2020, then improved by reading news daily and hiring a foreign tutor to strengthen his English after failing his first extended interview
- Lai, 34, is also a member of the Police Negotiation Cadre and recalled helping persuade a man in family distress away from a window ledge through active listening.
- He said his long uniformed-service background could help narrow communication gaps with criminal investigators, as he aims to join the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau or the Narcotics Bureau.
Why It Matters
Lai’s progression from constable to probationary inspector points to one internal promotion path within the police force, combining operational experience with academic upgrading and interview preparation. His stated ambition to move into criminal investigation also shows how frontline and negotiation experience may be carried into specialist policing roles that affect case handling and team management.