Raymon Anning


Raymon Harry Anning is a former Commissioner of Police of Hong Kong. In the early 1970s, he was a commander of the Metropolitan Police in Greater London. He was later appointed as HM Inspector of Constabulary for West and South-West England, the British Midlands and Wales. In 1983, he was posted to Hong Kong as the Deputy Commissioner of Police until his promotion to Commissioner in 1985.

Early life

As a teenager, Anning was educated in Richmond and East Sheen County Grammar School for Boys, East Sheen, Greater London.

Police career

Anning joined the Metropolitan Police in 1952.
He was promoted to Chief Superintendent in 1969 and placed in command of a contingent of London policemen to restore order to Anguilla, which declared itself an independent republic. On return from Anguilla he commanded the Metropolitan Police Discipline Office.
In 1973, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Robert Mark encountered an increasing concern about police corruption and behaviour. Detectives had been offered money to ignore crimes. Anning, then promoted to Commander, was placed in charge of a complaints department in New Scotland Yard, with a codename A10, to investigate all complaints against the members of the force. Under Anning's command were 60 men which later increased to 84. In its first sixth month, the new department investigated 451 complaints. At last, 90 officers were forced out. Fresh from his experience in New Scotland Yard, Anning was seconded to Hong Kong to advise the Government on the founding of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
On his return from Hong Kong in 1975, Anning was promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissioner, second-in-command of the Criminal Investigation Department, Metropolitan Police.
In 1979, Anning undertook a course at the National Executive Institute of the FBI Academy and was appointed one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary for England and Wales.
On 17 July 1983 Anning replaced Peter Moor and took up his appointment as Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Royal Hong Kong Police.
Anning became Commissioner of Police on 15 April 1985. Prior to the end of his office, Anning faced the instability created by the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests. On the morning of 7 June, following a slow demonstration march of trucks and lorries, rioters gathered at Mong Kok and Yaumatei and destroyed nearby vehicles and building gates. PTU officers were called to action to control the situation. Police fired about 40 shots of tear gas and arrested about 10 rioters. Anning later declared that the rioters were criminals whose actual motive was not to support the protests at Tiananmen Square.

Retirement

Anning was succeeded by Li Kwan Ha under instructions from Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and approval of Governor Wilson in 1989. He was the last Briton in the post of Hong Kong Police Commissioner.

Awards and honours