After the riot, the colonial government of David Trench set up the Kowloon Disturbances Commission of Inquiry, presided over by Justice Michael Hogan, aimed at identifying the cause, in particular, the social elements that underlay the outbreak of violence. The inquiry report cited one of the main reasons was the general lack of a sense of belonging to society of young people, general insecurity and distrust of the government among grass-roots; all of this was exacerbated by economic recession, unemployment and a housing shortage. The inquiry recommended the Trench government to create the function of district officers () to improve governance by facilitating communication between the government and the local public.