Zhou Zhanqiao
Peter Chau Cham Chiu BBS, MBE, QPM, CPM (born 19 January 1941 – died 29 December 2023) was a senior Hong Kong police officer with a 39‑year career. He joined the Royal Hong Kong Police in the 1960s, served in the Auxiliary[1] Police from 1974, and was Director between 1996 and 2001. He was a member of the Chau Wing‑tai family[2] and also became involved in business.
Background
He descended from one of the four major colonial-era Hong Kong families. His great-grandfather Chau Wing‑tai was a descendant of the Northern Song scholar Zhou Dunyi. His grandfather was a prominent banker and insurer; his uncle, Sir Chau Shik‑nin, was a wealthy businessman and Hong Kong’s first Chinese ENT surgeon; and his father Chau Chun‑nin served as an unofficial member of both the Executive and Legislative Councils. He had three brothers and one sister.
Early Life
Born at a Spanish-style house on 1 Robinson Road, Hong Kong Island. He received private classical education in childhood and graduated from St. Paul’s College Primary in 1955. Later, he attended St. Stephen’s College and New Method College, completing Form 5 in 1960. He joined the Royal Hong Kong Police as Inspector on 5 March 1962. During the 1967 riots, he served in Wan Chai traffic department and was injured during a bomb‑disposal task. He later received ordnance training in Bramley, Hampshire, UK.
Career
After his father's death in 1971, his elder brother succeeded family business. Chau was then serving as head of the Tsim Sha Tsui Criminal Investigation Department. Following his elder brother’s death in 1974 and his second brother's decision not to take over, Chau left the police in 1974 to assist with the family's business, becoming chairman and general manager of several family firms. However, his passion for policing led him to rejoin the Auxiliary Police in November 1974 as an inspector. He rose through ranks: Chief Inspector (1975), Superintendent (1977), Senior Superintendent (1980), took the post of Deputy Commander in the New Territories, and in September 1987 became Deputy Director (equivalent to Assistant Commissioner). He served concurrently as honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor (appointed 1977) and Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Island Regional Scout Committee. In 1985, co-founded two security and property management companies. As Director, he defined roles and functions of the Auxiliary Police and proposed training support. He retired on 19 January 2000; succeeded by Kwok Chi-shun. His farewell included a sedan‑chair ceremony, criticized by some, and some officers expressed disappointment at the lack of an Auxiliary Police association and reduced hours. Post-retirement, he remained active in aviation youth development, serving as Chairman of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps and received the Corps Medal in 2010. He was also involved with the Scout Association and Rotary Club.
In 2013 and 2016, he faced debt-related lawsuits by finance companies pursuing mortgage defaults. He died of illness in December 2023 at age 82.
Honours
- Colonial Police Medal (1983)
- Queen's Police Medal (1990)
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (1996)
- Auxiliary Police Long Service Medal with First Clasp (2000)
- Bronze Bauhinia Star (2006) – for services to community and youth aviation education
Other Roles
He was a member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and past President of the Rotary Club of Western District Hong Kong. He promoted children’s education by donating theatre tickets to disabled and charitable institutions. In 1959, he represented senior Hong Kong Scouts at the 10th World Scout Jamboree.
Personal Life
He was married to Lo Miu‑yin and had one son and three daughters. His eldest son, Bernard Chau Ka‑ho, served as the head of the Hong Kong office of a China Western Research & Development Promotion Association. Bernard was convicted in 2014 of fraud related to false board minutes to secure loans.