Assistant Commissioner David Jordan reflects on bridging cultures, balancing tradition, protests and progress throughout his 30-year career
Briskly walking down an office corridor at the Hong Kong police headquarters, a blond-haired uniformed officer energetically greets passing colleagues with a jovial “Wei hing dai!”, meaning “Hey, brother!” in Cantonese.
His office displays a kaleidoscopic collection of memorial coins and medals from law enforcement agencies worldwide, alongside a wall covered with pictures showing myriad police units, from frontline operations to the secretive VIP protection unit.
The officer was Assistant Commissioner David Jordan, 58, currently the highest-ranking expatriate policeman recruited during the colonial era still serving in the force this year.
Reflecting on his more than three-decade career, Jordan noted that public expectations regarding police service quality had risen over the years, encouraging a more empathetic policing approach. He urged officers to focus on empathy and on the “humanity aspects of policing” in frontline work.
