The 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China on July 1 this year is approaching. In order to ensure the smooth holding of the handover celebration, the police will be dispatched on that day. Among them, the three domestically-made “special purpose vehicles for crowd management” (commonly known as water cannon vehicles) newly purchased by the police last year are also expected to be officially used. Deploy execution tasks.
During the anti-amendment demonstrations that broke out in the society from 2019 to 2020, the police dispatched water cannons to enforce the law many times.
Last year, the police stated that in order to cope with the challenges and operational needs brought about by the increasingly complex social environment, the police force has purchased three additional smaller water cannon vehicles.
The three "small water cannon vehicles" were produced in the Mainland and arrived in Hong Kong in mid-December last year, with a total value of about $9.9 million. However, due to the small size of the new car, it is suitable for use in local side streets and narrow alleys.
It is understood that the three newly purchased small water cannon vehicles have been inspected by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and have been handed over to the police force.
To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong on July 1, in addition to the general mobilization, the police are also expected to formally deploy the three newly added small water cannon vehicles to perform tasks.
Taking into account the 3 European water cannon vehicles introduced in the early years, the police will deploy a total of 6 water cannon vehicles.
The police said that the number of vehicles required will be reviewed in a timely manner according to the social situation and operational needs to ensure the overall operational effectiveness of the police force.
