Hong Kong expat police association sails into sunset after 78 years

Hong Kong’s expatriate police association has been disbanded after 78 years, but its last chairman has said the contribution of overseas officers will remain part of the force’s legacy forever.

Chief Inspector Anthony William Lothian, also known as Tobi, told the Post in an exclusive interview that the Overseas Inspectors’ Association had been disbanded on Friday as he, as its last chairman, would retire at the end of the month.

“It’s quite an emotional affair. We were the first association to come into existence, and having been with it for the past 36½ years, it’s quite a monumental time for it to disappear off the face of the Earth,” Lothian said.

Established in 1947, it was one of four staff associations within the force responsible for lobbying for higher pay and welfare for its officers, alongside the Superintendents’ Association, the Hong Kong Police Inspectors’ Association and the Junior Police Officers’ Association.

Lothian, 59, joined the Hong Kong Police Force from the United Kingdom in 1989 and the association in the same year.

He said there were up to 900 members back in the day, but by the time the association closed, only six remained.