HONG KONG, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Forty residents of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region who helped the police fight crime got commended at the Good Citizen Award Presentation Ceremony held on Wednesday by Hong Kong Police.
With the help of the awardees, the youngest of whom is 14 years old, more than 30 persons were arrested for a variety of offences including robbery, theft, wounding, outraging public decency and criminal damage, according to the police.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Director of Personnel and Training of Police Li Kin-fai pointed out that the law and order situation in Hong Kong remained stable in the first half of 2017, which was attributed to the concerted efforts of the police and the community.
A total of 28,309 cases of crime were recorded, representing a decrease of 1,233 cases over the same period last year and a record-low level since 1979, according to Li.
Li said he believed that members of the public are willing to join hands with the police to fight against crime and uphold the rule of law, making Hong Kong one of the safest and most stable societies in the world.
The Good Citizen Award is presented twice a year. Each of the awardees receives a certificate and a cheque of 3,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 384 U.S. dollars). More than 4,000 persons have been commended over the years, according to the police.
