Hong Kong Police expand smart self-service kiosks for reporting

The Hong Kong Police Force is expanding its ‘smart policing’ initiative through the deployment of self-service kiosks designed to handle lost property reports and non-emergency cases. Since their introduction in September 2021, these machines have been installed at 35 locations across Hong Kong, including 23 police stations, major MTR interchange stations, the airport, and various land control points.

The kiosks offer two primary functions: ‘Easy Lost Property Reporting’ and ‘Electronic Reporting.’ The technology has significantly improved efficiency, reducing the average time for reporting lost items from 15 minutes with an officer to just 3 to 5 minutes via the kiosk. To date, the system has processed over 310,000 lost property cases.

Recent software optimizations include a user-friendly interface with ‘common lost item’ options, smart form filling, and keyword searches to assist elderly users and travelers. The machines also support Cantonese, Mandarin, and English voice input. Furthermore, a collaboration with the MTR Corporation allows users to upload reports directly to the MTR lost property platform, increasing the likelihood of recovering items lost on the railway network.