Eighty people, including a 15-year-old girl, were yesterday presented the Good Citizen award for assisting police in fighting crimes - including fraud, criminal damage, indecent assault and clandestine photography - and saving lives.
Seven organizations were awarded for promoting anti-fraud messages, combating commercial crimes and conducting drills in a ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee praised the heroic acts of the awardees and hoped that the spirit of good citizens continues.
He added that the Good Citizen Alliance formed by award winners has gone up to 1,600 people from various schools and organizations in the past two years.
Mok Tsz-ching, 15, was the youngest winner of this year's award. She was successful in helping police arrest a molester. When she found her classmate was being molested she took a photo of him.
The oldest awardee was Yeung Shing-fat, 71, who subdued a suspect with two other villagers in Tai Wai.
The suspect was later jailed for eight months for intention to steal.
Debby Kong Pik-kwan, 48, was awarded for saving a girl with autism after she fell into the sea at Tsing Yi in May last year. When Kong was fishing at Tsing Yi, she saw a girl floating on the water and raced to pull her ashore.
She gave the girl a box of lemon tea to calm her and sent a photo of the girl to a
Facebook group hoping to contact the girl's parents. She was successful in handing the girl to her family.
The girl's father was present at the ceremony and presented Kong with a portrait drawn by his daughter.
The Good Citizen Alliance Scheme is organized by the public relations wing, sponsored by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Fight Crime Committee.
Each awardee received a certificate and HK$3,000. The Good Citizen of the Year award recipient will be presented with a plaque and HK$4,000. More than 4,500 have been commended over the years.
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce chairwoman Betty Yuen So Siu-mai said the chamber has been a full sponsor of the award since 1973 and she was honored to witness this year's 50th anniversary.
A "time tunnel" was set up with the theme "heritage" at the venue for guests to relive the history of the award.