In the three-and-a-half weeks we’ve been here, I can’t recall once ever seeing a police officer or a police car. But what I have seen –scores of them- are private security guards.They are everywhere.
Every building -every entrance- seems to have a manned guard booth. What’s more, Hong Kong sometimes feels like one big gated community. When walking to the grocery store you can’t cut through the Baptist University’s or through the neighboring apartment complex, because everything is walled off.
Our school employs a full-time security service that has two, three or more security guards on duty at all times.
But it seems to have paid off, because Hong Kong is a very safe city considering it has almost eight million residents. Last week a colleague took out a train map of Hong Kong and out of sixty train stations he circle just two and said we’d probably want to avoid those two areas after dark.
That’s it. Just two neighborhoods.
Interestingly, the same company that provides security services for our school also provides janitorial services. In our first few days, I kept hearing about this multi-talented person named Hong Yip. “Missing dining room chair? Talk to Hong Yip.” “If you get back after hours, ring the bell, Hong Yip will let you in.” “Avoid the north stair well, Hong Yip is re-waxing the floors today.”
This guy was everywhere, doing everything. I couldn’t wait to meet him.
Turns our Hong Yip is the name of the security/custodial company.
-Jack
It could also be that crime is low because it would be next to impossible to get away with your misdeed. No matter where you committed your crime, there would hundreds of witnesses to your nefarious act.
(Have I mentioned all the people there are here?)
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