Courage part of Hong Kong disciplined services, but safety first: customs chief

Hong Kong’s customs chief has said disciplined services officers will offer help when they see injustice and that courage is in their “genes”, but their training stressed safety is paramount when carrying out their duties.

Chan Tsz-tat, the commissioner of the Customs and Excise Department, made the remarks on Friday when he was asked to comment on the actions of an off-duty officer who was arrested after trying to stop a motorcycle rider apparently fleeing from police. The rider later crashed and died.

Chan said on Friday the crash itself was very unfortunate, but he would not comment further on the incident as it was the subject of a criminal investigation.

“Most of the disciplined services officers have a courageous spirit in their genes and will offer help when there is injustice,” he said.

But officers were also taught that safety was the most important concern when discharging their duties, Chan added.

“When we perform our duties, there may be risks and dangers,” he said. “In our training, officers are required to consider the safety of themselves and others before they perform their duties.