NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The police, a symbol of law, are the defenders of our society, and should never be treated as enemies, said Hugh H. Mo, a former deputy police commissioner of New York City Police Department (NYPD), in a Tuesday interview with Xinhua.

Talking about the protests in Hong Kong, Mo said the situation is very peculiar for police forces in this Chinese port city, when friendly ties between the police and civilians seem to come to an unexpected challenge.

"Here in New York (city), the right to protest is respected as long as it is carried out in line with laws, but once you don't cooperate with the police in demonstration, you are taking risks of committing crimes and being punished by law," Mo said.

"Whenever you see an NYPD vehicle on the street, you can't fail to see the three words on the body -- Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect, which serve as a reminder for both the police and the public, to respect each other, and defend the dignity of law," he said.

When facing assaults, U.S. police have the right to use their weapons to counter life threats from anyone who is armed in any form, or call other team members to reinforce them in containing the situation, the former police officer said.

During the Occupy Wall Street movement back in 2011, Mo said that anti-riot squads, riot cars, snipers and mounted units were called from eight towns to help New York City deal with the situation. Equipment such as stun batons and tear gas were used in controlling the situation amid protests, and nearly 1,000 people were arrested in two weeks.

The former NYPD officer said that he would like to see the rule of law restored in Hong Kong, a society long famous for its prosperity, good governance and friendliness. Enditem

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