Factors in Hong Kong airport customs stop and search decisions

Abstract

Customs officers in Hong Kong are required to conduct stop and search on persons entering and exiting the territory. According to Hong Kong law, Customs officers are empowered to conduct search without reasonable suspicion, however, public expectation has raised concerns on the exercise of discretion in such decisions. This paper aims to look into the factors affecting such decisions and their importance using logistic regression analysis. In order of importance, the factors found to influence stop and search decisions were profile, followed by information, operational contingencies, visible cues, human resources, equipment and intelligence.