Rupert Dover

In February 2020, Dover was promoted to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police and took over the position of Regional Commander, Kowloon West following the retirement of Michael Cheuk Hau Yip.

On 29 April 2020, Apple Daily in a tabloid-style investigation reported on Dover’s house in a village in Clear Water Bay Peninsula where most property is squatter housing intended for 1960s typhoon victims, alleging violations of building regulations. The property is built on government land, on conditions where residents are prohibited from selling, trading, or leasing out their houses. Dover’s air conditioning business has the house as its registered address.

In 2019, he commanded the police response to protests about a proposed extradition law on 12 June when the protesters surrounded the Legislative Council Complex in an attempt to stall the bill’s second reading. Dover and other—particularly expatriate—officers, have been criticised for their handling of the protests while also targeted with harassment and doxing.

In 2018, Dover founded Voltage Stabilisers International (HK) Limited, a company selling air conditioning systems in which he retained a 60 per cent share.

In 2014, Dover was involved in policing the Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong. In 2016, he received the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Government/Public Service.

Between 2014 and 2018, Dover and his wife Sze Cheung offered short-terms rentals for House 61A—another house in Pik Shui Sun Tsuen—on Facebook, according to Ming Pao. The listing offered leases between two nights and one month. The Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (Cap 349) defines residences leased out for less than 28 consecutive days as a guesthouse—which requires a licence to operate—with unlawful operation of guesthouses being a criminal offence. The Lands Department confirmed that House 61A was a licensed house, with the licence limiting the house to be used as storage. The Home Affairs Department additionally confirmed that a guesthouse licence has not been obtained for House 61A, suggesting that it was operated illegally as a guesthouse.

His wife Sze Cheung was alleged to have changed her Facebook profile picture to a photograph of a reporter—whose identity was not publicly available—in violation of a 2019 High Court injunction barring anyone from disclosing or publishing personal details of Apple Daily’s staff. The Hong Kong Journalists Association urged the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to investigate the case. Dover has stated he would not comment on his wife’s actions on social media. On 2 May, Apple Daily delivered Dover and his wife a legal letter to their residence. On 26 May, the Land Department substantiated the allegations of illicit expansion works, and gave the licence holder a month to rectify the structures.

The report alleged that the house consisted of three floors, violating building regulations that limit squatter housing to two floors. One third of the ground-floor garden was purported to exceed the land area granted, with the house’s gate seemingly constructed on government land. The report noted that Google Street View data from 2011 showed that House 1 did not contain any unapproved structures, suggesting that the extra floor on the roof was constructed after 2011. The report came after two Next Magazine journalists—one reporter and one photographer—were arrested over allegations of loitering while conducting an investigation into Dover’s residence. Following the Apple Daily report, Dover said that he would move out of the house if instructed by officials. On 4 May, the Lands Department sent ten officials to inspect Dover’s home, investigating whether Dover violated his licensing conditions for the property on government land.

In 2002, Dover, as a Chief Inspector, was transferred to head the Airport Security Unit.

After obtaining an archaeology degree in the United Kingdom, Dover joined the former Royal Hong Kong Police Force in 1988 as a probationary inspector.

Dover joined the police force in 1988 as an Inspector.

Rupert Timothy Alan Dover (born 9 August 1967) is a British-born Assistant Commissioner and Regional Commander of Kowloon West with the Hong Kong Police Force.