The Old Tai Po Police Station was built in 1899 shortly after the British leased the New Territories. It was the first police station and Police Headquarters in the New Territories. It operated until the new district police station in Tai Po started up in 1987.
The Old Tai Po Police Station was located at the site where the British flag hoisting ceremony was held to mark the official take-over of the New Territories by Britain.
It is situated near to the Old District Office North responsible for civil administration in the area. The police station was of course responsible for maintaining law and order in the area. These buildings together with Island House, former residence of the District Officers, and the Old Police Bungalow, former residence of the Divisional Superintendent of the New Territories, symbolized the power of colonial administration in the old days.
In the early days, there were one European police officer in charge, seven Indian police constables and one Chinese police constable. The Old Tai Po Station had served as a police station for 90 years. Throughout this period, the Old Police Station came across different challenges. During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese vacated it because of its small size and established another police station in a community centre. When it was vacant, its windows, doors, wooden floor and actually anything usable were looted by nearby residents.
The Old Tai Po Police Station Complex is made up mainly of a one-storey Utilitarian building. Its simple, economical and yet traditional form, coupled with the former verandahs of the south and east elevations, is a representative example of the classic colonial architectural style. Some Chinese architectural influence may be in place, notably in the construction of the roofs. But the original purlins or truss system had been replaced with metal trusses.