Eighty citizens who assisted Police in fighting crime and upholding the rule of law were commended at the Good Citizen Award (GCA) Presentation Ceremony 2023 today.
 
Separately, seven organisations were presented with the Good Organisation Award to recognise their efforts in supporting the force's crime prevention work.
 
Police said that the GCA awardees helped them with preventing or detecting crime, arresting criminals and saving lives.
 
This year, the Good Citizen of the Year Award was presented to six GCA awardees for the first time. All of them were boatmen who volunteered to sail out and rescue 37 people from danger during a maritime accident. They were commended for their bravery and resourcefulness.
 
More than 4,600 citizens have been commended since the launch of the GCA scheme in 1973.
 
Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee said the GCA Scheme, which was established 51 years ago, not only highlights the importance of police-community co-operation but also the initial aspiration of the force to promote community engagement and strengthen connections with various sectors of the community.
 
Among the awardees, Mr Siu highlighted 11 security guards and taxi drivers, who were highly commendable for utilising their work strengths to take the initiative and go the extra mile to help Police fight crime.
 
He urged members of the public to follow their lead and collectively contribute to a stronger safety network in society.